What is Earth Science
The study of the structure and physical processes of the Earth and other bodies in space
Name and describe the four components of the Earth System
- Land (solid part of our planet), volcanoes and earthquakes are processes of rearrangement
- Water (liquid portion of our planet), moves and deposits materials
- Air, weather and climate
- Life, organisms depend on and interact with all
What Earth processes can generate negative concerns for humanity
Hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis
What is the value of latitude and longitude
To know exactly where something is, each point is uniquely mapped
Contrast quantitative and qualitative problem solving
Qualitative: uses specific words to describe (that rock is gray)
- Physical properties: density and strength
- Composition: what minerals are in granite?
- Age: objects can be dated (not just life
Quantitative: uses numbers (and commonly measure with instruments)
- Orientation: layers and fractures
- Composition: nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are in the atmosphere (what percent?)
- Chemistry: granite has…
- Earth surface location: latitude, longitude, elevation
What is our Solar System
Our solar system is the sun, planets, and moons
Name and describe the four basic components of the scientific method
Observation
- Using senses and instruments to detect and record information
- Instruments make measurements more accurately than our sense. Examples include: thermometer, balance, microscope
Hypothesis
- An educated guess
- An attempt to predict the future
Experimentation
- Testing of hypothesis
- To confirm or reject hypothesis
Conclusion
- What did this all mean?
Contrast the terms theory and law
- A theory develops after repeated experimentation
- A law develops if a theory or set of theories can be shown as universal to all solutions
What is a mineral
A naturally occurring inorganic element or compound with a solid form and a chemical composition that is fixed or varies within narrow limits
In what two processes can result in crystallization to form minerals
- Cooling of magma (liquid earth material)
- Evaporation of water
What is the Mohs scale or hardness
A scale developed by Mohs of 1-10, 1 being very soft and 10 being very hard
Name some common items used to help determine hardness
Fingernail (2.5), copper coin (3.1), steel pocketknife (5.2), glass (5.5), steel needle, or a streak plate
Describe the following features that can be used to identify a mineral
- streak the color left on unglazed ceramic (streak plate)
- luster way mineral reflects light
- specific gravity mass per unit volume
- cleavage ability of a mineral to separate readily in definite directions reflects how atoms fit together
Name and distinguish the groups of minerals
- Silicates – silicon and oxygen (quartz)
- Carbonates – carbon and oxygen (calcite)
- Oxides – oxygen and a metal (hematite)
- Halides – chlorine and fluorine (halite)
- Sulfates – sulfur and oxygen (gypsum)
- Sulfides – sulfur and a metal (pyrite)
- Nature minerals – single element (copper, silver, gold)
Contrast mineral and ore deposits
Mineral deposits are rocks with high proportion of a mineral and ore deposits are mineral deposits of economic value
What four features can make a mineral deposit of value to humans
- Concentration of a mineral (gold)
- What the mineral is mixed with
- Size and depth of deposit
- Location
What is a rock
A sold material typically as a result of the combination of two or more minerals
Contrast the following terms: bedrock, sediment, soil, rock
- Sold rock below the surface is known as bedrock
- Material moved from one place to another is sediment
- Highly broken material at the surface on which plants grow in soil
- The larger material that are solid are rocks
Name and describe the formation of the three major types of rocks
- Sedimentary – weathering, sedimentation, lithification
- Igneous – melting, recrystallization
- Metamorphic – heat & pressure, deformation, partial recrystallization
Name and describe the two types of weathering
- Physical weathering
o Fracturing (gravity)
o Thermal expansion (cycle between warm and cold
o Frost and wedging (freezing water expands)
o Biological activity (expanding tree roots) - Chemical weathering
o Dissolution into minerals (into water and moved away)
o Hydrolysis into clay materials (degradation into clay)
o Oxidation
In what three ways are sediemtns classified
- Grain size – gravel over 2mm, sand 1/16mm-2mm, mud less that 1/16mm
- Shape of clasts – angular to rounded
- Amount of sorting – poorly, moderate, well
Name and describe the five textural types of Igneous rocks
- Coarse (phaneritic): slow cooling – large crystals
- Fine (aphanitic): fast cooling – small crystals
- Glassy: rapid cooling
- Vesicular
- Porphyritic
Name and contrast the two extreme types of Igneous rocks
- High temperature
o Dark color
o “early” as in solidifies at high temperature
o Basaltic - Low temperature
o Light color
o “late” – solidifies at a lower temperature
o Granitic
Describe the three stages of development of metaporphic rocks
- Physically squeeze grains closer together loss of air space and/or liquids
- Formation of interlocking mosaic of crystals
- Small mineral grains reform into fewer larger crystals, aka recrystallization
