The crust of earth is made of rocks & minerals.The Crust makes up less than 1% of the Earth’s mass (0.4%)
There are 8 elements that make up 99% of the Earth’s crust:
It is made of oxygen, magnesium aluminium, silicon calcium, sodium ,potassium, iron.
The Mantle is the solid casing of the Earth and is about 2900 km thick.
It makes up about 70% of the Earth’s mass (68.1%).
It is made up of silicon, oxygen, aluminium and iron.
The Core is mainly made of iron and nickel and makes up about 30% of the Earth’s mass (31.5%).
The Outer Core is 2200 km thick and is liquid and the Inner Core is 1270 km thick and is solid.
EARTH’S LAYERS
How are earth’s layers similar to an egg?
Shell=crust
Egg white=mantle
Yolk=core
How are earth’s layers similar to an egg?Shell=crust
Egg white=mantle
Yolk=core
ROCKS
The rocks you see around you - the mountains, canyons & riverbeds, are all made of minerals.
A rock is made up of 2 or more minerals.
Think of a chocolate chip cookie as a rock. The cookie is made of flour, butter, sugar & chocolate. The cookie is like a rock and the flour, butter, sugar & chocolate are like minerals.
You need minerals to make rocks, but you don't need rocks to make minerals.
The rocks you see around you - the mountains, canyons & riverbeds, are all made of minerals.
A rock is made up of 2 or more minerals.
Think of a chocolate chip cookie as a rock. The cookie is made of flour, butter, sugar & chocolate. The cookie is like a rock and the flour, butter, sugar & chocolate are like minerals.
You need minerals to make rocks, but you don't need rocks to make minerals.
MINERALS
A mineral is composed of the same substance throughout. If you were to cut a mineral sample, it would look the same throughout.
There are about 3000 different minerals in the world.
Minerals are made of chemicals - either a single chemical or a combination of chemicals.
There are 103 known chemical elements.
A mineral is composed of the same substance throughout. If you were to cut a mineral sample, it would look the same throughout.
There are about 3000 different minerals in the world.
Minerals are made of chemicals - either a single chemical or a combination of chemicals.
There are 103 known chemical elements.
SOIL, SAND & DIRT
When rocks break down into smaller & smaller pieces, they turn into sand.
If you look at the sand under a microscope, sand is made up of the same minerals as the rocks that the sand came from.
Soil is very important to life on earth. It supports plant life. We could not live without plants.
Soil is made up of sand and decomposing plants and animals.
Soil has many names including: clay, silt, mud, dirt, topsoil, dust, potting soil and humus.
When rocks break down into smaller & smaller pieces, they turn into sand.
If you look at the sand under a microscope, sand is made up of the same minerals as the rocks that the sand came from.
Soil is very important to life on earth. It supports plant life. We could not live without plants.
Soil is made up of sand and decomposing plants and animals.
Soil has many names including: clay, silt, mud, dirt, topsoil, dust, potting soil and humus.
THE ROCK CYCLE
Rocks are constantly being formed, worn down and then formed again.
This is known as the Rock Cycle.
It is like the water cycle but it takes a lot longer.
It takes thousands and millions of years for rocks to change.
Rocks are divided into 3 types: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. They are classified by how they were formed.
Rocks are constantly being formed, worn down and then formed again.
This is known as the Rock Cycle.
It is like the water cycle but it takes a lot longer.
It takes thousands and millions of years for rocks to change.
Rocks are divided into 3 types: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic. They are classified by how they were formed.
IGNEOUS ROCKS
Igneous means made from fire or heat.
When volcanoes erupt and the liquid rock comes up to the earth's surface, then new igneous rock is made. When the rock is liquid & inside the earth, it is called magma.
When the magmas that comes from Earth’s core gets hard inside the crust, it turns into granite.
Most mountains are made of granite. It cools very slowly and is very hard.
When the magma gets up to the surface and flows out, like what happens when a volcano erupts, then the liquid is called lava.
Lava flows down the sides of the volcano. When it cools & turns hard it is called obsidian, lava rock or pumice
Obsidian is nature’s glass. It is glassy and smooth.
Pumice is full of air pockets that were trapped when the lava cooled when it frothed out onto the surface. It is the only rock that floats.
There are 5 kinds of igneous rocks, depending on the mix of minerals in the rocks.
Granite, Diorite, Gabbro, Periodotite, Pegmatite
Igneous means made from fire or heat.
When volcanoes erupt and the liquid rock comes up to the earth's surface, then new igneous rock is made. When the rock is liquid & inside the earth, it is called magma.
When the magmas that comes from Earth’s core gets hard inside the crust, it turns into granite.
Most mountains are made of granite. It cools very slowly and is very hard.
When the magma gets up to the surface and flows out, like what happens when a volcano erupts, then the liquid is called lava.
Lava flows down the sides of the volcano. When it cools & turns hard it is called obsidian, lava rock or pumice
Obsidian is nature’s glass. It is glassy and smooth.
Pumice is full of air pockets that were trapped when the lava cooled when it frothed out onto the surface. It is the only rock that floats.
There are 5 kinds of igneous rocks, depending on the mix of minerals in the rocks.
Granite, Diorite, Gabbro, Periodotite, Pegmatite
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Lots of rock gets worn away due to erosion. Eventually most of the broken bits of the rock end up in the streams & rivers that flow down from the mountains. These little bits of rock & sand are called sediments.
When the water slows down enough, these sediments settle to the bottom of the lake or oceans they run into. Over many years, layers of different rock bits settle at the bottom of lakes and oceans.Over time the layers of sand and mud at the bottom of lakes & oceans turned into rocks.
