The Rock Cycle and Earth's Layers
How are sedimentary rocks formed?
Layers of sediment are cemented and compacted together over time
What is pressure?
a variable that affects the state of matter of Earth's layers
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
heat and pressure
What is the chemical composition of the crust?
oxygen and silicon
What physical property is important to the asthenosphere?
plasticity
What are the pieces of the lithosphere called?
plates
What state of matter is the inner core?
solid
What state of matter is the mantle?
solid
What is the inner core made of?
solid iron and nickel
What is the rock cycle?
Earth's rocks change from one type into another
What kind of rock is shown in this picture?
Igneous Rock
What kind of rock is shown in this picture?
Metamorphic Rock
What is magma?
Molten rock beneath the earth's surface
Deposition
Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.
What kind of rock is shown in the picture?
Sedimentary Rock
What are physical properties?
characteristics that can be observed or measured without changing the substance
What are the Earth's layers determined by?
chemical composition or state of matter
What is the mantle made of?
dense silicates
Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)
erosion
What is plasticity?
existing in a solid state, yet able to flow
What parts of the Earth does the crust cover?
land and ocean
What state of matter is the outer core?
liquid
What is the outer core made of?
liquid nickel and iron
What is the cool, rigid, outer layer of Earth?
lithosphere
What is the thickest layer of the Earth?
mantle
What is lava?
molten rock on Earth's surface
What does litho- mean?
rock, stone
Cementation
sediment and water mix together to form rock
Compaction
sediments are pressed together under their own weight
What is density?
the amount of matter in a given space or volume
What is chemical composition?
the elements that make up a substance
What is the crust?
the outermost layer of the earth
What is the asthenosphere?
the upper layer of the earth's mantle, below the lithosphere
What does astheno- mean?
weak
The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.
weathering
How is igneous rock formed?
when lava or magma cools and solidifies
