GEOL 1100 Chapter 1: Chapter 1.docx
Document Summary
Igneous rocks cooling and solidification of molten rock and magma (granite and basalt: sedimentary rocks accumulate in layers at earth"s surface; sediment derived from weathering of pre existing rocks, metamorphic rocks formed by changing preexisting igneous, sedimentary or other metamorphic rocks by the driving force of heat and pressure. The internal structure: crust, continental crust (20 70 km) composed of many rock types; upper crust contains mostly granodiorite, oceanic crust (61 km) composed of basalt, mantle (more than 82% of volume): solid, rocky shell about 2900 km, upper a. lithosphere most of earth"s cool outer shell, rigid and strong, asthenosphere weak sphere, independent from lithosphere in movement transition zone sudden increase in density c, merasphere magnetic field. 2. lower increases pressure, causes gradual mantle strengthening: earth"s core, outer core liquid layer ; a metallic iron moves here to generate, deep ocean basins, abyssal plains flat features, deep ocean trenches deep, narrow depressions, seamons submerged volcanic structures.
