This document provides an overview of key concepts in earth science, including the layers of the Earth, different types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic), minerals, Moh's scale of hardness, properties of soil, weathering, erosion, deposition, volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides/floods. It describes each layer of the Earth by depth and composition. It also defines the three main types of rocks, how each is formed, and provides examples. Additional topics like the rock and mineral identification and the geological processes of weathering and erosion are summarized as well.

1. EarthScience
December2014

2. table of contents
1. LayersoftheEarth
2. RocksandRockCycle
3. Minerals
4. Tests&Moh’sScaleofHardness
5. IgneousRock
6. SedimentaryRock
7. MetamorphicRock
8. propertiesofsoil
9. weathering
10. erosionand

3. 1. the Crust Layer is the First Layer it is Made of Rocks, Minerals, and Soil
and is Five Miles Deep.
2. the Next Layer is the Mantle Layer it is Made Out of Molten Rock and is
About 1,800 Mile Deep.
3. the Next Layer is the Outer Core. It is Filled With Very Hot Molten Lava and
this Part of the Earth is Magnetic and is About 3,000 Miles Deep.
4. the Last Layer is the Inner Core, this Layer is the Lowest Part of the Earth’
s Layers. It is About 9,000 to 13,000 Degrees Fahrenheit and Because there
is so Much Pressure in this Layer that the Rocks Cannot Melt and stay
hard
Layers of the Earth

4. Rocks and Rock Cycle
● There are three types of rock, igneous rock, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock
● Igneous rock is made of liquid that cools and hardens as a rock. The earth’s core is so hot
that the rock inside of it melts and turns into a substance called magma.
● Sedimentary rocks are made of layers and layers of sediment like dirt, old
fossils, or maybe broken down pieces of other kinds of rock that stick
together and harden when they are there for many years.
● Metamorphic rock is made up of the chemical changes that
● happens inside
of the earth and hardens into rock

5. M I N E R A L S
● there are different kinds of minerals
● minerals are a naturally occurring substance on earth
● minerals are formed in the mantle layer of the earth
● minerals grow within the earth but they are not living things

6. Moh’s scale of hardness
● the moh’s scale tests of a rock or minerals’ resistance and hardness
● diamonds are the hardest mineral on earth
● talk is the softest mineral on earth
● most common way to test harness in a rock
● created by Friedrich Moh in 1812
● tests from 1-10 1-4 is very soft, 5-7 is hard, and 8-10 is very hard

7. igNeOUs rOcK
● These rock form when liquid in the earth cools and hardens into rock
● When the hot burning liquid magma flows up it cools as it slowly rises up
away from the hot core of the earth
● If the magma doesn’t harden in time before it erupts out of a volcano and
flows down as lava.
● The lava also can cool into igneous rock

8. Sedimentary RocK
● this type of rock forms vary slowly, with in many years
● they take different types of sediment and compacts it on top of each other
● these rocks can be found underneath big bodies of water

9. mEtaMorPHic rOcK
● these rocks can change from extreme heat and pressure inside of our
planet
● can be made by sandstone and pressure underneath the earths crust layer
● this rock can also be formed by when the pressure rearranges the minerals

10. Properties of soil
● soil can take over 500 years to just make 3 centimeters of it
● examples of things breaking down solid rocks are plants, animals and even
people
● plants have roots
● animals dig holes
● humans make paths
● soil has different particles inside of it called clay , but not playing clay, clay
beneath the earth
● soil is all over our planet
earth is full of it

11. Weathering
● this natural tool break down rocks and turn them into smaller pieces and
erosion moves it to another location in the earth
● the broken pieces are called sediment
● weather happens in lots of different ways

12. Erosion and Deposition
● Erosion and weathering help each other
● Deposition occurs when erosion moves rock to another place
● when weathered rock is carried away by gravity, water, wind and ice it is
called Erosion
● Deposition os where the rocks get place with erosion

13. vOlcAnoS
● a volcano is a mountain that opens downward
● volcanos are full of magma
● the magma flows out of the volcano when the pool of it rises from over
pressure and extreme heat
● volcanos erupt because the heat, pressure and density gets to dangerous
levels
● when the volcano erupts it can cause rock fall, flash floods, mudflows and
even earthquakes

14. Earthquakes
● an earthquake is a shaking sudden shock wave over the earth’s surface
● earthquakes are caused by a shifting of the earth’s crust
● states and even continents can move from the earth plates moving with
them
● if one layer of the earth moves they all move
● the moving waves are called surface waves
● earthquakes usually occurs in faults

15. landslides and floods
● floods are caused by heavy rainfall
● A landslide is a movement of a mass
● rain is ceased from water vapor
● A landslide is classified as mass movements of rock, debris, and soil
sliding off the side of a mountain or a kill

16. Study Jams
Geology for Kids
Rocks for Kids
Geology4
RockHoundKids
WeatherWizKids