Duurzame ontwikkeling
H14: Geology and nonrenewable mineral resources
14.1 What are the earth’s major geological processes and hazards?
Concept 14-1 Dynamic processes move matter within the earth and on its surface, and can
cause volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, erosion, and landslides.
Geology is science devoted to the study of dynamic processes taking place on the earth’s
surface and in its interior. Its interior is separated into three major concentric zones:
The core:
o the earth’s innermost zone
o extremely hot
o solid inner part, surrounded by a liquid core of molten or semisolid material
The mantle:
o Surrounding the core
o Most of it is solid rock
o Asthenosphere: a zoned of hot partly melted rock that flows an can be
deformed like soft plastic
The crust:
o Outermost and thinnest zone
o Consists of:
- Continental crust which underlies the continents
- Oceanic crust which underlies the ocean (71%)
Lithosphere is the combination of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the
mantle (above the asthenosphere)
The earth’s crust isn’t static. Convection cells or currents move large volumes of rock and
heat in loops within the mantle. Lithosphere broke up into a dozen rigid plates: tectonic
plates.
As the tectonic plates move (very slow) continents split apart and join together. They can
also cause:
Mountains to form
Earthquakes to shake
Volcanoes to erupt
Subduction – when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the continental plate
rides up over the oceanic plate. subduction zone
Over time the sub ducted plate melts and the rises again toward the earth’s surface as
molten rock – magma
Oceanic ridges – oceanic plates move apart from one another magma flows up through
the cracks
A trench is begin formed when two oceanic plates collide
When two continental plates collide, they push up mountain ranges
H14: Geology and nonrenewable mineral resources
14.1 What are the earth’s major geological processes and hazards?
Concept 14-1 Dynamic processes move matter within the earth and on its surface, and can
cause volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, erosion, and landslides.
Geology is science devoted to the study of dynamic processes taking place on the earth’s
surface and in its interior. Its interior is separated into three major concentric zones:
The core:
o the earth’s innermost zone
o extremely hot
o solid inner part, surrounded by a liquid core of molten or semisolid material
The mantle:
o Surrounding the core
o Most of it is solid rock
o Asthenosphere: a zoned of hot partly melted rock that flows an can be
deformed like soft plastic
The crust:
o Outermost and thinnest zone
o Consists of:
- Continental crust which underlies the continents
- Oceanic crust which underlies the ocean (71%)
Lithosphere is the combination of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the
mantle (above the asthenosphere)
The earth’s crust isn’t static. Convection cells or currents move large volumes of rock and
heat in loops within the mantle. Lithosphere broke up into a dozen rigid plates: tectonic
plates.
As the tectonic plates move (very slow) continents split apart and join together. They can
also cause:
Mountains to form
Earthquakes to shake
Volcanoes to erupt
Subduction – when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the continental plate
rides up over the oceanic plate. subduction zone
Over time the sub ducted plate melts and the rises again toward the earth’s surface as
molten rock – magma
Oceanic ridges – oceanic plates move apart from one another magma flows up through
the cracks
A trench is begin formed when two oceanic plates collide
When two continental plates collide, they push up mountain ranges
