Layers of the Geosphere
What is the geosphere and how many layers does it have?
The solid part of the Earth. It has 4 layers.
Plate tectonics create different landscape formations, as a result of plates moving and interacting with each other. Give an example of a formation that is created by this process.
Possible answers:
Volcanoes
Mountains
Valleys
Ridges
TRUE OR FALSE: metamorphic rocks begin as sedimentary or igneous rocks.
TRUE
They are transformed over time by intense heat and pressure below the Earth's surface.
TRUE OR FALSE: Minerals can take different forms (including solid and liquid states).
FALSE
Minerals are solid substances that form naturally.
TRUE OR FALSE: the crust is the top layer of the geosphere and it is also the thinnest layer.
TRUE
In addition, the crust is solid and forms the continents and ocean floor.
What is the term that describes differences in heights from place to place on the Earth's surface?
Relief
Limestone and sandstone are examples of which type of rock?
Sedimentary rocks.
What does lustre describe about minerals?
How shiny (or dull!) a mineral is.
What is something that causes changes to the Earth's crust?
Possible answers:
- The movement of magma underneath the crust
- Forces like wind and moving water
The process in which sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform is called ________.
Deposition
Magma (from the Earth's mantle) cools and forms this type of rock.
Igneous rock.
What are the four characteristics used to classify minerals?
Colour
Lustre
Cleavage & fracture
Hardness
What is the hottest part of the geosphere and where is it located?
The inner core is the hottest, and it is at the centre of the Earth.
What is volcanism?
The discharge of lava, molten rock, hot water, and steam through the crust of the Earth (which forms volcanoes).
Where are the sediments that form sedimentary rocks found?
At the bottom of lakes, seas, or oceans.
Some crystals break into different parts with flat surfaces, which is called (1) ________. Others leave a more uneven surface, which is called (2) _________.
1. Cleavage
2. Fracture
What is the mantle made up of?
Magma (semi-liquid rock)
(1) _________ is the process that breaks down rocks, whereas (2) _________ is the process that carries them away.
1. Weathering
2. Erosion
What is the difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks?
Intrusive igneous rocks are formed below the Earth's surface (in the mantle).
Extrusive igneous rocks are formed on the surface of the Earth after lava has emerged (after a volcanic eruption).
What does the hardness of a mineral describe and what do we use to measure hardness?
It describes how difficult the mineral is to scratch.
We use the Mohs scale to measure hardness.