Transcript LITHOSPHERE

LITHOSPHERE
ROCKS
MINERALS
SOIL
Lithosphere
 The outer "solid" part of Earth.
 It has two parts, the crust and the
upper mantle.
 It is about 100 km thick.
Minerals
 To be classified as a true mineral, a
substance must be a solid and have a
crystalline structure.
 It must also be a naturally occurring,
homogeneous substance with a defined
chemical composition
 Minerals: Inorganic solids and their
composition and properties are defined
Hardness
 The Mohs scale of mineral hardness
characterizes the scratch resistance of various
minerals through the ability of a harder
material to scratch a softer material.
 Created in 1812 by the German mineralogist
Friedrich Mohs
Rocks
 Heterogeneous solids composed of many
minerals.
 In general rocks are of three types, namely,
igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
 Formed from volcanic eruptions
Classification
 Igneous rocks : when molten magma cools
 2 main categories: plutonic rock and volcanic.
 Plutonic or intrusive rocks result when magma
cools and crystallizes slowly within the Earth's crust
(example granite),
 Volcanic or extrusive rocks result from magma
reaching the surface as lava.
Classification
 Sedimentary rocks : by deposition of either
organic matter or chemical precipitates,
followed by compaction of the particulate
matter.
 Sedimentary rocks form at or near the Earth's
surface.
Classification
 Metamorphic rocks: by subjecting any rock type to
different temperature and pressure conditions than
those in which the original rock was formed.
 These temperatures and pressures are always higher
than those at the Earth's surface and must be
sufficiently high so as to change the original
minerals into other mineral types or else into other
forms of the same minerals (e.g. by
recrystallisation).
Soil
 Naturally occurring, loose covering on the
earth's surface.
 Made up of broken rock particles that have
been altered by chemical and environmental
conditions.
 Soil can be altered by interactions between
the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere,
and the biosphere.
Exploitation of Lithosphere
Resources
Minerals and Energy
Exploitation of Minerals
 Ore- rock which contains minerals
 Geologists test for deposits- high concentration
and large quantities of minerals
 Quebec- world depends on certain mineral
deposits
 Extraction process costly and complex
Uses of Minerals Found in Quebec
Mineral
Possible Use
Gold
Jewellery
Electronic equipment
Commercial exchanges
Copper
Plumbing pipes and fittings
Electronic wire
Electronic equipment
Construction (roofs)
Zinc
Plating of steel (to increase corrosion resistance)
Moulded pieces for the automotive industry
Nickel
Manufacture of stainless steel
Coins
Magnets
Iron
Manufacture of steel
Energy Resources
 Fossil fuels
 Uranium
 Geothermal resources
 Used to heat buildings, fuel trucks and cars,
power factories
Fossil Fuels
 Energy from coal, natural
gas, oil called fossil
energy
 Oil- from dead marine
organisms; sand, mud, and
other rocks and minerals
covered them over time
 Under pressure slowly
transformed into oil
 Natural gas same source
as oil
Fossil Fuels
 Coal- from terrestrial plants and trees used to
grow in marshes sand and mud buried
marshes Compressed transformed into
coal.
 Contrary to oil, which is liquid, and to
natural gas, which is gas, coal is a solid.
Fossil fuels
 While burning, release thermal energy which can be
converted into electrical energy or mechanical
energy
 Combustion releases by-products: mainly carbon
dioxide (greenhouse effect)
 Other pollutants such as sulfur dioxide oxides from
nitrogen, which are responsible for acid rain
 natural gas (mainly methane)- gas with greenhouse
effect 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide
Uranium
 Radioactive element
 Fraction nucleus (fission) to release large
amount of energy
 No greenhouse gases but other problems
 Material in close contact radioactive for
hundreds of years
 Expensive facilities for safety
 Quebec- Gentilly-2 nuclear plant
Geothermal Energy
 Energy which comes from internal heat of Earth
 Circulate fluid in depth of Earth
 Energy transformed into electricity or used directly
for heat
 Volcanic regions- underground water creates hot
springs
 Geothermal heat used in houses- renewable, reduce
carbon dioxide
Future Energy
 Hydrogen fuel cells
 Hydrogen reacts with oxygen electricity + heat + water
 Hydrogen most abundant element
 But bonded with other elements and isolation needs lots
of energy