Weathering and Erosion
Weathering is when water, air, and other elements wear at something (ex: rock). Erosion is what carries the broken down rock somewhere else. Deposition is when the broken pieces of rock are placed somewhere, which can eventually lead to land or a hill being made.
There are actually two kinds of weathering. Mechanical and Chemical. Mechanical is just regular weathering that breaks down things into pieces. Chemical is when the rocks break down and their minerals change their composition. This is caused by things like Acid Rain, Oxidation, and Hydrolysis.
There are actually two kinds of weathering. Mechanical and Chemical. Mechanical is just regular weathering that breaks down things into pieces. Chemical is when the rocks break down and their minerals change their composition. This is caused by things like Acid Rain, Oxidation, and Hydrolysis.
RocksThere are 3 different types of rock. Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic.
Sedimentary rock is formed by compaction and cementation. Just like the name suggests, it is made of sediment, which is why it can't take high heat. Examples of this would be shale and sandstone. Metamorphic rock is formed by heat and pressure on the minerals. This type of rock tends to be more on the pretty and useful sides of things. Examples of this rock would be marble and slate. |
Igneous rock is formed by cooling and hardening magma. This is a more hardy rock at best. Exmaples of this type of rock would be obsidian and basalt.
Each and everyone one of these types of rocks can change into the other two types. This is called the Rock Cycle. |
SOILS |
Soil is made of virtually anything. Sand, silt, clay, you name it.
The three main types of soil is; silt, clay, and sand. The soil texture triangle is used by scientists who are trying to figure out what the soil is classified as using percentages of the three main types of soil. For an example; 75% percent of sand, 10% of silt, and 15% of clay would be classified as Sandy Loam. |
Plate tectonics
To start off, Plate Tectonics is a theory talking about the structure of the Earth's crust and how it moves over the Mantle. A man named Alfred Wegener came up with the theory of Continental Drift. There was evidence to explain how it happened such as; there are matching fossils on different continents, mountain chains, and most importantly, the continents fit like puzzle pieces! Though when people asked him to prove HOW it actually happened, he couldn't explain it. So his theory was not very well liked.
There are three types of crust movement or boundaries: Convergent, Divergent, and Transform. There are also three different match ups between the movements called Continental-Continental (CC), Continental-Oceanic (CO), and Oceanic-Oceanic (OO).
Convergent means to come together. If it's a CC then it makes a mountain. If it's a CO then it forms a subduction zone and a Continental Volcanic Arc. If it's a OO, then it makes a Volcanic Island Arc (which is basically a continental plus a trench).
Divergent means to go in different directions. Since Divergent means to go in different directions, there are no match ups (CC, CO, OO), there are just Oceanic crusts and Continental crusts. Oceanic crusts move apart and make Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys and take part in seafloor spreading. Mid-ocean ridges are where seafloor spreading happens (when magma rises out of the mantle because of the divergent crusts and creates new crust. That means the oldest crust is the farthest away from the crack in the ground. A rift valley is like a deep fault in the surface of the Earth. Continental crusts create Continental rifts, which is basically a fault in the Earth that gradually gets bigger until it, eventually, becomes an ocean. This also helps with the spreading of the continents and the making of volcanoes.
Transform means to change, in this case, the two crusts roughly slide against one another. Since there is a transform boundary near California, they happen to have many earthquakes a year. This process does not create nor destroy crust.
There are three types of crust movement or boundaries: Convergent, Divergent, and Transform. There are also three different match ups between the movements called Continental-Continental (CC), Continental-Oceanic (CO), and Oceanic-Oceanic (OO).
Convergent means to come together. If it's a CC then it makes a mountain. If it's a CO then it forms a subduction zone and a Continental Volcanic Arc. If it's a OO, then it makes a Volcanic Island Arc (which is basically a continental plus a trench).
Divergent means to go in different directions. Since Divergent means to go in different directions, there are no match ups (CC, CO, OO), there are just Oceanic crusts and Continental crusts. Oceanic crusts move apart and make Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys and take part in seafloor spreading. Mid-ocean ridges are where seafloor spreading happens (when magma rises out of the mantle because of the divergent crusts and creates new crust. That means the oldest crust is the farthest away from the crack in the ground. A rift valley is like a deep fault in the surface of the Earth. Continental crusts create Continental rifts, which is basically a fault in the Earth that gradually gets bigger until it, eventually, becomes an ocean. This also helps with the spreading of the continents and the making of volcanoes.
Transform means to change, in this case, the two crusts roughly slide against one another. Since there is a transform boundary near California, they happen to have many earthquakes a year. This process does not create nor destroy crust.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are somewhat of a common occurance these days, especially in places like California. As said above, Earthquakes happen because of Transform boundaries. The crack between the two crusts is mostly known as a Fault. But what specifically happens? When the crusts rub against each other, it's not continuous, it's more of a snap. There's so much tension from the crusts trying to move, that when it does move, it snaps and then vibrations are created. That is what shakes the Earth on the surface and makes buildings fall.
There are certain points on and in the Earth that can help determine where the earthquake originated. These points are called Focus and Epicenter. The Focus is the exact point inside of the earth where the earthquake originated. The Epicenter is the point on the surface of the Earth, right above the focus. Before the earthquake even starts, the people get a before warning called foreshocks. This is when a small earthquake is given off right before the real earthquake. There are also aftershocks, shocks that happen after the earthquake.
Measuring an earthquake's strength is relatively easy. A machine called a Seismograph records earthquake waves while a Seismogram is a printed out record of the motion made by a Seismograph. The Seismograph records 3 different kinds of waves, Primary Waves, Secondary Waves, and Surface Waves.
P-Waves are the first waves. They push and pull are the fastests of the three waves.
S-Waves are the second waves. They are like snakes because the amplitude changes between certain amounts of time or wavelength. They only hit solid things and shakes particles.
Surface Waves are the third waves. They are the most destructive waves around and they hit the outer layers of the Earth.
There are two different scales that measure the magnitude earthquakes. There is the Richter scale which is based on amplitude (this is an outdated system) and then there is the Momentum Magnitude Scale which measures big earthquakes.
There are certain points on and in the Earth that can help determine where the earthquake originated. These points are called Focus and Epicenter. The Focus is the exact point inside of the earth where the earthquake originated. The Epicenter is the point on the surface of the Earth, right above the focus. Before the earthquake even starts, the people get a before warning called foreshocks. This is when a small earthquake is given off right before the real earthquake. There are also aftershocks, shocks that happen after the earthquake.
Measuring an earthquake's strength is relatively easy. A machine called a Seismograph records earthquake waves while a Seismogram is a printed out record of the motion made by a Seismograph. The Seismograph records 3 different kinds of waves, Primary Waves, Secondary Waves, and Surface Waves.
P-Waves are the first waves. They push and pull are the fastests of the three waves.
S-Waves are the second waves. They are like snakes because the amplitude changes between certain amounts of time or wavelength. They only hit solid things and shakes particles.
Surface Waves are the third waves. They are the most destructive waves around and they hit the outer layers of the Earth.
There are two different scales that measure the magnitude earthquakes. There is the Richter scale which is based on amplitude (this is an outdated system) and then there is the Momentum Magnitude Scale which measures big earthquakes.
Geohazards
Many things can be classified as Geohazards. Earthquakes and Volcanoes can be considered Geohazards. Other things like Tsunami's, Flooding, Mudslides, Landslides, Avalanches, and Sinkholes can all be considered Geohazards. Even fracking and drilling can be considered Geohazards.
A Geohazard is a state in which a disaster can become widespread and dangerous quickly.
A Geohazard is a state in which a disaster can become widespread and dangerous quickly.