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More than 2000 types of minerals are now known, and new ones are
being discovered on a daily basis. These minerals are classified
according to chemical composition and atomic structure. However, the
majority of rocks are formed from one or more of a small group of
minerals, just comprising over a dozen.
Silicate minerals has a structure based on the silicate unit, which can
be represented as part of a tetrahedral building block. Six major groups
of silicate minerals have been identified, based on the way that the
silicate units are joined together. Minerals make up rocks, and silicates
crystallize in order to form rocks. When tabulating the composition of
minerals and rocks, it is common to denote the elements as oxides,
although these elements should not be taken to mean as oxides in the
chemical sense.
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Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are the starting points in the rock cycle. That is, the
materials that make up the other two types of rocks, the sedimentary
and metamorphic rocks, are derived from a source that is igneous.
Igneous rocks are found on the earth’s mantle. It can be said that 70%
of the earth’s mass and 80% of the earth’s volume consists of mantle
rocks. Igneous rocks are derived from the convection in the earth’s
mantle, and the source of heat energy for this convection is found in
the radioactive isotopes of potassium, uranium, and thorium. The types
of rocks that contribute to the amount of energy in terms of heat
energy per unit mass are granites. Peridotites do not contribut much
heat. Therefore, the former makes up much of the crustal rocks. The
internal heat of the earth may have come from the radioactive decay of
potassium.
Sedimentary Rocks
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Metaphormic Rocks
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On the other hand, the endogenic processes also occur, which uses
heat from within the earth. Endogenic processes are also called
hypogene processes. In other words, when a process originates from
within the earth’s crust, it is an endogenous process. These processes
are governed by the forces within the earth and are not very much
affected by external sources. These processes also cause phenomena
such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, metamorphism, and the
formation of ocean troughs and continents. These processes are mostly
caused by the thermal energy of the crust and the mantle. The thermal
energy in the mantle and the crust is derived from the decay of
radioactive material and the gravitational differentiation in the mantle.
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EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE
The deformation of the earth’s crust is the result of forces that are
strong enough to move ocean sediments to an elevation that is many
thousands of meters above sea level. The deformation of rock involves
changes in the volume and/or shape of these substances. Changes in
volume and shape occur when strain and stress causes rocks to fold,
buckle, or fracture. A fold is a bend in the rock that is the response to
compressive forces. On the other hand, a fault forms when the internal
stresses in the rock cause fractures. The fault can be defined as
displacement of a rock that was once connected along a fault plane.
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The oldest rocks in the earth include both the sediments, which are
water-lain, and the ancient oceanic crust. Thus, oceans have been
forming ever since the beginning of the geologic period. From the
present oceans, no oceanic crust is known to be older than 180 Ma.
The evolution of the ocean basin starts from a rift, which then reaches
a maximum size. It then shrinks and then closes completely.
1. Embryonic
2. Young
3. Mature
4. Declining
5. Terminal
6. Relict scar
Thus, the history of the earth has been recorded in stratified rocks. The
geologic time scale is the temporal framework that is composed of the
arrangement of stratified rocks. In order to find out the age of the
rocks, and thus the geologic time scale, geologists rely on two
methods: relative and absolute dating. The latter establishes how many
years ago a certain event took place. The most important aspect of
absolute dating is based on the decay of radioactive elements in the
rocks. On the other hand, relative dating is able to place the events in
their proper order, but cannot ascertain the exact number of years ago
when the event took place.
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In order to date the rocks, marker fossils are used. Marker fossils, or
index fossils, are able to indicate the types of organisms that existed in
a certain time period. They serve as guides to the age of the rocks in
which they are preserved. Since the geologic time scale is an important
consideration when dating the earth, it is also important for
understanding the history of the earth. Organisms that only existed for
a certain period and found in rocks can determine the history of the
evolution of organisms on earth. Moreover, the earth’s history in terms
of animal and plant life can be deduced from the history found within
rocks by showing the time period in which they occurred.
Glossary
Basaltic rock: fine-grained, dark-colored igneous rock
Basaltic magma: molten rocks that are rich in magnesium and iron, and lack
silica
References
Bryson, Bill. (2004). A Short History of Nearly Everything. New York:
Broadway Books.
Origins of Oceans
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X.X Module Title
Geology
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