...Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word "Igneus" meaning of fire, from "Ignis" meaning fire) is one of the three main rock types (the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock). Igneous rock is formed by magma (molten rock) cooling and becoming solid. Igneous rock may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. This magma can be derived from partial melts of pre-existing rocks in either a planet's mantle or crust. Typically, the melting is caused by one or more of three processes: an increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition. Over 700 types of igneous rocks have been described, most of them having formed...
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...the asthenosphere, the weaker, hotter, and deeper part of the upper mantle. The boundary between the lithosphere and the underlying asthenosphere is defined by a difference in response to stress: the lithosphere remains rigid for very long periods of geologic time in which it deforms elastically and through brittle failure, while the asthenosphere deforms viscously and accommodates strain through plastic deformation. The lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates. The uppermost part of the lithosphere that chemically reacts to the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere through the soil forming processis called the pedosphere. The concept of the lithosphere as Earth’s strong outer layer was developed by Joseph Barrell, who wrote a series of papers introducing the concept.[2][3][4][5] The concept was based on the presence of significant gravity anomalies over continental crust, from which he inferred that there must exist a strong upper layer (which he called the lithosphere) above a weaker layer which could flow (which he called the asthenosphere). These ideas were expanded by Harvard geologist Reginald Aldworth Daly in 1940 with his seminal work "Strength and Structure of the...
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...1. There are two types of weathering. The first is mechanical weathering, the gradual breakdown of rock to sand, and then to silt, or powdered rock, and finally to clay through physical means. Mechanical weathering occurs in a variety of ways. For example, Heat and cold may cause minerals within a rock to expand and shrink at different rates, creating cracks. Water may seep into those cracks and freeze, expanding and splitting the rock. A raging river or ocean waves can smash rocks against each other, wearing the outsides smooth and turning rocks into sand. Or sand carried by the wind can act like sandpaper, slowly wearing rock away. A Glacier can rub debris against the rock beneath it, also acting like sandpaper. Even plants can force rocks to split as roots creep into cracks and grow. The second type of weathering is chemical Weathering, the breakup of rock caused by a change in its chemical makeup. Rain is the most common producer of chemicals that can weather rock. For example, Rain absorbs carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide from the atmosphere, forming carbonic acid and sulfuric acid, two liquids capable of dissolving other materials. The levels of carbonic and sulfuric acids in rain, while generally weak, can over time dissolve rock such as limestone, freeing other types of rock. Over very long periods, rain can even dissolve enough limestone to create caves and unusual rock formations. 2. Leo Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, soccer player Lionel Messi...
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...Plumes: A Geological Controversy, Gillian R. Foulger explores the debate and evidence found by scientists surrounding “hotspots.” Scientists have found that many hotspot tracks originate from a large igneous province. Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are defined by the Encyclopedia of Geology as “massive crustal emplacements of predominantly iron- and magnesium-rich (mafic) rock that form by processes other than normal seafloor spreading; they are the dominant form of near-surface magmatism on the terrestrial planets and moons of our solar system” (p. 316). Hotspots that reach the earth’s surface may have three distinct origins as discussed by Courtillot et. al (2003). Between the boundary of the lower mantle and core is the deepest approximately 15-20% show features such as the presence of a linear chain of seamounts with an age progression, large igneous provinces (LIPs) at the origin of the hotspot track, the He3 to He4 ratio are consistent with deep origin. Pitcairn, Samoan and Tahitian hotspots all seem to occur at the top of large, transient, hot lava domes or superswells in the mantle. The rest seem to be of upper mantle origins and may be caused by breaking of plates when they...
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...GLG 101 - Week 6 Assignment: Metamorphic Rocks Lab PART 2/2 (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 108–116 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendixes K & L Identify and classify the rock examples in Appendix K. Answer the Appendix L questions from your lab book. Write your responses in Appendix K. Complete All of Appendix K & L. Post completed Appendix K & L in the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment Deserts Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 265–276 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix M Answer the Appendix M questions from your lab book. Write your responses in Appendix M. Complete ALL of Appendix M. Post completed Appendix M to the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment: Earthquake Technology Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 156–170 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix F Answer the questions listed in Appendix F from the lab book. Write your responses in Appendix F. Complete ALL of Appendix F. Post the completed Appendix F in the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment Groundwater Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resource: pp. 213–227 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix N. Answer the Appendix N questions from...
