Adv. Science 9 - Spheres, Earth's interior, and Minerals

What are 4 spheres of earth?

geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere

How can the four spheres interact?

Ex. How does the geosphere interact with the atmosphere. Rain can fall which erodes shores and rocks over time.

Volcanos(part of the geosphere) can release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Acid from carbon can cause rocks to dissolve, when dissolved they break down into different ions. These ions are carried into the ocean.

(Water cycle) Transpiration from plants, or evaporation from water, condensation forms clouds, precipitation water is released into the Earth.

What is the carbon cycle? (cycle 1)

The cycle of carbon, and the ways carbon can go to different spheres of the earth.

For example, atmospheric carbon dioxide can be absorbed by the ocean, or in the process of photosynthesis be used by the land pants.

When the ocean absorbs carbon, the shelled organisms use this carbon to make their skeletons and shells.

These shells pile up on the ocean floor, and these layers are compressed into limestone.

Limestone is part of the lithosphere, a lot of carbon is stored in the lithosphere.

Deep in the earths’ crust rocks are melted, this causes carbon dioxide to form. This carbon is dissolved into magma below the volcano.

When volcanoes erupt, the dissolved carbon dioxide in the magma is released into the atmosphere.

How can the Carbon Cycle impact life on Earth?

The carbon cycle can impact many different aspects of life here on Earth. For example, the carbon in the atmosphere can be absorbed by the ocean, which causes the water to become acidic. This leads to different marine life being affected. Certain animals that have shells, will make it harder to be able to form them, due to the high acidity levels in the ocean.

Since hard-shelled organisms evolved about 550 million years ago, billions of soft tons of limestone rock have been produced from those shells. Limestones remove the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Which means that the Earth’s climate has gradually cooled over the last 550 million years.

Forest fires can cause a lot of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere, which can cause air pollution.

Forcing

a stimulus that causes a change in the Earth System. Forcings can be natural or man-made

Feedback loop

A mutual causal interaction where x affects y, and y affects x, creating a feedback loop.

Positive feedback loop

when a change applifies an effect or change from previous conditions

Negative feedback loop

When a change causes the opposite to happen. For example, if you decrease the temperature in a room, but because something else has changed, the room’s temperature starts to increase.

4 peices of evidence for earth’s interior

• Seismic waves

• Meteorites

• Comparing the densities of rocks on the surface of the Earth

• Digging (Kola Superdeep Borehole)

Layers of earth (from in to out)

Inner core

Outer core

Lower Mantle

Upper mantle(asthenosphere)

Lithosphere(part of upper mantle, and crust)

Crust

Characteristics/Properties of the crust

Broken into continental (mostly granite rock) and oceanic (mostly basaltic rock) plates

Quartz and Feldspar

Characteristics of the lithosphere

crust and upper most solid mantle

Characteristics of the upper mantle(asthenosphere)

Weak sphere that moves slowly

Characteristics of the lower mantle

Convection here cause tectonic plates movement

Characteristics of the outer core

Liquid iron and nickel

generates the Earth’s magnetic field

Characteristics of the inner core

Solid iron and nickel

What elements are commonly found on the Earth’s crust?

Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum

5 characteristics of minerals

1. Never living (Inorganic)

2. Solid

3. Crystalline structure

4. Occur naturally

5. Definite chemical formula

Properties used to identify minerals (at least 5)

Hardness, luster, color, breakage, streak, magnetism, double refraction, reacts with acid

Native Minerals

single elements

Compound Minerals

more than 1 element

Earth’s crust is mostly made of what elements? (With percentages)

1. Oxygen (46%)

2. Silicon (26%)

3. Aluminum(8%)

What are the 2 groups of minerals

Silicates: Si + O = (96%)

• example - Quartz(SiO2)

Non-silicates:

• halides, carbonates, sulfides, Iron, gold

What are the ethical and environmental concerns of mining?

Causes damage to the environment. For example, water pollution, erosion, deforestation, and more. Some people working in the mines are not getting enough money, while working in rough conditions.

What are conflict minerals?

3TG - Minerals that perpetuate war or conflict

How to solve density, mass, volume

d = m/v

m = d * v

v = m/d

How does density relate to Earth’s layers/formation?

Denser things sink. Which is why the core is made up of solids like iron(add more)

Renewable

These are natural resources that can be replenished naturally over time. They won't run out if used responsibly.

Nonrenewable

These are natural resources that take millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly once used up.

Which layer has highest layer of density?

Inner core

Which portion of Earth’s interior is “home“ to minerals?

The crust

What is the core primarily composed of?

Nickel and Iron

How to interpret results of different tests (ex. If a mineral scratches a penny but not glass, what does that mean for its hardness?)

??

What kind of resource are minerals?

nonrenewable

How are minerals related to rocks?

Both are solid and rocks are made of multiple or just one mineral.

Why is color not reliable to identify minerals?

Becuase different minerals can be of the same color. And completely different minerals can be the same color.

Is fracture or cleavage controlled by strong chemical bonding? And explain why

Fracture is controlled by strong chemical bonding because the chemical bonds extend in almost every direction. While cleavage is controlled by weak chemical bonding because the chemical bonds extend along 1 pane in weaker bonds.

How many minerals have been discovered

4000 +

How many minerals are abundant?

8 area abundant.

What are 3 ways silicate minerals form?

Crystallize from cooling molten rock

Combining of weathered silicate minerals to create new ones

Extreme pressure

What is the reason for the variety of colors Quartz exhibits?

Many forms of quartz have small, extra amounts of ions (impurities) which alter the color

The other groups of minerals are divided into groups based on what?

Negatively charged ions that the different minerals have in common.

The silicate group called Olivines are thought to make up 50% of what?

The upper mantle

What is the carbon cycle (2)

For example, atmospheric carbon dioxide can be absorbed by the ocean, or in the process of photosynthesis be used by the land pants, or can dissolve rocks.

Carbon dioxide dissolves into water, creating an acid. This acid causes rocks and minerals to slowly dissolve.

Rainwater breaks down these rocks, causing them to release different ions. These ions are carried to oceans, by streams and rivers.

Carbon is absorbed by plants and animals, in the process of photosynthesis. When dead, plants rot and become a part of the soil, which means the soil now contains carbon dioxide.

Plant material that is accumulated in rocks can become heated, compressed, and slowly transformed into coal.

When forests are set on fire, they release a large amount of carbon dioxide, releasing it back into the environment.