Lithosphere

Question 1

What are minerals? Where can they be found?

Answer 1

• Inorganic substances that come from the Earth and not living things
• The lithosphere

Question 2

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 2

The hard shell of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the topmost part of the upper mantle (Magma)

Question 3

How are minerals extracted?

Answer 3

Mining to locate and extract them

Question 4

STUDY: Mining

Answer 4

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Question 5

How is soil created?

Answer 5

It is created through the process of erosion of the parent rock (solid part of the Earth’s crust)

This creates dif layers of soil (horizons)

Question 6

Name the horizons of soil (top to bottom)

Answer 6

Organic matter
Topsoil
Subsoil
Fragmented parent rock
Unaltered parent rock

Question 7

Describe organic matter

Answer 7

Contains hummus (decomposing plant/animal residue)

Question 8

Describe topsoil

Answer 8

Mix of humus and minerals

Question 9

Describe subsoil

Answer 9

Small minerals and trees get nutrients from this layer

Question 10

Describe fragmented parent rock

Answer 10

Made of disintegration of parent rock

Question 11

Describe unaltered parent rock

Answer 11

Starting point of soil

Question 12

Decomposers in soil are important for what?

Answer 12

Chemical recycling

Question 13

What alters soil and how?

Answer 13

• Oxidation (more O2 good for decomposers)
• Neutralization (combustion -> atmosphere -> acid rain)
• Decomposition
• Contaminants

Question 14

STUDY SOIL CONTAMINATION IF ST

Answer 14

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Question 15

What is permafrost?

Answer 15

A layer of permanently frozen soil (has been 0 C or lower for over 2 years)

Question 16

Bad consequences of permafrost thawing

Answer 16

• Loss of infrastructure (no foundation)
• Landslides
• Release of stored carbon as CH4 (methane) a powerful GHG contributing to global warming acceleration

Question 17

Pros of thawing permafrost

Answer 17

Increase of vegetation, but ecological succession takes hundreds of years