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...| Rocks of Connecticut | [Type the document subtitle] | | Raury Duffy | 4/27/2011 | [Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.] | I’ve lived in Connecticut my whole life and until now I was unaware of its geological history. Admiring the landscape of the state has always been one of my great pleasures. When I traveled around the country I would compare the natural wonders of each state to my own. Besides the rocky mountains in Colorado and the white mountains of New Hampshire few places match Connecticut’s regal terrain. Growing up in Bristol I would hike up to Pinnacle Mountain in Plainville, my friends and I would stand in awe of the magnificent rock structures. In the summer I would go on vacation to Old Lyme, it was there I fell in love with the earth’s most beautiful contrasts, the ocean meeting the rock and vice a versa. But until now I never educated myself on how all this magnificence came about. In this paper I will chronologically describe the eras and events that formed Connecticut’s geologic history. The oldest rocks provide a window through time telling a story of continental collisions so powerful that they raised mountains thousands of feet high. Others reveal evidence of a slow but constant attack from the elements that wore down those same majestic...
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... Page Aim of Study………………………………………… Location of Study …………………………………… Method of Data Collection…………………………... Presentation and Explanation of Data……………….. Analysis and Discussion of Data…………………….. Conclusion…………………………………………… Bibliography…………………………………………. Aim of Study The aims of the study were to: * Describe the main coastal erosion and depositional landforms produced by wave action or processes at Peyton’s Cove, Don Christopher Cove, Blowing Point along the coastline of Robin’s Bay in St. Mary, Jamaica * To study the effects of constructive and destructive wave processes on coastal landforms development * To determine the influence of the local rock and structure on the development of coastal landforms Location of the Study of Area Method of Data Collection On Tuesday May 12, 2015 between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Four studies were conducted at specific areas. The study was conducted at Robin’s Bay, St. Mary, Jamaica. A number of data was collected at each location. The data was obtained in various ways, such as: taking of pictures, record sheets and...
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...general name for a group of magnesium rich hydrous sheet silicates possessing similar structure and chemical composition. Many green rocks owe their color to chlorite and chlorite owes its name to its green color. The Greek word choros, meaning “green,” is the origin of chlorite’s name. Consisting of negatively charged mica-like (2:1) layers regularly alternating with positively charged brucite-like (octahedral) sheets, the basic structure of chlorites allows for various compositions(Grim,1962). Members are differentiated by substitutions within the octahedral layer and the tetrahedral or octahedral positions of the mica-like layer. The arrangement of hydroxide and 2:1 sheets stacked in the z-direction defines the polytype of chlorite. There are theoretically six possible layer interlayer assemblages in either semi-random or regular "one-layer" polytypes. Of these six polytypes, four have been observed in nature (Partice De Caritat ect. 1993): clinochlore (Mg,Fe2+)5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8, chamosite (Fe2+,Mg)5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8, nimite (Ni,Mg,Al)6((Si,Al)4O10)(OH)8, and pennanite Mn52+Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8. Provenance Chlorite is widespread throughout the world, often found in low- to medium-grade regional metamorphic rocks and as a secondary mineral to mafic silicates in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. It is an occasional constituent of igneous rocks, in most cases probably forming secondarily by deuteric or hydrothermal alteration of primary ferromagnesian minerals, such as mica...
