Uncover the differences between rocks, minerals, and gemstones, discover how they are all formed, and explore examples from each category.

What is magma? Magma is a super-hot viscous material that consists of molten and semi-molten rock that flows deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Depending on the chemical composition of the magma, there are three magma categories: basaltic magma, andesitic magma, and rhyolitic magma. There are different mechanisms for magma formation: partial melting, decompression melting, and flux-induced melting. When magma breaks through the earth’s surface, the magma that reaches the surfa

The Devil’s Marbles (the Karlu Karlu conservation reserve) is an area in Northern Territory, Australia, sprinkled with large reddish granite boulders. The Devils Marbles is a Registered Sacred Site because of it's high cultural significance for the Alyawarre people and for other Aboriginal groups. In the traditional culture, the Devil's Marbles were created by Arrange, The Devil Man. Scientifically, the Devils Marbles were formed through the slow weathering of a large granit

The Richat Structure (The Eye of the Sahara) is an eroded geologic dome in Mauritania, Africa. Its birth started over 100 million years ago.