TOPIC 7 - MINERALS AND ROCKS IN Lesson 1: Earth’s Interior

Lesson 3: Rocks
THE GEOSPHERE Lesson 4: Cycling Rocks
LAYERS OF THE EARTH
The Crust:
The Earth's crust is the outermost layer made of solid rock and includes both land
and ocean floor.
It is composed mainly of oxygen and silicon.
The crust is thinner than the layers beneath it, ranging from 5 to 40 kilometers thick,
and can be up to 80 kilometers thick under mountains.
There are two types of crust: oceanic crust, which is mostly basalt and lies under
oceans, and continental crust, which is mainly granite and forms the continents.
LAYERS OF THE EARTH
The Mantle:
The mantle is the layer of hot rock beneath Earth's crust, about 3,000 km thick. It
contains more magnesium and iron than the crust.
The uppermost mantle is rigid and, along with the crust, forms the lithosphere,
about 100 km thick.
Beneath that is the asthenosphere, a softer, bendable solid layer.
Below the asthenosphere lies the lower mantle, which is hot, rigid, and under high
pressure, extending to Earth's core.
LAYERS OF THE EARTH
The Core:
Located beneath the mantle and at the center of Earth.
Made of two parts: the outer core (liquid) and the inner core (solid).
Total radius of the core is about 3,480 kilometers.
Outer Core:
Thickness: 2,260 kilometers.
Made of molten (liquid) metal.
Surrounds the inner core.
Stays liquid despite high pressure.
Inner Core:
Radius: about 1,220 kilometers.
A dense ball of solid metal.
High pressure prevents the atoms from becoming liquid, even at high temperatures.
Composition:
Mostly made of iron and nickel.
Also contains smaller amounts of oxygen, sulfur, and silicon.
EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD
Earth has a magnetic field that is made by movements in its liquid outer core. This
magnetic field affects the whole planet.
To understand how a magnetic field works, think of a bar magnet. When you place a
magnet under a piece of paper and sprinkle iron filings on top, the filings line up in a
pattern. This shows the invisible magnetic field around the magnet.
The same thing happens with Earth! If we could sprinkle iron filings around Earth, they
would make a similar pattern. A compass works because its needle lines up with
Earth’s magnetic field.
Key Idea:
Iron filings show that a magnet has a magnetic field because they line up in a clear
pattern around it.
MOVEMENT IN EARTH’S MANTLE
Heat from Earth’s core drives movement in the mantle.
This heat causes convection, moving material and energy through Earth.

What Are Convection Currents?

Convection in Earth
Heat from the core and mantle drives convection currents in solid rock.
Hot rock rises as it heats up; cooler rock sinks as it cools.
This cycle moves the lithosphere (Earth’s outer layer).
One full convection cycle takes millions of years.

Why It Matters
Convection currents move tectonic plates.
They transfer heat and materials inside Earth.
Without heat, convection currents would stop.
ROCKS P.302
 Rock Texture
• Texture is how a rock looks and feels
based on its grains (tiny particles of
minerals or other rocks).
• Geologists describe texture using
grain size, shape, and pattern.
Coarse-grained rocks: Large,
visible grains.
Fine-grained rocks: Tiny grains that
need a microscope to see.

Rock Origin
• Rocks are classified by how they
form, using their mineral
composition, color, and texture.
• The three main types of rocks based
on origin are:
What is “fiery” about igneous rocks? Igneous rocks
• The word igneous comes from Latin ignis, meaning “fire.” Sedimentary rocks
• Igneous rocks form from red hot or fiery, melted material. Metamorphic rocks
IGNEOUS ROCKS How Igneous Rocks Form
 Igneous rocks form from magma or lava that cools and
hardens.
 They can look very different depending on the temperature and
chemical composition of the molten material.
Two Types of Igneous Rocks
Extrusive Rock
 Forms when lava erupts onto Earth's surface and cools quickly.
 Example: Basalt (common in oceanic crust).
Intrusive Rock
 Forms when magma cools slowly beneath Earth's surface.
 Example: Granite (forms deep underground and can take
thousands of years).
Uses of Igneous Rocks
 Granite can be used for:
 Road-building
 Crushed stone
 Building materials (like polished slabs)
Texture of Igneous Rocks
 Texture depends on size and shape of crystals:
 Fine-grained: Forms when lava cools quickly (near Earth's
surface).
 Coarse-grained: Forms when magma cools slowly (underground),
creating large crystals (like in granite).
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Sedimentary rock forms when tiny
pieces of rocks or remains of plants
and animals get pressed and stuck
together.
These pieces are called sediment.
Sediment comes from rocks or living
things. Over time, the sediment goes
through different steps like being
moved, packed tightly, and cemented
together to form sedimentary rock.
Examples of sedimentary rock include:
Sandstone
Shale
Limestone
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
What are they?
Metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks
are changed by heat, pressure, or chemical
reactions.
How do they form?
This happens deep underground where heat
and pressure are stronger than on the surface.
 Heat can come from magma rising from deep inside
Earth.
 Pressure comes from tectonic plates pushing rocks
together or burying them under tons of other rocks.

What changes?
The rock’s shape, texture, composition, and
minerals can all change.
Two types of textures:
 Foliated: Grains are in layers or bands (e.g., gneiss).
 Nonfoliated: Grains are randomly arranged (e.g.,
marble).
THE ROCK CYCLE
Cycling of Earth’s Materials
No Material is Lost
Earth's rock materials are recycled
– not lost or gained.
Transformation of Rock Types
Example: Basalt (from lava) can
weather into sediment.
Sediment can then form new rock –
continuing the rock cycle.
 THE ROCK CYCLE From Sedimentary to Metamorphic Rock
The Rock Cycle Is a Repeating Pattern Layers of sandstone can be buried deeper by more
•Rocks change over time through a cycle with repeating patterns. sediment.
•Processes like melting, cooling, weathering, erosion, and pressure are Pressure and heat from Earth’s movements can change the
all part of this cycle. sandstone into metamorphic rock (like quartzite).
· Restarting the Cycle
Granite Formation
•Granite in Granite Mountain formed deep underground from cooled Heat from below Earth’s surface could eventually melt the
magma (igneous rock). metamorphic rock.
This would start the rock cycle again with the formation of
Mountain Building and Exposure magma.
• Movements in the Earth pushed the granite up to the surface.
· Energy Flow
• Weathering and erosion broke down the granite into small pieces
called sediment. Energy from Earth’s interior drives many of these changes in
the rock cycle.
Sediment Transport

• Streams carried the granite sediment to rivers and oceans.

Formation of Sedimentary Rock

• Layers of sediment build up on the ocean floor over millions of years.

• The weight of these layers compacts the sediment.

• Calcite from ocean water can cement the layers, forming