M5: Earth’s Crust Flashcards
MOHS HARDNESS SCALE
Given that our fingernails have a hardness of approximately 2.5, which among the following minerals can be scratch using our fingernails?
2 - Gypsum
9 - Corundum
8 - Topaz
10 - Diamond
2 - Gypsum
The appearance or quality of light reflected from a surface of a mineral.
Properties of Minerals: Luster
Refers to a mineral’s ability to transmit light.
Diaphaneity
It is the measure of the resistance of a mineral to scratching.
Strength: Hardness
Types of Rocks:
Formed by cooling and hardening of molten rock.
Igneous rock
Pre-existing rock that transforms to metamorphic rock.
Protolith
Formed by lithification (process of compaction and cementation of sediments) of sediments from weathering and erosion
Sedimentary rock
Solid fragments of material that have been transported and deposited by air, water, or ice.
Sediments
Outermost layer of the Earth’s crust
Soil
Composed of the smallest particles, but does not allow much water and air to pass through—can hold water very well.
Clay soil
Composed of a combination of clay, slit, and sand particles. Has a mixture of bacteria, water, and humus, which makes it rich in nutrients and good for growing plants.
Loam soil
The amount of air spaces or pockets within a soil.
Porosity
Capacity of soil to allow fluids to seep through it.
Permeability
GEOLOGIC LAWS:
Sediments are deposited one on top of the other (youngest is at the top, oldest is at the bottom)
Law of superposition
GEOLOGIC LAWS:
Fragments inside a host rock are older than the host rock itself.
Law of inclusion
