Earth Systems and Interactions Lesson 2

L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions VOCABULARY Color C-Horizon Streak Plate Tectonics Luster Continental Crust Hardness Oceanic Crust Density...

L ES SO N 1 Earth Systems and Interactions VOCABULARY Color C-Horizon Streak Plate Tectonics Luster Continental Crust Hardness Oceanic Crust Density Divergent Boundary Cleavage Convergent Boundary Fracture Transform Boundary Moh’s Hardness Scale Crust A-Horizon Mantle B-Horizon Core L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere MATERIALS IN THE GEOSPHERE 1. MINERALS 2. ROCKS 3. SOIL L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 5 CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS 1. Naturally Occurring 2. Inorganic 3. Solid 4. Crystal Structure 5. Definite Chemical Composition Ex: Quartz L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 7 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS 1. Color 2. Streak 3. Luster 4. Hardness 5. Density 6. Cleavage 7. Fracture L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere MOH’S HARDNESS SCALE Ranks minerals on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their relative hardness L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 3 TYPES OF ROCKS 1. IGNEOUS 2. SEDIMENTARY 3. METAMORPHIC L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere THE SOIL One of most important materials in the Geosphere Loose, weathered material where plants grow Has a layered structure L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere LAYERS OF THE SOIL 1. A-Horizon 2. B-Horizon 3. C-Horizon L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere LAYERS OF THE SOIL 1. A-Horizon Part of the soil that you see when you dig with your fingers Excellent for plant growth Contains most of organic matter in soil Darker than other layers L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere LAYERS OF THE SOIL 2. B-Horizon Clay particles form when water from rain or snow seeps through pores in A-Horizon Clay is deposited in B-Horizon L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere LAYERS OF THE SOIL 3. C-Horizon Layer of weathered plant material Can be rock or sediments  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere SOIL INTERACTIONS Contains minerals, water, air, and organisms, all in close contact Represents interactions among all Earth systems Soil plays a major role in phosphorus and carbon cycles  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere SOIL FORMATION Interactions among rocks, water, air and organisms at Earth’s surface Begins when rocks weather into sediment Waste adds nutrients to the soil Nutrients also added when organisms die and decay  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere PLATE TECTONICS The large scale movement of Earth’s continents Moves about 10cm/year Occurs in top two layers of the mantle: Lithosphere Separated into 7 tectonic plates Asthenosphere  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 7 TECTONIC PLATES Composed of 1 or 2 layers Continental Crust Forms continents and areas of shallow water close to their shores Oceanic Crust Forms the ocean basins Ex. South American plate has both crusts  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 7 TECTONIC PLATES Speed and direction in which the plates move depends on the temperature and pressure of the asthenosphere below Plates push and pull against each other  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 4 PLATE INTERACTIONS 1. Divergent Boundary 2 plates move away from each other Speed and direction in which the plates move depends on the temp and pressure of asthenosphere below 2. Convergent Boundary Plates collide and land is pushed up to form large mountain ranges (Himalayas)  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 4 PLATE INTERACTIONS 3. Transform Boundaries 2 plates scrape or slide past one another Leads to earthquakes San Andreas Fault in CA  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere 4 PLATE INTERACTIONS 4. Convergent Plate Boundary Subduction Ocean-Ocean Older plate subducts under newer one Ocean-Continent More dense ocean plate subducts under continental plate Underwater and above ground volcanoes  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere STRUCTURE OF THE GEOSPHERE 3 Layers Crust Mantle Core Each layer has a different density and composition as you move down  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere STRUCTURE OF THE GEOSPHERE THE CRUST Thinnest layer of outer geosphere Similar to skin of apple 3-30 miles thick Oxygen is most common element Oceanic crust mostly basalt Continental crust mostly granite Tectonic plates  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere STRUCTURE OF THE GEOSPHERE THE MANTLE Thickest layer of geosphere Mostly made of magma 83% of Earth’s volume Upper mantle combines with the crust to form the lithosphere, a brittle outer layer Asthenosphere is the weak partially melted layer of the mantle  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere STRUCTURE OF THE GEOSPHERE THE CORE Dense metallic center of Earth Metallic not rocky (Iron) Outer Core = Liquid Nickel & Iron Movement of liquid iron produces Earth’s magnetic field Inner Core = Solid Iron and Nickel  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY ALFRED WEGENER German Scientist Theorized that continents were once all connected Parts of crust drift atop a liquid core  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY PANGAEA Supercontinent that existed 250 million years ago Means “All Earth”  L ES SO N 2 The Geosphere CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY EVIDENCE 1. Apparent puzzle fit of the Continents 2. Fossil Correlation 3. Rock and Mountain Correlation 4. Past Climate Data