These are called sedimentary rocks. Eg. sandstone and shale
Sedimentary rocks are usually formed in layers called strata.
Sedimentary rocks often have fossils in them.
When large amounts of plants are deposited in sedimentary rocks, then they turn into carbon. This gives us our coal, oil, natural gas and petroleum.
Sedimentary rocks cover 75% of the earth’s surface.
6 Kinds of Sedimentary Rocks depending on the appearance of the rock.
Conglomerate rock, Sandstone, Shale, Limestone, Gypsum, common salt or Epsom salt, Breccia
Lots of rock gets worn away due to erosion. Eventually most of the broken bits of the rock end up in the streams & rivers that flow down from the mountains. These little bits of rock & sand are called sediments.
When the water slows down enough, these sediments settle to the bottom of the lake or oceans they run into. Over many years, layers of different rock bits settle at the bottom of lakes and oceans.Over time the layers of sand and mud at the bottom of lakes & oceans turned into rocks.
These are called sedimentary rocks. Eg. sandstone and shale
Sedimentary rocks are usually formed in layers called strata.
Sedimentary rocks often have fossils in them.
When large amounts of plants are deposited in sedimentary rocks, then they turn into carbon. This gives us our coal, oil, natural gas and petroleum.
Sedimentary rocks cover 75% of the earth’s surface.
6 Kinds of Sedimentary Rocks depending on the appearance of the rock.
Conglomerate rock, Sandstone, Shale, Limestone, Gypsum, common salt or Epsom salt, Breccia
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed.
Word comes from the Greek "meta" and "morph" which means to change form.
Metamorphic rocks were originally igneous or sedimentary, but due to movement of the earth's crust, were changed.
If you squeeze your hands together very hard, you will feel heat and pressure. When the earth's crust moves, it causes rocks to get squeezed so hard that the heat causes the rock to change.
Marble is an example of a sedimentary rock that has been changed into a metamorphic rock.
Metamorphic rocks are the least common of the 3 kinds of rocks.
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed.
Word comes from the Greek "meta" and "morph" which means to change form.
Metamorphic rocks were originally igneous or sedimentary, but due to movement of the earth's crust, were changed.
If you squeeze your hands together very hard, you will feel heat and pressure. When the earth's crust moves, it causes rocks to get squeezed so hard that the heat causes the rock to change.
Marble is an example of a sedimentary rock that has been changed into a metamorphic rock.
Metamorphic rocks are the least common of the 3 kinds of rocks.
EROSION
Erosion is a key part of the rock cycle. Erosion happens mainly as a result of weathering – the effect of water, temperature and wind on the landscape.
Water causes much erosion. When it falls as acid rain, it can dissolve rocks that are sensitive to acid.
Acid Rain: chemicals in the air combine with precipitation. When it rains it dissolves certain minerals sensitive to acid.
Leaching by ground water: water soaks into the soil, picks up chemicals. This allows the water to leach or dissolve rocks it comes in contact with at bedrock.
Other causes are precipitation, freeze/thaw cycle, flood and wind
Erosion is a key part of the rock cycle. Erosion happens mainly as a result of weathering – the effect of water, temperature and wind on the landscape.
Water causes much erosion. When it falls as acid rain, it can dissolve rocks that are sensitive to acid.
Acid Rain: chemicals in the air combine with precipitation. When it rains it dissolves certain minerals sensitive to acid.
Leaching by ground water: water soaks into the soil, picks up chemicals. This allows the water to leach or dissolve rocks it comes in contact with at bedrock.
Other causes are precipitation, freeze/thaw cycle, flood and wind
CRYSTALS
Crystals are minerals that have had the chance to grow in the shape that they were meant to be. When there is just a big hunk of a mineral, it is called a massive mineral.
If there is a definite shape with easy to see flat sides, it is called a mineral crystal.
Most of the earth's crystals were formed millions of years ago.
Crystals form when the liquid rock from inside the earth cool and harden. Sometimes crystals form when liquids underground find their way into cracks and slowly deposit minerals.
Most mineral crystals take thousands of years to "grow" but some like salt (halite) can form very quickly.
Amethyst is a very common quartz crystal.
Crystals are minerals that have had the chance to grow in the shape that they were meant to be. When there is just a big hunk of a mineral, it is called a massive mineral.
If there is a definite shape with easy to see flat sides, it is called a mineral crystal.
Most of the earth's crystals were formed millions of years ago.
Crystals form when the liquid rock from inside the earth cool and harden. Sometimes crystals form when liquids underground find their way into cracks and slowly deposit minerals.
Most mineral crystals take thousands of years to "grow" but some like salt (halite) can form very quickly.
Amethyst is a very common quartz crystal.
GEMSTONES
Gemstones are often what people mean when they talk about "crystals".
There are many gemstones and most are used for jewellery or decoration. Some gemstones look similar to what the mineral looks like when found in nature and others are very different. Few minerals found in nature are suitable to use unaltered in jewellery.
One exception is the "Herkimer Diamond" which forms in vugs of gray rock and are found near Herkimer, New York.
These are not real diamonds - they are quartz crystals that look like they have been cut & polished like a diamond.
Gemstones are often what people mean when they talk about "crystals".
There are many gemstones and most are used for jewellery or decoration. Some gemstones look similar to what the mineral looks like when found in nature and others are very different. Few minerals found in nature are suitable to use unaltered in jewellery.
One exception is the "Herkimer Diamond" which forms in vugs of gray rock and are found near Herkimer, New York.
These are not real diamonds - they are quartz crystals that look like they have been cut & polished like a diamond.
BIRTHSTONES
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