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...subduction zone? al Ⅲ What two types of plate boundaries exist in northern California today? th Ⅲ What are terranes, how do they originate, and why are they important in northern California? Northern California.2 The Sierra Nevada: California’s Geologic alifornia’s Ge Backbone Ⅲ What is the Sierra Nevada batholith? rra batholi Ⅲ What kinds of rocks surround the Sierra Nevada batholith? ra Ⅲ When and how was the modern Sierra Nevada uplifted? e Ⅲ What types of gold deposits occur in the Sierra Nevada? e? Ⅲ What is the Mother Lode? Northern California.3 The Klamath M Mountains t ath an Ne evada Ⅲ In what ways are the Klamath Mountains and the Sierra Nevada similar? ds ro o ath M Ⅲ What kinds of rocks comprise the ophiolites in the Klamath Mountains and what tectonic events do they signify? ineral occu th ntai Ⅲ What mineral resources occur in the Klamath Mountains? Northern California.4 The Gr Ca rnia e Great Valley fa s th i he Valle Ⅲ What factors have led to the formation of fertile soils in the Great Valley? at t ime y Grea Seq Ⅲ What was the origin of the sedimentary rocks in the Great Valley Sequence? ori l p duced Gr Ⅲ What is the origin of the natural gas produced in the Great Valley? y Gre chron ooding Ⅲ Why is the Great Valley so prone to...
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...crust using geophysical methods such as gravity and magnetic surveys. Mining geologists also use geophysics to search new mineral deposits. In areas such as the Nevada Great Basin, geoscientists rely more on geophysical images than on geologic maps. The Great Basin area holds one of the biggest mineral concentrations in the world. Economically, gold is the most prominent commodity. The most important gold deposits are hosted by carbonate rocks, called the Carlin-type and Carlin-like gold deposits. Carlin-type and Carlin-like gold deposits are unique geologically, are abundant in Nevada, and are hardly found elsewhere. Although much research has been done, a lot of the geology is still unclear. This paper discusses how ArcGIS provides a tool for research on mineral resources. Emphasis is on the functionality of ArcGIS to handle multiple data sets and maps as well as data visualization techniques using ArcGIS. Great Basin Geology Figure 1 shows the distribution of known gold deposits combined with topography, young geologic rocks, and county lines. Data sets were downloaded and compiled from several United States Geological Survey (USGS) Web sites (e.g., Raines et al., 1996). Data processing was done using ArcGIS 8.3 and its 3D Analyst extension. The Great Basin is complicated by its physiography and surface geology. The area is one of the largest Cenozoic continental rift systems in the world. Its topography is characterized by a patchwork of mountain ranges and...
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...Abstract Central Texas contains Precambrian rocks, which were exposed due to the Llano uplift. This paper looks further into the Devil’s Waterhole of Ink’s Lake to get a better understanding of the area. First the geology of the Llano uplift is studied to get a better understanding of how the rocks in the area were formed. The rocks in the area, which consists of Valley Springs Gneiss and Town Mountain Granite, are studied even further to see the composition of each and how each was formed. The Valley Spring Gneiss is split into amphibolite, biotite gneiss, quartz-feldspar gneiss, and quartzite. Each of the five different rock samples were observed and studied in the area to give us a better understanding of their compositions, how they were formed, and what their protoliths are. The Devil’s Waterhole of Ink’s lake is the area of focus in studying Precambrian rock. Throughout the Ink’s Lake region we will take focus on the Precambrian metamorphic rock that was exposed due to the Llano uplift. The Llano uplift contains some of the oldest rocks in North America and is exposed in Ink’s Lake, Texas. This is exposed due to the oceanic-continent collision, which drove the Llano uplift upward. After the weathering away of the younger rock on top, the currently exposed metamorphic rock is more easily observed. Following the Llano uplift exposure, there was an intrusion of the Town Mountain Granite, which we will also look further into. We also observe the areas reactions such as...
