Elements in Earth Science
Each element is made of atoms that are the same
Each atom is made of protons, neutrons, and electrons
Most Common Elements in Earth Science
Oxygen O Silicon Si Aluminum Al Iron Fe Calcium
Ca
SodiumNa
Potassium K MagnesiumMg Titanium Ti Hydrogen H
In general … simpler elements are more common
In general … the more familiar an element, the more abundant
Minerals
Is an element or compound found naturally in rocks and soils.
There are more than 3500 named minerals.
New minerals are being found every year.
Characteristics of Minerals
All are solids Form naturally Never part of living things Definite chemical makeup Definite atomic pattern
Slow cooling minerals form large crystals
Fast cooling minerals form small crystals
Rocks
Made up of one or more minerals
3 types: Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
Igneous
Fire formed Cools and hardens
from magma Magma is in the
earth Lava is on the
earth
2 types of Igneous
Intrusive – cools inside Earth
Cools slowly
Extrusive – cools outside Earth
Cools quickly
Intrusive
Granite – most common, “mountain guts”
Diorite – iron and magnesium
Gabbro – dark, large crystals
Peridotite – green, most of upper crust
Extrusive
Basalt – common, hard, dark
Andesite – began cooling in crust finished on surface large/small crystals
Rhyolite – cooled slowly then fast
Pumice – light, spongy look
Obsidian – volcanic glass, cools fast
Sedimentary
Layers of particles that are moved from one place to another.
3 types: Clastic, Chemical, Organic
Clastic
Most common Made of other
rocks Particles
accumulate and harden
Weathering is an active process
2 Processes cause clastics to harden
Weight of upper layers squeeze out liquids
Minerals dissolved in ground water act as cement
Conglomerate – pebble pieces, rounded
Breccia – boulder pieces, sharp
Sandstone – sandsized quartz, variety of colors
Shale – most common, mud, clay, silts
Chemical
Limestone – 50% calcite from seashells
Coquina – large pieces of shell
Chalk – microscopic pieces of shell
Halite – hard, created by evaporation
Gypsum – soft, created by evaporation
Chert – hard, created by heat
Organic
Coal – black, coarse, decayed plant life
Special Features of Sedimentary Rocks
Layering (bedding) Fossils Geode (minerals in
a hole or cavity) Concretions
(minerals form around a grain or fossil)
Metamorphic
Created by 1 of 2 processes
Regional process – most common, heat and pressure over large area
Contact – heat and pressure next to magma chambers
2 types: Foliated, Nonfoliated
Foliated
“layered” rocks
Slate – made from shale
Gneiss – made from granite
Nonfoliated
No ‘layers’
Marble – made from limestone
Quartzite – made from quartz