The lithosphere is the hard shell of Earth, consisting the topmost part of the mantle and is characterized as the rigid, rocky layer. This layer is underlain by the asthenosphere, the weaker, hotter, and deeper part of the upper mantle. It is a cool, rigid, layer that is 15 km to 3000 km thick. The lithosphere consists of three different types of rock, ingenious, sedimentary, and metamorphic. There are also three different layers to the lithosphere: 1) The oceanic crust, 2) The continental crust, and 3) The upper mantle.
Rocks found in the lithosphere fall into the categories of ingenious rocks that are formed from volcanic activity. Sedimentary rocks formed by water pressure, and metamorphic rocks which are formed when earths sedimentary and ingenious rocks undergo high temperatures and pressure. Turning ingenious and sedimentary rocks into metamorphic rocks can take millions of years, and can be turned into marble. On the contact with the air, magma cools and solidifies, creating ingenious rocks. Over time erosion from air and water causes rocks to crumble; when particles combine with plant and animal remains they fall to the ocean floor and create different layers of the Earth. When under pressure, lowest layers are compacted and form sedimentary rocks.
Soil makes up the solid part of Earth's crust which originates from the parent rock. Wind, frost, and water wear down rock over time, creating litho soil. When decomposed materials combined with rock fragments, it creates soil. On average it takes 200 years to form one layer of soil 1 cm thick, this is only one of many reasons why we should value and protect our soil. Soil develops in thick layers that lay partially parallel to the Earth called a horizon and is distinguished by color, texture, and composition. Soil serves many purposes: to absorb, filter and store water. Soil contains water, air, and micro and macro organisms that create nutrients for plant life, etcetera.
There are two types of weathering, chemical and mechanical. Mechanical weathering breakdown of rocks and minerals by physical agents such as frost, wind, and tree roots, with no chemical alteration. Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock by chemical mechanisms, the most important ones being hydrolysis, oxidization, carbon dioxide and acid precipitation.
The Appalachian Mountains are some of the Earths oldest mountains, and they may not be as tall as they used to be due to weathering, they are still one of Earth's many wonders. These mountains formed when the Euramerica continent smashed into Gondwanaland; that pushed up the land to make the Appalachian mountains.
Factors that affect our lithosphere include mining, urbanization, agriculture, deforestation, shoreline stabilization, and overgrazing. All of those factors include an increase in population, removal, and lack of natural resources including, trees, minerals, soil, metals, plants and shorelines.
Rocks found in the lithosphere fall into the categories of ingenious rocks that are formed from volcanic activity. Sedimentary rocks formed by water pressure, and metamorphic rocks which are formed when earths sedimentary and ingenious rocks undergo high temperatures and pressure. Turning ingenious and sedimentary rocks into metamorphic rocks can take millions of years, and can be turned into marble. On the contact with the air, magma cools and solidifies, creating ingenious rocks. Over time erosion from air and water causes rocks to crumble; when particles combine with plant and animal remains they fall to the ocean floor and create different layers of the Earth. When under pressure, lowest layers are compacted and form sedimentary rocks.
Soil makes up the solid part of Earth's crust which originates from the parent rock. Wind, frost, and water wear down rock over time, creating litho soil. When decomposed materials combined with rock fragments, it creates soil. On average it takes 200 years to form one layer of soil 1 cm thick, this is only one of many reasons why we should value and protect our soil. Soil develops in thick layers that lay partially parallel to the Earth called a horizon and is distinguished by color, texture, and composition. Soil serves many purposes: to absorb, filter and store water. Soil contains water, air, and micro and macro organisms that create nutrients for plant life, etcetera.
There are two types of weathering, chemical and mechanical. Mechanical weathering breakdown of rocks and minerals by physical agents such as frost, wind, and tree roots, with no chemical alteration. Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock by chemical mechanisms, the most important ones being hydrolysis, oxidization, carbon dioxide and acid precipitation.
The Appalachian Mountains are some of the Earths oldest mountains, and they may not be as tall as they used to be due to weathering, they are still one of Earth's many wonders. These mountains formed when the Euramerica continent smashed into Gondwanaland; that pushed up the land to make the Appalachian mountains.
Factors that affect our lithosphere include mining, urbanization, agriculture, deforestation, shoreline stabilization, and overgrazing. All of those factors include an increase in population, removal, and lack of natural resources including, trees, minerals, soil, metals, plants and shorelines.
Citations:
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