UNIT 4.

ROCKS
The Earth’s crust is made up of rock.

1) ROCKS
There are three main different types of rock: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Igneous rock
1) It´s forms deep inside the Earth.
2) It’s very hot here and the rock melts.
3) When there is a volcanic eruption, this hot rock is blown out ( by force from
the Earth´s mantle.) and melted rock cools down.
4) Granite and basalt ( landscapes)

Sedimentary rock
1) It is made of fragments of rocks, dead vegetation and animal matter.
2) It settled onto the Earth´s surface and formed a solid mass.
3) Sandstone, shale and coal (bottom of lakes and oceans)

Metamorphic rock
1) It means a change of form.
2) They form when there are movements in the inner layers of the Earth.
3) Heat and pressure act on other rocks and change over period of time.
4) Marble is formed from clay
5) Slate is formed from limestone.

We need rock for cosmetics, glass cement, plastic, paints, medicines, toothpaste and fertilisers.

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 2) MINERALS
Minerals exist in the Earth’s crust

They can exist on their own and they can combine with other minerals to make rocks. For
example, granite contains the minerals feldspar, quartz and mica.

Minerals have different properties: colour, hardness and lustre

1) COLOR. Mineral are different colours.

o SULPHUR is yellow.
o COOPER is green.
o COBALT is blue

2) HARDNESS
o Minerals and rocks
▪ VERY HARD: Diamonds
▪ HARD: Slate, quartz and malachite.
▪ SOFT: Talc, chalk, silver and mica.

3) LUSTRE. Some rocks and minerals are shiny and some are dull.
o SHINY: Gemstones, gold and copper.
o DULL: Graphite (pencil)

We use minerals for many things.

• gold, silver and diamonds for jewellery

• graphite to make the lead in pencils
• copper to make electric cables and coins
• malachite to make paint
• aluminium to make cans, cars and aeroplanes
• gypsum to make cement and plaster

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3) THE CRUST´S MOVEMENTS
The lithosphere is all the rocks and minerals on the Earth’s crust and part of the upper
mantle.

The lithosphere, under the ground we walk on, consists of huge areas of rock which are
called tectonic plates. These plates make the continents.

The Earth has 7 major plates which form the continents

1) African
2) Antarctic
3) Eurasian
4) North American
5) South American
6) India-Australian
7) Pacific plates

As the plates are always moving, sometimes they bump into one another.

The places this happens most are the fault lines.

This movement can cause earthquakes, tsunamis or can make volcanoes erupt.

o Earthquakes. It happens when the Earth moves and sometimes opens up.
o Tsunamis. The earthquakes form under the sea and cause giant waves.
o Volcanoes erupt. A volcano forms when the tectonic plates push together and
upwards forming a tower. Volcanoes can be very dangerous.

consists of huge areas of rock ➔ consta de enormes áreas de roca

upwards➔hacia arriba

blown out ➔ soplado

cools down ➔ Enfriar

chamber➔ cámara Earthquakes ➔Terremotos

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VOLCAN

1) THE CRATER. Top the chimney. It is where the magma comes out.
2) LAVA. It can be 1000ºC. Smoke and ash also come out of a volcano.
3) MAGMA.
a. Sometimes the magma pushes up through the chimney and the volcano erupts.
b. Magma become lava in an eruption.
c. The magma chamber in the large pool of magma under a volcano.
4) CHIMNEY. Pressure and heat forces the magma up from inside the Earth

VOCABULARY

SULPHUR ➔ Azufre
COOPER ➔ Cobre
COBALT ➔Cobalto
Marble ➔Marmol
Clay ➔Arcilla
Slate ➔Pizarra
Limestone ➔Caliza
Sandston ➔Arenísca
Shale ➔ Esquisto
Gemstones ➔Piedras preciosas
Coal ➔Carbón.
Granite ➔Granito
Basalt ➔Basalto
Malachite ➔ Malaquita
Quartz ➔ Cuarzo
Chalk➔ Tiza