Earth and Life Sciences

Earth Material and Process

 What are Earth materials?

 Earth materials includes minerals, rocks, soil and water.

 In some references you will see earth’s compartment

which is three of these belongs to earth materials which
is the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

 These are the naturally occurring materials that are

important because they provide the basic components
for life, agriculture, industry and others activities.
Earth materials includes:

minerals

rocks

soil

water
 Rocks and Minerals
 Rocks are formed from mineral grains
 Assembly of mineral grains are not random;
they are the result of the rock-forming
process.

 Minerals possess a crystalline structure.

3 Types of Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
 Igneous rocks are
formed from melted
rock deep inside the
Earth.

 Starting points in the

rock cycle

 Metamorphic and
sedimentary rocks start
out as igneous rocks
 Sedimentary
Rocks
 Sedimentary rocks are
formed from layers of
sand, silt, dead plants,
and animal skeletons.

 Secondary rocks

 Silicate materials in
sedimentary rocks
undergo changes
Metamorphic Rocks

 Metamorphic rocks
are formed from
other rocks that are
changed by heat and
pressure
underground.
Rock Cycle Processes
 Weathering of rocks
 Erosion and transport
 Rock Cycle Processes
 Deposition and • Burial and
Sediment Compaction
 Rock Cycle Processes
 Deformation and Metamorphism
 Uplift
 Rock Cycle Processes

 Melting
 Crystallization
of Magma
 Weathering
 Weathering is the breakdown of rocks at the Earth’s
surface, by the action of rainwater, extremes of
temperature and biological activity.

 Types of weathering
1. Physical weathering - is caused by the effect of
changing temperature on rocks, causing the rock to
break apart. The process is sometimes assisted by water.
2. Chemical weathering - is an actual change in
composition as minerals are modified from one type to
another by chemical reactions.
Physical Weathering Chemical Weathering
 Formation of the Crust

 Plate Tectonics:
movement of the
continents
 Continental Drift
Theory: proposed by
Wegener; movement
of tectonic plates
 Evidence: Fossils,
paleomagnetism
End of Discussion.