ppt课件-environmentalscience.pptVIP

Environmental Geology, Processes, Minerals Soils Geology Geology is the study of the Earth’s dynamic process with respect to it’s interior and surface structure and features. Rocks, minerals, chemicals, earthquakes, and volcanoes are studied to reveal information about our planet. Review the handout from Chapter 6 on the geosphere. Geosphere Core – central, innermost part of the Earth with a solid part surrounded by hot, liquid molten material Mantle – thick solid region that surrounds the core and has zones of molten rock that flows (asthenosphere) Crust – thin, outermost region of the geosphere **Note that the lithosphere is composed of the upper mantle and the crust! Plate Tectonics Tectonic plates – constant movement of the rigid plates due to heat (energy) flow of materials Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the movement of the plates and the processes that occur at their boundaries Plate motion has produced mountains, ocean ridges, trenches and other features Plate movement provides many minerals we use as resources Continental drift helps to explain migration and evolutionary patterns Global Geological Information Internal process that occur under the Earth’s surface See figure 12-3 (a) for a map of earthquakes and volcanoes along bands on the earth See figure 12-3 (b) for a map of plate boundaries Plate Boundaries Divergent plate boundaries – plates move in opposite directions Convergent plate boundaries – plates move toward each other Transform faults – plates that slide past each other Erosion Weathering External process that happen on the Earth’s surface Erosion is the process where matter is dissolved, loosened or worn away from one place to another (ex. streams) Weathering is the mechanical or chemical process that provides change to the surface matter Mechanical – physical changes (ex. frost wedging) Chemical – decompose by reaction (ex. acid rain) Rocks Minerals – elements inorganic compounds that occur naturally (ex. gold) Rocks –