Earth's Layers & Structure
What is the name of the outermost solid layer of the Earth?
The crust
What is the hard, solid material that makes up the Earth’s surface?
Rock
What is the process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces due to wind, water, and temperature changes?
weathering
What do we call the slow movement of Earth’s plates over millions of years?
Continental drift
What do we call the top layer of Earth? (on top of the crust)
soil
Which part of the Earth is made of molten rock and surrounds the core?
The mantel
What do we call naturally occurring, inorganic substances with a crystal structure?
Minerals
What is the difference between physical weathering and chemical weathering?
Physical weathering breaks rocks by force, and chemical weathering changes the rock’s chemical makeup
What happens when two tectonic plates collide?
(100 point bonus: what kind of movement is this?)
The heavier plate is forced under while the other is raised up (uplift), and a mountain can form
(convergent)
Name three components that soil is made of.
rotting vegetation, clay, sand
What is the name of the Earth's center, which has a solid inner part and a liquid outer part?
The core
Which type of rock forms when lava or magma cools and hardens?
Igneous rock
What type of weathering happens when intrusive igneous rock becomes exposed and its layers peel off like the layers of an onion?
Exfoliation
How do tectonic plates contribute to the rock cycle?
By causing rocks to melt, uplift, and transform due to movement
Why is granite bedrock bad for farming?
It is impermeable and doesn't let water pass through
What supercontinent existed 300 million years ago before breaking apart into today’s continents.
Pangaea
Basalt, limestone, and marble are each what kind of rock?
Basalt = igneous
Limestone = sedimentary
Marble = metamorphic
What happens to the minerals in a rock in chemical weathering?
Their chemical structure changes, and they become a different mineral altogether
Why might different mountains be made of different types of rock?
One could be formed from volcanic activity and another from tectonic collisions that lifted sedimentary rock. Different layers of sediment will cause different types of sedimentary rocks to form
What layer of soil do tree roots reach?
subsoil (not parent rock or bedrock)
How do sedimentary rocks that form on the ocean floor end up on mountains like the Himalayas?
tectonic plate movement pushes oceanic layers upward during collisions
How many rock-forming minerals are there? Name as many as you can
around 10
How can tree roots cause rocks to break apart?
They can grow into cracks and expand, splitting the rock
What landform might you see in an area built on a tectonic plate boundary?
It depends. You might see a mountain (like the alps)
What makes soil good for growing crops?
nutrients, water retention, and organic matter