Earth's Spheres and Layers
These are the four spheres that make up the Earth.
Atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
These are the materials that settle when water or wind stops moving.
Sediments.
These are the three types of rocks classified according to how they are formed.
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
These are the natural materials that make up most of the Earth's rocks.
Minerals.
These are high-value minerals and rocks (like gold or rubies) used to make jewelry.
Precious metals and gemstones.
This is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth, where rain and wind occur.
The atmosphere.
Name the two agents primarily responsible for the erosion of rocks and soil.
Water and wind.
These rocks are formed from the cooling of magma or lava.
Igneous rocks.
This is the hardest mineral known.
Diamond.
Resources like petroleum, coal, and natural gas are extracted from rocks for this primary purpose.
To obtain energy (fuels).
This is the innermost layer of the geosphere, divided into a liquid outer part and a solid inner part.
The core.
This process involves carrying eroded materials from one place to another.
Transport.
These rocks form from the accumulation of sediments or the remains of living things (like coal) over millions of years.
Sedimentary rocks.
This property describes whether a mineral is shiny (reflects light) or matte.
Lustre.
This is a mineral from which a metal can be extracted profitably (for example, magnetite for iron).
Ore.
The outermost layer of the geosphere where we live, which is about 50 km thick.
The crust.
This happens when water freezes in the cracks of rocks, causing them to break.
Breaking down by frost (ice action).
The process where magma flows out through cracks in the crust, which can create islands or mountain ranges.
Volcanic eruptions (Volcanism).
This property is the relationship between the mass of a mineral and the volume it occupies.
Density.
What is the main difference between a quarry and a mine?
Quarries are open-pit excavations on the surface, while mines are deep excavations with underground tunnels and shafts.
The intermediate layer of the geosphere where temperatures are so high that rocks melt into magma.
The mantle.
This is the outer layer of the Earth's crust, composed of rock fragments, water, air, and living things.
Soil.
Explain the difference in cooling between granite and basalt.
Granite forms from the slow cooling of magma underground, while basalt forms from the very quick cooling of lava on the surface.
Name the scale used to measure mineral hardness and the softest mineral that can be scratched with a fingernail.
Mohs scale; Gypsum.
Name three different uses for rocks in construction.
Clay for bricks and tiles, and marble or granite for buildings.