Earth Materials Jess And Heather

By: Jessica McClure

& Heather Peterson

Types of Earth Materials3 Basic Soils

SandSiltClay

3 Basic Rock TypesSedimentaryIgneousMetamorphic

5 Basic MineralsQuartzCalciteCopperGoldSilver

General Facts About Soils Soil is a thin layer of material on the earth’s surface

which plants have their roots in Soil is made up of weathered rock, decayed plant and

animal manner, formed over a long period of timeSoils get smaller the more they have been transported

very coarse soils usually indicate a short distance of travel very soft soils usually indicate a long distance of travel

Most soils are made up of a combination of 3 soilsTexture: how it looks and feels depends on the amount

of each type in that sample

Soil Index

3 Basic types of SoilSand ClaySilt

Earth Materials Index

SandSmall loose grains of

rockOften quartz Redish or brownish

yellow in color.06mm to 2mm in

sizeFound on beaches

Soil Index

SiltEarthy matter or fine

sand carried by moving or running water left behind as sediment

Finer than sand but still feels gritty when rubbed on your teeth

Too small to measureFound

Soil Index

ClayA natural earthy

materialPlastic when wet Hardens when heatedConsists of hydrated

silicates of aluminum Used for making bricks,

pottery, etc. Like mud smaller than

sand and siltPure Clay will feel

smooth on your skin Forms a sticky ball when

wet.Soil Index

General Facts About RocksOldest rocks on earth were formed about 3.8

billion years agoRocks that form the earth’s crust are continually destroyed and remade in a

process called “The Rock Cycle” 3 Basic Types of Rocks:

Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic

Earth Materials Index

Igneous Rocksform when magma also known as molten

rock rises from deep under ground and cools and solidifies at or near the earth’s

surface. Igneous rocks that form under the earth surface may later reach the surface due to

geological upheaval. may also be exposed as the rocks above

are worn away.2 Examples of Igneous Rocks:

Granite and Basalt

Igneous Rocks

Granitepink to dark grey or black

and many other colorsmassive, hard, and toughOften used as a

construction stoneFormed from magma

BasaltColor, un-weathered basalt

is black or greyKnown to be hard and

strongAlso formed on the moon,

Mars, Venus, and an asteroid called Vesta

Formed from magma

Rock Index

Sedimentary Rocksmade of fine rock particles that have been

worn away and then carried by rivers glaciers or wind

collect in lakes and oceans The tiny fragments are squashed and

cemented together through a process called Lithification

2 Examples of Sedimentary Rocks: Sandstone and Limestone

Sedimentary RocksSandstoneis hard compact and fine

grained rock made up of tiny grains of quartz or fledspar

Hardness 6-6.5Color, can be any color

but the most common are tan, yellow, brown, red, grey, and white

Limestoneformed at the bottom of

lakes and seas along with shells, and bones

Hardness of 3-4Color, light and dark

blue, green and greenish blue

Often used as decorative and building stone

Rock Index

Metamorphic RocksForm when existing rocks are changed

underground by great heat or pressure or both When volcanoes erupt and mountains are formed by the movement of earths tectonic

plates rocks are heated and squeezed The minerals in the rocks are then changed

forming metamorphic rocks.2 Examples of Metamorphic Rocks:

Marble and Slate

Metamorphic RocksSlatedense and fine grained

rockHardness of 3-4Color, generally grey red

brown and green ranging from dark to light

Often used for roofing (shingles)

MarbleCreated over time from

limestone with heat and pressure

Hardness of 3-4Color, white, blue-grey,

green, grayish white, perfect white, red, comes in many colors

Often used for construction (in homes)Rock Index

General Facts About MineralsMaterials that make up the rocks of the earth’s

crust Among thousands of different minerals only a

few including quartz, feldspar, and calcite form most rocks

Native minerals such as gold and copper contain one chemical element

Compound minerals such as quartz contain two or more chemical elements

5 Basic Types of Minerals: Quartz, Calcite, Copper, Gold & Silver

Earth Materials Index

QuartzMost abundant

mineral in the earth’s continental crust

Hardness of 7 Color: clear if perfectShine: glossy Crystal habit: (what it

looks like when formed) a six sided prism ending in a six sided pyramid Minerals

Index

CalciteBest known because of it’s

power to produce strong double reflection of light such that, objects viewed through a clear piece of calcite appear doubled in all of their parts

Hardness of 3Color: colorless or white,

sometimes grey, yellow, or green

Shine: transparent – opaque (looks like glass)

Crystal habit: crystallized rhombohedra (see picture, looks like a rhombus) similar to some chocolate bars

Minerals Index

Copperan essential trace nutrient

to all high plants and animals. In animals including humans it is found primarily in the bloodstream however, in large amounts can be dangerous even deadly to plants and animals

Hardness of 3Color: supple in it’s pure

state, metallic bronzeShine: pink which is unusual

for metals because most metals are a silvery white

Crystal habit: face centered cubic Minerals

Index

Golda highly sought after

precious metal having been used as money, in jewelry, in sculpture and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history

Hardness of 2.5Color: one of the only

elements with a natural color other than grey or white

Shine: metallic, shiny on a clean surface and dull on a worn face

Crystal habit: cubic face centered (looks like a blob!) Minerals

Index

SilverMainly produced by

a byproduct of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refinined

Hardness of 2.5Color: lusterous

white metal—silverShine: soft whiteCrystal habit: face

centered cubic Minerals Index