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The Lithosphere 1. The Lithosphere • The lithosphere is the hard shell of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the topmost part of the upper mantle. • It is an average of 100km thick. • It contains the minerals, rocks and soils that humans have used for building materials, metals and agriculture. Rocks • • • Rocks are heterogenous solids composed of many minerals. The physical and chemical properties of rocks are not strictly defined. There are 3 types of rocks: 1. Igneous 2. Sedimentary 3. Metamorphic 1. Igneous Rocks • Formed when magma (molten rock) cools and solidifies – eg: granite 2. Sedimentary Rocks • Formed by the accumulation and compaction of debris at the bottom of lakes and oceans. Limestone is a sedimentary rock used in construction 3. Metamorphic Rocks • Former igneous or sedimentary rocks that have been transformed by heat or pressure underground. – eg: granite turns to gneiss – eg: limestone turns to marble Rock Cycle PDF Minerals • Minerals are solid inorganic substances with clearly defined composition and properties. • In most minerals atoms are organized in the form of identically shaped crystals. • Each mineral has its own distinct chemical composition. • 4000 different minerals exist on Earth. Examples of Minerals • Gold (Au) • Copper (Cu) • Iron (Fe) • Quartz (SiO2) • Copper sulfate (CuSO4) ST EST AST Gold Ore Quartz Classifying Minerals Minerals are classified according to the following 4 properties: 1. 2. 3. 4. Colour Transparency Hardness Streak 1. Colour • Idiochromatic minerals have a characteristic colour. eg: azurite is blue • Allochromatic minerals vary in colour. eg: quartz 2. Transparency Minerals are one of the following: • Transparent (let light pass through) • Translucent (let light through but blurred) • Opaque (no light passes through) 3. Hardness • Minerals are classified according to how hard they are. • Mohs scale assigns a value from 1 to 10 to indicate a mineral’s hardness. – Talc is soft and scores a 1 on Mohs scale – Quartz scores a 7 – Diamond scores a 10 4. Streak • When a mineral is rubbed on a surface it leaves a powder streak that is a characteristic colour for that mineral. Identifying Minerals 7:54 Mining of Minerals Mining of Minerals • Minerals are extracted from rock ores which are mined from the lithosphere. • Quebec is known for large deposits of gold, copper, zinc, and most recently diamonds. • Once the ore is extracted, the mineral is separated from the rock by chemical and physical means. Identifying Minerals Bonus Activity