Earth Materials & Structure

This forum assignment is broken down into two basic parts:

InitialPost (worth 15 points)
A follow-up post to communicate with students and further the discussion (worth 5 points)
I. Complete the following for your initial post (part A only):

A. Locate a rock and/or an area on earth with a specific type of rock (can be any type – igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic). This can be a rock you have in your possession that you’ve always wanted to learn more about, it can be a place you’ve been to or wanted to visit (such as the Sierra Nevada or the white cliffs of Dover), or simply a rock or rock area you found online.

Include, using complete sentences:

The name of the rock sample, its composition (i.e. what minerals is it made out of), and the type of rock it is (i.e. igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary)
Where it is located (i.e. where is it commonly found on earth?)
How it formed
What do we use it for? Or what can it be used for?
Any other interesting, relevant information you find in your research.
An image/picture of your rock sample
B. Extra Credit Opportunity (optional; worth 2 points) – In your own words, describe the rock cycle. What is it? How does it work? Why is it significant? (150 word minimum and be sure to cite any sources used)

As always – be sure to use complete sentences and cite your sources. Remember this is an academic forum, not a Facebook post or text message – proper spelling and punctuation count! Your initial post should be a minimum of 200 words. See the “Initial Post” Rubric below for further grading details.

II. For your follow-up post you must respond to at least one of your classmates initial post (worth 5 points). Provide comments/feedback on what they wrote in their initial post and/or ask questions. Your follow-up post should be thoughtful, through, and aim to generate discussion. You are encouraged to respond to multiple classmates, but the minimum requirement is one. Your follow-up post should be at least 100 words minimum. See the “Follow-Up Post” Rubric below for further grading details.

Links:

http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/earth_materials_structure/title_page.html

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0602/es0602page02.cfm

For the follow up post

Igneous rock

Igneous and metamorphic rocks make up 90–95% of the top 16 km of the Earth’s crust by volume. Igneous rocks form about 15% of the Earth’s current land surface. Most of the Earth’s oceanic crust is made of igneous rock.

igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial melts of 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. Solidification into rock occurs either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks. Igneous rock may form with crystallization to form granular, crystalline rocks, or without crystallization to form natural glasses.

Igneous rocks are classified according to mode of occurrence, texture, mineralogy, chemical composition, and the geometry of the igneous body.

The classification of the many types of different igneous rocks can provide us with important information about the conditions under which they formed. Two important variables used for the classification of igneous rocks are particle size, which largely depends on the cooling history, and the mineral composition of the rock.

Work Cited

“Igneous Rock.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igneous_rock.