Our Planet

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Our Planet
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Welcome to Planet Earth
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Layer 1 The Lithosphere

• Mineral vs. Rocks
• Minerals are
• Inorganic substances (dont come from plants or
  animals)
• Naturally occurring
• Have a distinct mineral composition
• Have well defined properties (due to composition
  and shape)
• Rocks are
• Heterogeneous solids composed of many minerals

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Interesting facts on minerals

• Characteristics to identify minerals
• a) Colors
• A mineral that will always have the same color
  idiochromatic
• A mineral that may vary in color allochromatic
• b) Hardness
• Depends on atoms in the mineral
• Mohs scale indicated the resistance to scratching
• c) Transparency
• Transparent/translucent/opaque
• d) Streak

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• Rocks
• Types of rocks
• Igneous
• - Rocks formed when magma cools and solidifies
• Sedimentary
• - Rocks formed by the accumulation and compaction
  of debris
• Metamorphic
• - Rocks that have been transformed by heat or
  pressure

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Rocks to soil

• Through the wind and water erosion as well as
  freeze and thaw, erodes the rocks.
• Soil is produced
• As soil develops it thickens and forms distinct
  layers (a.k.a. horizons)

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Soil horizons

• Horizon O Organic Matter
• Mostly made up of organic matter
• Horizon A Topsoil
• Supports plant life
• Mixture of minerals and organic matter
• Horizon B Subsoil
• Made of small mineral particles
• Tree with deep roots, take in nutrients
• Horizon C Fragmented Parent Rock
• Also called substratum
• Formed by the disintegration of the underlying
  parent rock
• Horizon R Unaltered parent rock
• Starting point of soil formation

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Issues with soil

• What makes soil fertile?
• Sufficient amount of minerals
• Sufficient amount of moisture
• Appropriate pH

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Energy Resources

• Fossil Fuels
• Includes oil, coal and natural gas
• Oil and natural gas result from the decomposition
  of marine animals and algae
• Coal results from the decomposition of organic
  plant matter
• Nuclear
• Energy stored in the bonds between particles in
  the nucleus
• Geothermal
• Energy that comes from the internal heat of the
  Earth

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Permafrost

• Definition
• Ground whose temperature has been 0 C or lower
  for at least two years.