Earth's Landforms
True or false: The Grand Canyon can be seen from space.
TRUE
True or false: Earth is made of only 2 layers.
FALSE
Earth's crust is broken into drifting slabs of solid rock called ________ plates.
TECTONIC plates
What is weathering?
Weather is the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces.
What are the 3 categories of rock?
igneous
sedimentary
metamorphic
How deep is the Grand Canyon?
1 mile deep
What is the innermost layer called?
What are the 3 types of tectonic plate boundaries?
convergent
divergent
transform
What is erosion?
Water, wind, or gravity transports sediment to new locations.
How are igneous rocks formed?
lava cools and hardens
What are rocks made of?
minerals
What is the thickest Earth layer?
mantle
How do convergent boundaries move?
They move towards each other.
------> <------
What is sediment?
Smaller pieces of rock that have been weathered. For example, sand is sediment because it is created through weathering.
How are sedimentary rocks formed?
layers of sediment under pressure
Are rocks organic or nonorganic?
They are nonorganic because they are not the product of something living.
Which layer of Earth do we live on?
the crust
How do divergent plates move?
They move away from each other.
<------ ------>
Explain how weathering and erosion formed the Grand Canyon.
The Colorado River weathered and eroded the rock to form the Grand Canyon.
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
heat and/or pressure cause a chemical reaction
How old is Earth?
4.5 billion years old
List the 4 layers of Earth.
inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
How do transform boundaries move?
They grind past each other.
------>
<------
Explain why a river that starts at the top of a mountain would have so much kinetic energy.
Gravity
How do we know that there used to be an ocean where the Grand Canyon is now?
marine fossils