Download 101 The Earth - BegaTAFE-GeneralEd-CGVE

Earth
When you complete this package you will have satisfied learning outcomes 1.1, 1.2 and 2.5 of NSWTSCN205B.
You will need to hand in all 5 pages for marking.
How was the earth formed? Look up the net to find the most commonly held explanation and write
what you found in this space.
To draw a scale model of the internal structure of the earth. It will look like concentric
circles.
You will need a ruler, paper (A3 would be best). (The thickness is mm added onto the radius – counting
out from the centre)
Inner core
outer Core
Mantle
Crust
solid
liquid
liquid
solid
Km thick (radius) mm in our model
1200
20
(ping pong ball size)
2200
37
that's an extra 37mm
2900
48
20
0.3
Each mm = 60km
What usefulness does our model of the earth have?
What did you learn?
What limitations does the model have?
What Type of Rock do I
Have?
From www.nonsocam.org/MSA/K12
/rkcycle/typeofrock.html
Cut out the boxes on the
bottom of this page and place
them on an appropriate place
on the diagram above.
Erosion
Gold
Oil
earthquake
soil
folds
crust
fossils
sandstone
coal
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marble
gemstone
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Faults
Igneous rocks are recognized by:
 the interlocking texture of the grains
 the presence of vesicules (holes) in extrusive igneous
rocks
 may be dark-coloured and heavy
 may display two grain sizes, one much larger than the
Formed in the heat of the earth
other
Sedimentary rocks are recognized by:
 grains cemented together
 the presence of fossils
 light-colour and light weight
laid down by moving water, ice,
wind
 may display interlocking grains but is very light weight
Metamorphic rocks are recognized by:
 the interlocking texture of large grains
 foliation (layering)
Formed when
sedimentary rocks are changed
 banded light and dark colours
by heat and pressure
 "ching" sound instead of a "chunk" sound when tapped
In geological terms what are the following? Draw an example (from books, websites etc)
Folds
Faults
Earthquakes
Volcanoes – shield and cone
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Look at the website and answer the following questions
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/Continents.shtml
(Click on the link to continental drift)
In general, what are the continents doing?_______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Look at India in particular. How does its movement help explain the recent formation of the
Himalayas? (look up in an atlas where the Himalayas are)________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Look at http://www.iris.edu/seismon/ and what do you notice about where earthquakes occur?
Continental drift quiz
Use the site above to answer these questions
1. Do plates move horizontally, vertically, or both?_________________
2. What do plates float on?_______________________
3. What type of rock are oceanic plates made of?_______________________
4. What type of rock are continental plates made of?_______________________
5. What is the name of the area where the crust goes back down into the Earth?
_____________________
6. What is the process of new crust formation called? _______________________
7. When two continental plates collide, what types of mountains are formed?
_______________________
8. What is the name of the supercontinent that existed about 200 million through 100
million years ago? _______________________
9. Who first stated the theory of continental drift? ______________________
10. Name a fossil that was found on different continents and was used to support the theory
of continental drift. ______________________
From http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/cdevidence.html what is some evidence of
continental drift?
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COAL FORMATION
Read the passage below and answer the questions on this page
Millions of years ago, many areas on Earth were
affected by a climate that was much wetter and
warmer than is experienced today. Many coastal
basins and deltas were poorly drained and these
areas supported dense swamps and forests.
Over time, plants in these forests and swamps grew,
died and fell down and began to decay. This
continued for a very long time, resulting in the
formation of a soft, rich material called peat. The leaves, bark and wood of the plants making
up peat can often still be recognised.
Slowly, over millions of years, sediments such as gravel, sands or silts collected over the top
of the peat. This could happen in two ways: either the Earth’s surface sank in this region or
the sea level rose. The layers of sediment restricted oxygen in the peat and applied a great
deal of heat and pressure upon the plant remains. As a result the peat was slowly transformed
into soft, brown coal.
If the pressure and heat were more intense, or continued for a longer period of time, black
coal would be produced. Black coal is a solid rock, much harder than brown coal.
Most of the coal found on Earth formed between 15 and 350 million years ago, making coal
very, very old.
Questions:
1. What sort of organic materials did coal form from?
2. What is peat? What does peat look like?
3. How is peat changed into coal?
4. How long ago did most of the world’s coal form?
5. How many different stages are there in coal formation?
6. How long does it take for peat to develop into coal?
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OIL AND NATURAL GAS FORMATION
Oil and natural gas formed in environments that were more marine than those which formed
coal. Both oil and natural gas were produced from the decomposition of marine plants and
animals, whose remains collected on the bottom of shallow seas and lakes and were covered by
fine muds.
The muds were in turn covered by layers of sediments over many thousands of years. If the
plant and animal remains became buried deep within the Earth and experienced enormous heat
and pressure over millions of years, they could be converted into oil and natural gas.
Once oil and natural gas was formed, it could move upwards towards the surface of the Earth,
unless trapped by a layer of impervious rock, like shale. Oil is not found in holes in the Earth’s
crust. It is found in the “pores” of porous rock like sandstone. Natural gas usually collects
above the oil layer.
A
B
C
Also from prose.eng.ua.edu/ed/studentguide.html
Current theory holds that oil was formed from the bodies of
marine plants and animals, especially plankton. As these
organisms decayed on the bottom of pre-historic ocean
floors, they were compressed under the weight of sediment
and heated by geological activity. Over time, the chemicals in
their bodies were changed to form crude oil. The oil moved as
the continents and seas changed until it became confined to
certain locations called traps.
Questions:
1. What sort of organic materials do oil and natural gas form from?
2. In the past, what sort of environment was found in areas where oil and natural gas occur?
3. How long does it take for oil and natural gas to form?
What do the words “impervious” and “porous” mean? (Use a dictionary!)
Which layer on the picture above must be impervious?
Which ones must be porous? (A,B, C?)
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