Download SOL_5.7_Earth

SOL Study Book
Fifth Grade
Earth Patterns and
Cycles
Table of Contents
Page 1: Earth’s Layers
Page 2: Plate Tectonics
Page 3: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Page 4: Chemical and Physical Change
Page 5: Three Types of Rocks
Page 6: Identifying Rocks
Page 7: Test Questions
Earth’s Layers
The Earth is composed of four layers: the crust, mantle,
outer core, and inner core.
The crust is the thin rocky surface that includes the
continents and the ocean floor.
The mantle is the thickest layer. The rock material is
solid, but it can flow like a liquid.
The outer core and inner core are made up of mostly
iron and nickel. While the outer core is liquid, the
inner core is solid.
Heat and pressure increase with depth beneath the
surface.
Page 1
Plate Tectonics
The flowing mantle causes movement in the crust.
The moving rock of the mantle pushes against the
crust causing the crust to break into plates.
The plates move along the Earth’s surface causing
earthquakes and volcanoes. There are three types of
plate boundaries or faults: convergent, divergent, and
sliding.
Convergent: Plates push together in convergent
movement (compression). Creates folded mountains,
volcanoes, ocean trenches
Divergent: Plates pull apart in divergent movement
(tension). Creates mid-ocean ridges in oceans.
Sliding: Plates slide by each other in sliding
movement (shear). Creates fault lines (San Andreas in
California) and earthquakes.
Page 2
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Most volcanoes and earthquakes are located at the
boundaries of the plates (faults).
Mountains on the continents and in the oceans are caused
by current and past plate movements.
Appalachian Mountains were created by a convergent
plate boundary.
Ocean trenches are created when a plate carrying ocean
floor collides (convergent) with another plate.
Volcanic activity can occur at divergent and convergent
plate boundaries.
Page 3
Chemical and Physical Change
Earth is changed by weathering and erosion on the surface
and by heat and pressure below the surface.
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and other
materials into smaller particles.
Air, water, and temperature changes cause rocks to break
into smaller pieces resulting in physical change.
Dissolved gasses in air and water react with minerals in
some rocks causing the rocks to be eaten away. This is
called chemical change.
The products of weathering include clay, sand, rock
fragments and soluble substances.
Weathered rock material can be moved by water and wind
(called erosion) and deposited as sediment.
Page 4
Three Types of Rocks
Rocks are classified based on how they were formed. The
three types of rocks are sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic.
Igneous rocks can be formed in two ways.
-Magma under the surface cools and hardens creating
intrusive igneous rocks. Example is granite
-Lava on the surface cools and hardens creating
extrusive igneous rocks. Examples are pumice and
obsidian
Sedimentary rocks are formed of layers of sediment are
cemented together. This is the only type of rock which
may have fossils or prints. Examples include sandstone,
shale, limestone, and coal.
Metamorphic rocks are created from other rocks being
exposed to great pressure and heat. Metamorphic rocks
tend to have layers where minerals have lined up together.
Examples include gneiss and slate.
Page 5
Identifying Rocks
Rocks have properties which can be observed, test, and
described. Composition, grain size, texture, color, and
presence of fossils help to identify rocks.
Classification keys are used to identify rocks.
Identifying rocks and the fossils that they may hold helps
scientists to determine the age of the Earth (about 4.6
billion years old).
Fossils provide information about life and conditions of
the past.
The presence of fossils of organisms in sedimentary rocks
of Virginia help scientists understand the geologic history
of the area.
Page 6
Test Questions
Page 7