The Ever Changing

Earth
Chapter 9
 The Ever Changing Earth
A quick look on the earth’s surface would reveal that it is mostly
made of rocks. These rocks appear to be solid and could not be moved
at all by any force. However, you have learned that the surface of the
earth constantly changes. Wind, water, man and animals can bring
about these changes.
In this chapter, you will learn more about other forces that could
bring about changes on the earth. These changes could be
devastating, destructive and create tremendous effects on man and
other living things. What are these forces? Why do they happen? Can
man do something to predict or overcome these forces?
The Structure of the Earth
Lesson 1
 The Structure of the Earth
The earth has three major parts – the land part or
lithosphere, the water part or hydrosphere and the air
part or atmosphere. The lithosphere is the surface on
which you live. It is also the earth’s solid sphere consisting
mainly of massive rock. The massive rocks form large land
masses called continents and small island groups.
Different land forms such as mountains, hills, valleys
plateaus and plains make up the lithosphere.
The hydrosphere includes all water forms such as
oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and groundwater found beneath
the earth.
Lithosphe
re -

¼
Hydrosph
ere-

¾
Atmosphe
re
(air)
- The
blacket
or air
Geologists or scientists who
specialize on the history and
composition of the earth study
carefully these two major parts
of the earth. They study the
different layers of the earth and
what each layer is made of.
 You see only the surface of the earth – the oceans,
seas, rivers, rocks and soil. They cover the earth just like
the thick peeling of a pomelo or orange fruit. When you cut
open the pomelo, you see layers of pulp inside it. If the
earth were cut open, you would see that it is made of three
main layers. They are the crust, mantle and core.
 The topmost layer of the earth is the crust which is
made of solid rock. It is thicker under the continents,
approximately between 11 to 35 kilometers. But under the
oceans, it can be 5 to 12 kilometers thick only. At the lower
boundary of the crust is the Mohorovicic discontinuity or
Moho; named after its discoverer Yugoslav geologist
Andrija Mohorovicic. The Moho separates the crust from
the next layer beneath it – the mantle.
 The mantle is about 2,900
kilometers in depth or thickness.
Just like the crust, it is also made of
solid rock. But because of extreme
heat and pressure, some of these
rocks may even flow very, very
slowly.
 The core is the
innermost part of the earth
which is about 3,400
kilometers in thickness. It is
divided further into two: the
outer core which behaves like
liquid and the inner core
which is believed to be solid.
The ore is mostly iron with
lesser amounts of nickel and
silicon.
 Crustal rocks that are parts
of the earth’s crust are of two types
– granite and basalt. Most of the
rocks under the ocean’s basins are
basalt which is similar to the rocks
at the upper mantle. Beneath the
continents, the crust is made up
mostly of granite. Granite is
lighter than basalt so continents
float high on the heavier mantle.
 Remembering Science Facts
• The earth has three layers – the crust, the mantle and the
core.
• Crustal rocks which are parts of the earth’s crust are
basalt and granite.
 Make a Cross-section of the
Earth
Materials: Styrofoam ball, knife, colored pens
1. Cut the Styrofoam ball lengthwise like cutting a pomelo.
Make sure the interior part of the ball is exposed.
2. Mark the inside part of the ball with colored pentel pens
to show the different layers of the earth. Use assorted
colors to distinguish layers.
Forces that Change the
Earth’s Surface
Lesson 2
 Forces that Change the Earth’s
Surface
The earth’s surface has been constantly changing
since the world began. Some changes may be so slow that
you hardly can notice it. But over millions of years,
mountains rise and are worn down. What forces change the
earth’s surface?
What change can you see?
There are two kinds of forces that are at work to
constantly change the earth’s surface. They are
tectonic forces and gradational forces.
Gradational Forces
Gradational forces are caused by wind,
ice, moving or flowing water and other living
organisms. Weathering causes rocks to be
broken down into smaller pieces or fragments.
Erosion carries away or transports these
eroded rocks into the rivers and oceans as
sediment. Seas creep in over the land and
rise, making new land. Glaciers roll down the
mountains and form valleys. Erosion and
weathering are gradational forces; they come
from outside or beyond the earth.
Tectonic Forces
Tectonic forces come from inside the
earth. There are two groups of tectonic
forces- diastrophism and volcanism.
Diastrophism refers to all movement of
the solid parts of the earth as in
earthquakes. Volcanism or volcanic
eruptions make new landforms when lava
hardens. Earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions cause sudden changes on the
earth’s surface. They may bring about the
rise or fall of surface rocks.
 Remembering Science Facts
• Gradational and tectonic forces bring about changes on
the earth’s surface.
• Erosion and weathering are gradational forces. They
bring about slow changes on the earth’s surface.
• Diastrophism and volcanism are tectonic forces. They
bring about sudden or rapid changes.
 Identify the word being
described.
1. It is the outermost layer of 6. Forces that come from
the earth. inside the earth and cause
sudden changes on the
2. They make up the crustal
surface.
rocks found beneath the
7. A gradational force which
oceans.
carries away broken pieces
3. Separates the crust from the of rocks.
mantle. 8. Crustal rocks found
4. All movements of the solid beneath the continents.
parts of the earth. 9. Can make new landforms
when lava hardens.
5. The process by which rocks 10. The innermost layer of the
are worn down into earth.
fragments.