SEDIMENTARY rocks are nearly always made of materials that have been moved from their place of origin to a new place of deposition. They are the most common rocks found in Kansas. With few exceptions, surface exposures of rocks in Kansas are sedimentary rocks. There are three kinds of sedimentary rocks: clastic, chemical, and organic.
METAMORPHIC rocks are rocks that have been metamorphosed, or changed, by heat or pressure. All kinds of rocks can be metamorphosed: sedimentary, igneous, and even other metamorphic rocks. They are usually associated with mountain building.
IGNEOUS rocks are formed by the cooling and hardening of molten rock, or magma. Also known as "fire rocks", they are the ancestors of all other rocks. There are two kinds of igneous rocks: intrusive and extrusive.