Parent rock

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Parent rock refers to the original rock from which something else was formed. It is mainly used in the context of soil formation where the parent rock will have a large influence on the nature of the resulting soil. The term is also used in the context of metamorphic rocks where again the parent rock refers to the original rock before metamorphism takes place. Parent Rocks can be sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic. In these cases, parent rock may be referred to as the protolith. Parent rock is the main source of soil. This type of soil is also called residual soil. Differnet parnet rocks have different chemical compositions.

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