Layers of geosphere
What is the geosphere?
The geosphere is all the rocks and minerals on the Earth.
What are rocks?
Rocks are a mix of one or various solid substances called minerals.
What are minerals?
Minerals are natural, solid and inorganic substances.
TRUE / FALSE.
Natural landscapes always stay the same. They never change.
False. They are changing continuously.
Tectonic plates are large pieces of the ...
a) core
b) mantle
c) lithosphere
...lithosphere.
Name the three layers of the geosphere.
Crust - which is closest to us.
Mantle - which has solid and semi-liquid rock.
Core - which is made of metal.
What are the characteristics of rocks?
1. Composition - the mix of minerals in a rock.
2. Texture - the shape and arrangement of grains in the rock.
3. Appearance - in mountain ranges, volcanoes or in parallel layers.
What do you call a person who studies minerals?
A mineralogist.
What is a natural disaster?
A natural event that causes damage to a landscape is called a natural disaster. Communities can be destroyed and people can die.
What does transform plate boundaries mean?
When two tectonic plates slide past each other causing earthquakes.
What is the lithosphere?
The lithosphere is made up of the crust and the solid part of the mantle.
What are the three groups of rocks?
Sedimentary rocks.
Igneous rocks.
Metamorphic rocks.
What are the properties of minerals?
1. Shape
2. Lustre
3. Colour and streak
4. Hardness
5. Density
Can climate change a landscape? Explain your answer.
Yes, climatic processes can change a landscape. Rain, wind, ice and also big storms can cause destruction.
What does divergent plate boundaries mean?
When two tectonic plates separate causing volcanoes.
Where are rocks found?
We can find rocks on:
-the seabed
-the continents
-mountain ranges
-blocks, stones and sand.
How are each group of rocks formed?
Sedimentary rocks are found in layers.
Igneous rocks come from volcanoes (cooled magma).
Metamorphic rocks change over time because of heat or pressure.
Which property refers to the true colour of a mineral (the colour of the mineral's powder) ?
The streak.
Is erosion a slow change or a quick change?
Erosion is a slow change, for example, when waves break away small pieces of a cliff, the cliff changes shape over many, many years.
What does convergent plate boundaries mean?
When two tectonic plates collide (crash) causing mountain ranges to form.
How thick is the crust?
The crust is between 7 and 70 km thick.
Name one example of each type of rock?
Sedimentary - limestone
Igneous - granite
Metamorphic - marble
What is the name of the scale that is used to measure the hardness of a mineral?
The Mohs scale. Talc, which is the softest mineral measures 1 on the Mohs scale, and a diamond, which is the hardest mineral, measures 10.
How can humans change landscapes?
Humans change landscapes by building roads, railways, houses, factories and farms in a landscape.
Name 3 consequences of tectonic plate movements.
Tectonic plate movements can:
-create mountains and valleys
-rearrange continents
- cause earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis....