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Earth Science Stem 2

Rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals. They form through igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes. Igneous rocks form from solidified magma and include intrusive rocks like granite and extrusive rocks like basalt. Sedimentary rocks form through the compaction and cementation of sediments and include rocks with clastic particles like sandstone, chemical sediments like limestone, and organic remains like coal. Metamorphic rocks form under high pressures and temperatures, recrystallizing and realigning minerals, as in slate, gneiss, and marble. Weathering and erosion break down rocks over time.

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78 views11 pages

Earth Science Stem 2

Rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals. They form through igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes. Igneous rocks form from solidified magma and include intrusive rocks like granite and extrusive rocks like basalt. Sedimentary rocks form through the compaction and cementation of sediments and include rocks with clastic particles like sandstone, chemical sediments like limestone, and organic remains like coal. Metamorphic rocks form under high pressures and temperatures, recrystallizing and realigning minerals, as in slate, gneiss, and marble. Weathering and erosion break down rocks over time.

Uploaded by

Eleanor
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EARTH SCIENCE STEM 1-7 Main

STEM 1-2 RN
ROCKS
Rocks- one or more minerals aggregated together to form a cohesive
solid.
It was conceived by Scottish Physician James Hutton in 1700.

WEATHERING- Rocks may mechanically broken apart or altered by


chemical reaction
EROSION- Rock pieces can be stripped away by erosion and moved
away from their source. Glaciers, flowing water, wind, and the force of
gravity on hillslopes can transport eroded material away from where it
originated.
MELTING- A rock exposed to high temperatures may melt to produce a
magma
Two classifications of Rocks:
1. Crystalline Rocks- typically form in high temperature
environments by crystallization of magma, by metamorphism or
by precipitation of hot water.
2. Clastic Rocks- includes distinct pieces of rock derived from older
weathered and eroded rocks, contain clasts. It forms in a low

temperature environment such as sand dunes, rivers and


beaches.

Igneous Rocks- comes from the latin word Ignis meaning Fire
it is formed from the solidification of magma. The crystals vary from
millimeters to centimeters. Igneous rocks vary from nearly white to
nearly black, or they can have mixed colors. They may contain holes,
fragments or ash that has been compacted.
Igneous rocks vary in chemical composition and therefore in mineral
content. Some are composed of dark minerals, or light-colored
minerals.
Felsic- rocks with a light color and abundant quartz and feldspar
Mafic and Ultramafic- rocks that are dark and contain minerals rich in
magnesium and iron.
Coarsely Crystalline
Finely Crystalline

FELSIC
RHYOLITE

GRANITE

INTERMEDIATE
ANDESITE

DIORITE

MAFIC
BASALT

GABBRO

ULTRAMAFIC

PERIDOTITE

Some other Common Igneous Rocks


Obsidian- a shiny volcanic glass that is normally a medium gray to
black color.
Pumice- a volcanic rock containing many vesicles(holes) and floats on
water.
Scoria- a dark gray, black or reddish volcanic rock that contains many
vesicles.
Tuff- volcanic rock composed of a mix, of a volcanic ash, pumice,
crystals and rock fragments.
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Comes from the Latin word Sedimentum, meaning Settling Down
They form when loose sediment is converted into a rock through the
process of lithification, which involve compaction by overlying
materials and cementation by calcium carbonate or other materials.
It composed of rock and mineral pieces, called clasts and are called
clastic rocks.
Compaction - as sediment is buried, increasing pressure pushes clasts
together
Some Common Sedimentary Rocks

Conglomerate- has large rounded clasts(pebbles, cobbles, boulders)


with sand and other fine sediment between the large clasts.
Breccia- similar to conglomerate except that the class are angular. It
has also jumbled appearance because most has a range of clast sizes.
Shale- consist mostly of fine grained clasts(i.e., mud) especially very
fine-grained clay minerals.
Limestonemade
mostly of calcium
carbonate,
forms
when shells and
Size
Particl
e
coral skeletons are Sedime Range
made together.
nt
Name

(millimete
rs)

Name

Gravel

Larger than
256mm

Boulder

64 to
256mm

Cobble

4 to 64mm

Pebble

2 to 4 mm

Granul
e

Sand

1/16 to 2m

Sand

Mud

1/256 to
1/16mm

Silt

Less than
1/256mm

Clay

Physical Weathering- is the physical breaking apart of rocks that are


exposed to the environment.
Four major causes:
Near- Surface Fracturing- Rocks are fractured when they break away
from a steep cliff. Fractures also result when rocks expands as they are
uplifted toward the surface and are progressively exposed to less
pressure.
Frost and Mineral Wedging- Rocks can be broken as water freezes and
expands in fractures. Fracture means the uneven breakage of a rock.
Crystals and other minerals that grow in thin fractures can also cause
rocks to break apart.

Thermal Expansion- Rocks are heated by wildfires and by the sun


during the day. As rocks heat up, they expand, often irregularly and
may crack.
Biological Activity- Roots can grow downward into fractures and pry
rocks apart as the root diameter increases. Burrowing animals can
transport rock and soil from depth and move it to the surface where it
is exposed to the elements, weathered, and eroded.
Chemical Weathering- chemical reactions that affect a rock by
breaking down minerals, causing new minerals to form, or by removing
soluble material from the rock.
Dissolution- Some minerals are soluble in water, especially the weakly
acidic waters that are common in nature.
Hydrolysis- When minerals are exposed to water, especially water that
is somewhat acidic, the water reacts chemically with the minerals.
Oxidation- Minerals that contain iron, are unstable when exposed to
Earths atmosphere. These minerals can combine with oxygen to form
oxide minerals, which compose the reddish and yellowish materials
that forms when metal rust.
Biological Reactions- Decaying plants produce acids that can attack
rocks, and some bacteria consume certain parts of rocks.
Some common Sedimentary Rocks

Conglomerate

Breccia

Sandstone

Shale

Metamorphic rocksFor a rock to be metamorphosed, it must be


subjected to conditions of temperature, pressure and fluid chemistry
that make it unstable.

SLATE

PHYLLITE

GNEISS
Slate- when a shale is metamorphosed at low to moderate
temperature, it can develop cleavage and become slate.
Phyllite- At slightly higher temperatures, microscopic mica gives a
shiny aspect or sheen.
Gneiss- At even higher temperatures, light and dark colored minerals
separate, forming a foliation and banded rock

Prepared by: Ms. Gladys A. Oliveros


MINERALS: Building blocks of rocks
Characteristics of a Mineral
Naturally occurring- No substance created artificially is a mineral.
examples: plastic, steel, sugar, paper
Inorganic Anything formed by a living organism and containing
organic materials is not a mineral.
examples: wood, plants, shells, coal
Solid Liquids and gases are not minerals.
examples: water, petroleum, lava, oxygen
Ordered internal Structure must have an ordered arrangement of
atoms displays repetitive geometric patterns in 3-D
glass not a mineral (no internal crystalline structure)
Specific chemical Composition must have consistent chemical
formula examples: gold (Au), quartz (SiO2), orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
basalt (like many other rocks) contains variable ratios of different
minerals; thus, has no consistent formula.

Properties of a Mineral
Crystal Shape- The shape of the crystal reflects the arrangement of
atoms within the mineral and therefore provides a clue about the
minerals identity
Cleavage- Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to cleave, or break,
along flat, even surfaces.
Color- Small amounts of different elements can give the same mineral
different colors.
Luster is used to describe how light is reflected from the surface of a
mineral
Microscopic Observation- To identify mineral in rocks, especially fine
grained rocks, we examine it using a microscope.
We determine some mineral properties by conducting tests.
1. Hardness- Hardness is a measure of the resistance of a mineral to
being scratched.
Mohs scale consists of 10 minerals arranged from 10 (hardest) to
1 (softest).

2. Streak is the color of a mineral in its powdered form


3.

HARDNESS AND MINERAL

COMMON OBJECTS

Talc
Gypsum
Calcite

Fingernail (2.5)
Copper Wire (3.5)

Fluorite
Apatite

Window glass or knife blade (5.5)

Feldspar
Quartz

E
ff
er
ve
se
nc
eIf
a

Topaz
Corumdum
Diamond

drop of dilute HCl acid is placed on a mineral, a reaction may


cause vigorous bubbling or effervescing.
4. Magnetism- A few iron-bearing minerals are naturally magnetic.
The mineral magnetite is the strongest natural magnet.
5. Density- This property can often be detected by simply holding a
mineral and noting how heavy it feels.

Main Types of Mineral Resources


Precious Metals- contain a high-value metal, such as gold, silver and
platinum. These metals are widely used for industrial and monetary
purposes in addition to jewelry. It is high cost materials.

Base Metals- Iron, nickel, copper, lead, zinc and aluminum. They are
fundamental to our daily lives, being the chemical element in steel,
automobiles, cans, wirings, and coins.
Industrial Rocks- limestone (cement), gypsum (wallboard) and large
volumes of sand and gravel (concrete)
Gemstones- Precious gemstones include diamond, ruby, sapphire, and
emerald.
There are also semiprecious gemstones or common and less expensive
like the amethyst, garnet, peridot and topaz.

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