Geo Ln 2 Interior of the Earth
A. Choose the correct option:
1. The Earth’s crust is also known as lithosphere.
2. The other name for the mantle is mesosphere.
3. The main mineral constituents of the core are nickel and iron.
4. Metamorphic rocks result from immense heat and pressure.
5. A straight line that connects two opposite points on the surface of the Earth, while passing
through its centre, will be about 13000 km long.
B. Give one word:
1. the innermost part of the Earth - core
2. the layer of the Earth with a maximum depth of 100km - crust
3. the study of rocks is called - petrology
4. rocks are made up of these - minerals
C. Classify the names of the following rocks into igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic and complete the table:
Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic
Granite Sandstone Marble
Basalt Shale Gneiss
Pumice Conglomerate Slate
*** *** Quartzite
D. Distinguish between the following:
S. Crust Core
No
1. It is the outermost layer of the Earth. It is the innermost layer of the Earth.
2. The crust and the topmost part of the It is also known as the barysphere.
mantle are together known as
lithosphere.
3. It is a very thin layer in comparison It has a radius of about 3,500 km from the
to the other layers of the Earth. (30 centre of the Earth.
km on an average)
4. The crust is a single layer. The core is divided into two layers – outer
and inner core.
5. It is made of solid rock. While the outer core is in a molten state,
the inner core is very dense and solid.
6. It is made of mainly silica and It is composed of nickel and iron (Nife).
aluminium (Sial).
S. Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks
No
1. Igneous rocks are formed by the Sedimentary are made up of rocks that are
cooling and solidification of magma into broken down by the wearing down of the
lava. Earth’s surface.
2. These are called ‘primary rocks’ as they These are called ‘secondary rocks’ as they
were the first kind of rocks that were are formed by the broken rock sediments
formed. deposited layer by layer over time.
3. Granite and basalt examples of igneous Sandstone, shale, clay, limestone and chalk
rocks. are some examples of sedimentary rocks.
E. Write Short Answers:
1. What are the materials that make up the Earth’s surface?
Answer:
The Earth is made up of solid rocks.
The interior of the Earth is made up of several minerals in molten and liquid form, as
envisioned by geologists.
The Earth is made up of three layers in the form of concentric shells.
These three layers are crust, mantle and core.
2. Name the sources through which we may know about the interior of the Earth.
Answer:
The sources through which we may know about the interior of the Earth include:
the use of modern drilling technologies to extract rock samples, from deep inside
the Earth
studying volcanic materials spewed out from the Earth’s interior
studying the behavior of earthquake waves.
3. What are tectonic plates?
Answer:
The Earth’s crust is fractured into several rock plates that float like icebergs or rafts on
the upper mantle.
These are known as tectonic plates, and they may have continents and ocean basins
atop.
These plates are in constant motion and their movements can cause earthquakes and
volcanoes.
4. How are rocks different from minerals?
Answer:
While rocks are solid materials which make up the crust of the Earth, minerals are
naturally occurring inorganic substances made up of one or more elements. They are
found in rocks.
While rocks vary in colour, texture, chemical composition and softness, minerals have
definite physical and chemical properties.
While rocks may or may not be crystalline in their structure, most minerals have a
crystalline structure.
F. Write Long Answers:
1. What do you know about the structure of the Earth?
Answer:
The following points reflect our understanding about the structure of the Earth:
Earth is not made up of uniform materials.
It is made up of three main layers in the form of concentric shells. The density of the
rocks increases with depth towards the centre.
It has a layered structure, somewhat like a huge, boiled egg.
It is divided into three layers – crust, mantle and core.
The two crustal layers (continental and oceanic) along with the uppermost layer of the
mantle, are referred to as ‘lithosphere’.
Beneath the crust, there is a layer of very dense rocks known as mantle or mesosphere,
made up of dense molten minerals.
The innermost layer of the Earth’s interior is the metallic core or barysphere – both
temperature and pressure here are very high.
The Earth’s crust is fractured into several tectonic plates that float like icebergs or rafts
on the upper mantle.
2. How is transform boundary different from divergent boundary? Draw the
diagrams to highlight the difference.
Answer:
Divergent Boundary:
It forms when two plates move apart from each other causing tension in the crust, then
cracking and creating wide gaps or rifts.
Divergent boundaries are also created due to the oozing out of magma, which leads to
the creation of mountain ridges.
For example, 14,300 km long Mid –Atlantic Ridge is at a divergent boundary.
Transform Boundary:
Some plates do not converge or diverge.
They slip past each other without creating new crust or destroying old crust, thus
creating a transform boundary.
For example, San Andreas Fault in California, USA, is a 1,400 km long crack, which
creates a transform boundary.
3. What are the three groups of rocks on the basis of their origin? What were the
geological processes involved in the formation of each group?
Answer:
The three groups of rocks are as follows:
Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphic rocks
They are formed by the cooling They are formed when These rocks are formed when
and solidification of magma sediments deposited layer by igneous as well as
into lava. layer overtime, get sedimentary rocks, are
compacted by the weight of subjected to immense heat
overlying rocks and water and pressure and weight of
into solid rocks. overlying rocks, resulting in
changes in their appearances,
chemical properties and
character.
They were the oldest rocks to Ex: Sandstone, shale clay, Limestone (sedimentary)
be formed, so they are also limestone, chalk corals, would change into marble.
called ‘primary rocks’. All other gypsum, rock salt, limestone
rocks are derived from igneous and chalk Granite (igneous) would
rocks. change into gneiss after
metamorphism.
It may take millions of years
for these changes to occur.
Depending on whether they ***** *****
cooled or solidified on or below
the Earth’s surface, they are
called extrusive and intrusive
rocks respectively.
Ex: Granite and basalt
4. Explain the rock cycle with the help of a diagram.
Answer:
The interchange in the state of rocks from one type to the other is called the rock cycle
of the Earth’s crust.
Through this continuous process, older rocks are transformed into new rocks by means
of weathering, erosion, deposition, pressure, melting and cooling.
The rock cycle gives us an idea of the origin of each rock and the role of geological
processes in transforming one rock type into another.
It is an endless process by which rocks are formed, destroyed and formed again.
G. Read the statements given and choose the correct option:
ASSERTION (A): Rocks are used as building material.
REASON (R): Fossil fuels like coal are derived from rocks.
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true, but R is false
d. A is false, and R is true
H. CLASSWORKNOTES:
Q1. Define the term geologist.
Ans: A Geologist is a scientist who studies the structure of the Earth and rocks.
Q2. What are the main layers of the Earth?
Ans: The main layers of the Earth are:
1. Crust
2. Mantle
3. Core
Q3. List the different types of rocks and give examples of each.
Ans: The different types of rocks are:
• Igneous Rocks - Ex: Granite and Basalt
• Sedimentary Rocks - Ex: Sandstone, Chalk, Limestone
• Metamorphic Rocks - Ex: Gneiss
Q4. Define petrology.
Ans: Petrology is the scientific study of rocks and the conditions under which they
form.
Q5. Draw the neat diagram of the rock cycle and colour it.
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