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...is layered in spherical shells, like an onion. These layers can be defined by either their chemical or their rheological properties. Earth has an outer silicate solid crust, a highly viscous mantle, a liquid outer core that is much less viscous than the mantle, and a solid inner core. Scientific understanding of Earth's internal structure is based on observations of topography and bathymetry, observations of rock in outcrop, samples brought to the surface from greater depths by volcanic activity, analysis of the seismic waves that pass through Earth, measurements of the gravity field of Earth, and experiments with crystalline solids at pressures and temperatures characteristic of Earth's deep interior. ASSUMPTIONS: The force exerted by Earth's gravity can be used to calculate its mass, and by estimating the volume of the Earth, its average density can be calculated. Astronomers can also calculate Earth's mass from its orbit and effects on nearby planetary bodies. Observations of rocks, bodies of water and atmosphere allow estimation of the mass, volume and density of rocks to a certain depth, so the remaining mass must be in the deeper layers. Earth's radial density distribution according to the preliminary reference earth model (PREM). Earth's gravity according to the preliminary reference earth model (PREM). Comparison to approximations using constant and linear density for Earth's interior. Schematic view of the interior of Earth. 1. continental crust – 2. oceanic crust...
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...Unit 9 Assignment 1: Geology of the Area Maryland’s Geology From the Atlantic coast on the east to the Appalachian Plateau on the west, Maryland has a great variety of geology and landforms. Maryland is part of six physiographic provinces (shown in the figure below). A physiographic province is a geographic area in which the geology (including lithology and structure) and climate history have resulted in landforms that are distinctly different from adjacent areas. An overview of the geology by physiographic province is provided below. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province is underlain by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments including gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which overlaps the rocks of the eastern Piedmont along an irregular line of contact known as the Fall Zone. Eastward, this wedge of sediments thickens to more than 8,000 feet at the Atlantic coast line. Beyond this line is the Atlantic Continental Shelf Province, the submerged continuation of the Coastal Plain, which extends eastward for at least another 75 miles where the sediments attain a maximum thickness of about 40,000 feet. The sediments of the Coastal Plain dip eastward at a low angle, generally less than one degree, and range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The younger formations crop out successively to the southeast across Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. A thin layer of Quaternary gravel and sand covers the older formations throughout much of the area. Mineral...
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...Unit 9 Assignment 1: Geology of the Area Maryland’s Geology From the Atlantic coast on the east to the Appalachian Plateau on the west, Maryland has a great variety of geology and landforms. Maryland is part of six physiographic provinces (shown in the figure below). A physiographic province is a geographic area in which the geology (including lithology and structure) and climate history have resulted in landforms that are distinctly different from adjacent areas. An overview of the geology by physiographic province is provided below. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province is underlain by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments including gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which overlaps the rocks of the eastern Piedmont along an irregular line of contact known as the Fall Zone. Eastward, this wedge of sediments thickens to more than 8,000 feet at the Atlantic coast line. Beyond this line is the Atlantic Continental Shelf Province, the submerged continuation of the Coastal Plain, which extends eastward for at least another 75 miles where the sediments attain a maximum thickness of about 40,000 feet. The sediments of the Coastal Plain dip eastward at a low angle, generally less than one degree, and range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The younger formations crop out successively to the southeast across Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. A thin layer of Quaternary gravel and sand covers the older formations throughout much of the area. Mineral...
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...interaction of the rigid lithosphere. Geomorphological hazard – an event causing harm to people or property, caused by Geomorphological processes e.g. plate tectonic movement. Francis Bacon 1620 As far back as 1620, Francis Bacon spotted that the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America looked as if they would fit together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Between then and 1912 other people identified further similarities between other continental coastlines. Robert Mallet 1870s Robert Mallet was a nineteenth century scientist who managed to measure the speed at which earthquakes spread. Alfred Wegner 1911 While at Marburg, in the autumn of 1911, Wegener was browsing in the university library when he came across a scientific paper that listed fossils of identical plants and animals found on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Intrigued by this information, Wegener began to look for, and find, more cases of similar organisms separated by great oceans. Orthodox science at the time explained such cases by postulating that land bridges, now sunken, had once connected far-flung continents. But Wegener noticed the close fit between the coastlines of Africa and South America. Might the similarities among organisms be due, not to land bridges, but to the continents having been joined together at one time? As he later wrote: "A conviction of the fundamental soundness of the idea took root in my mind." Such an insight, to be accepted, would require large amounts of supporting evidence...
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