The lithosphere Flashcards
Circles and arcs that share the same center, the larger often completely surrounding the smaller
Concentric
A drawing that shows what something would look like if cut in half
Section drawing
The earths crust
The outermost layer of the earth
The earths mantle
The layer of the earth beneath the crust, surrounding the core.
The liquid layer of the earths core surrounding the inner core
The earths outer core
The earths layer in the centre of the earth
The inner core
Rock that is so hot that it is melted and where it is found
- Magma in the mantle
- Lava on the earths surface
The thickest layer of the earths lithosphere
The mantle
The thinnest layer of the earths lithosphere
The crust
The thickest part of the crust
Continental crust
Elements or compounds that make up the rocks in the lithosphere
Minerals
Compounds
Matter consisting of atoms of two or more different elements chemically bonded together
Elements
Matter consisting of atoms of only one kind of element
Most common elements making up the earths crust
- Oxygen (47%)
- Silicon (28%)
- Aluminium (8%)
- Iron (5%)
Example minerals that exist as elements
- Gold (Au)
- Copper (Cu)
Example minerals that exist as compounds
- Haematite (contains some iron)
- Calverite (contains some gold)
- Malachite (contains some copper)
The building blocks of rocks
Minerals
Main minerals making granite
- Quartz
- Mica
- Feldspar
The rock cycle
The natural continuous process in which rocks form, are broken down and re-form
The three types of rock
- Igneous
- Metamorphic
- Sedimentary
Steps in the rock cycle
- Igneous rock forms from cooling magma and lava
- Rocks weather and erode
- Sedimentary rock forms from deposited sediments
- Heat and pressure changes rock forming metamorphic rock
- Some rocks are pushed down into the mantle and become magma again
Granite
- An igneous rock
- Formed underground
- Formed when magma cools slowly
- Large mineral crytals
Pumice stone
- An igneous rock
- Forms on the earths surface
- When lava cools very quickly
- Has lots of air trapped inside making it very light
- Very tiny mineral crystals
Uses of granite
- Buildings (granite blocks)
- Countertops
Uses of pumice stone
Rubbed on dry skin of feet to make them smooth
The process during which rock is broken up into smaller pieces
Weathering
The process during which weathered material is carried away from its source
Erosion
Types of weathering
- Chemical
- Physical
- Biological
Two agents of erosion
- Wind
- Water
Particles formed by weathering
Sediments
How sedimentary rock forms
- Weathered and eroded material are deposited as sediments
- Sediment layers are covered with more layers
- The pressure of many layers turns the lowe layers into rocks, such as sandstone
Sandstone
- A type of sedimentary rock
- Formed from grains of sand
Shale
- A type of sedimentary rock
- Formed from fine particles of clay
Older layers of sedimentary rock
- These are lower layers
- These layers were deposited first
A metamorphic rock formed from shale
Slate
A metamorphic rock formed from limestone
Marble
Limestone
A sedimentary rock formed from the bones and shells of small sea creatures
