The Earths Rocks

Introduction
The earth today looks very different than it did shortly after his million years. Then it was a mass of conglomerate rocks inside melted the entire planet. Over time the crust dried and became parts water accumulated while above the earth's crust, formed a atmosphere. birth, about 4,500 which heated and solid. In the lower layer of gases, the

Water, land and air began to interact quite violent and that in the meantime, the lava flowed in abundance by multiple cracks in the bark, which is enriched and transformed by all this activity. According to scientists, some 15,000 million years there was a huge explosion, the Big Bang. Triggered boosted force field, very dense, in all directions, at a speed close to that of light. Over time, and as they moved away from the center and reduced its speed, mass of the matter were left to form closer later galaxies. We do not know what happened in the place we now occupy during the first 10,000 million years, if there were other suns, other planets, empty space, or simply nothing. Towards the middle of this period, or perhaps earlier, had formed a galaxy. Near the edge of this galaxy, now call the Milky Way, a portion of matter condensed into a dense cloud about 5,000 million years. This happened in many places, but this is especially interesting. Gravitational forces caused most of this mass formed a central sphere and around, were placed much smaller rotating masses. The central mass became a glowing sphere, a star; our sun is too small condensed while in orbits around the Sun, forming the planets and some satellites. Among them, one was just the right distance and the right size to have liquid water and retain a significant gaseous envelope. Naturally, this planet is Earth. After an initial period when the Earth was an incandescent mass , the outer layers began to solidify , but the heat from inside the melted again. Finally , the temperature dropped sufficiently to allow the formation of a stable crust . At first it had no atmosphere , and was receiving many meteorite impacts. Volcanic activity was intense , what motivated you to depart lava masses abroad and increase the thickness of the crust, to cool and solidify . This volcanic activity produced a large amount of gas that ended up forming a layer over the crust . Its composition was very different from now , but it was the first protective layer and allowed the appearance of liquid water. Some authors call " atmosphere I".

In the eruptions from oxygen and hydrogen was generated water vapor, which ascends the condensed atmosphere , giving rise to the first rains. Over time , with the cold crust , the rainwater could maintain liquid in the deepest parts of the crust , forming seas and oceans , in effect, the hydrosphere.

The Earths Structure

The Earth's crust is made up of plates that float on the mantle, a layer of warm and pasty materials sometimes come out a crack forming volcanoes. The density and pressure increase towards the center of the Earth. At the core are the heaviest materials, metals. The heat remains liquid, with strong movements. The inner core is solid. The internal forces of the earth are noticed abroad. Rapid movements causing earthquakes. The slow form folds, such as those created mountains. The rapid rotary motion and the metallic core generate a magnetic field which, together with the atmosphere protects us from harmful radiation from the Sun and other stars.

Layers of the Earth

From outside to inside the Earth can be divided into five parts:

Atmosphere : The indoor air surrounding the solid body of the planet. It has a thickness of
more than 1,100 km, although half of its mass is concentrated in the lowest 5.6 km .

Hydrosphere : oceans is mainly composed of , but in the strict sense includes all water
surfaces in the world , including inland seas , lakes, rivers and groundwater. The average depth of the oceans is 3,794 m, more than five times the average height of the continents .

Lithosphere : Composed especially the crust , extends to 100 km depth . Lithosphere rocks
have an average density of 2.7 times that of water and are composed almost entirely of 11 elements , which together form 99.5% of its mass. The most abundant is oxygen , followed by silicon , aluminum, iron , calcium, sodium , potassium, magnesium , titanium, hydrogen and phosphorous. Furthermore , there are other 11 elements in amounts less than 0.1 carbon, manganese, sulfur , barium, chlorine , chromium, fluorine, zirconium , nickel, strontium and vanadium. The elements are present in the lithosphere almost entirely in the form of compounds rather than in its free state . The lithosphere comprises two layers, the crust and upper mantle, which is divided into a dozen rigid plates. Upper mantle is separated from the crust by a discontinuity seismic discontinuity Mohorovicic, lower mantle, and by a weakness known as astenosfera. The plastic and partially molten rocks of the asthenosphere, 100 km thick, allowing the continents move around the earth's surface and oceans open and close.

Mantle : It extends from the base of the crust to a depth of about 2,900 km. Except in the
area known as the asthenosphere is solid and its density increases with depth, ranging from 3.3 to 6. Upper mantle is composed of iron and magnesium silicates such as olivine and less of a mixture of oxides of magnesium , iron and silicon .

Corel: Has an outer layer about 2,225 km thick with a mean relative density of 10 kg per cubic
meter. This layer is probably rigid , its outer surface has depressions and peaks . By contrast, the inner core , whose radius is about 1,275 km, is solid. Both layers are composed of the iron core with a small percentage of nickel and other elements . The inner core temperatures can reach 6,650 C and its average density is 13 . Your pressure (measured in gigapascal , GPa ) is million times the surface pressure . The inner core continuously intense heat radiating outward through several concentric layers which form the solid portion of the planet. The source of this heat is the energy released by the decay of uranium and other radioactive elements . Convection currents in the mantle move most of the thermal energy from the Earth to the surface.

Rocks in the crust

Different types of rocks can be divided according to their origin, into three major groups:

IGNEOUS: formed from the cooling of molten rock (magma). The magma can cool quickly on
the surface of the Earth by volcanic activity slowly crystallize inside, causing large masses called plutonic rocks. When crystallized in bark crevices filonianas igneous rocks form.

Plutonic rocks are formed when magma solidifies within the Earth. As inside temperatures
are high, the cooling of magma is very slow. Under these conditions the minerals have much time to grow, so that these rocks have relatively large crystals (they look good to the naked eye). As the pressure inside is also very high, minerals grow dense rocks closely together without forming gaps. The granites are the most common plutonic rocks. Are composed of a mixture of mineral quartz, feldspar and mica. The gabbro is another very common plutonic rock, is recognized by the absence of quartz and dark tones.

Volcanic rocks when magmas originate in the earth's surface cooled to low temperatures and pressures. Under these conditions the cooling is very fast so that the crystals have very little time to form and grow. The results are rocks consisting of a mass of small crystals or

amorphous material without crystallizing (glass). To originate from the surface, where the pressure is low, they can purchase a spongy appearance. It is common volcanic rocks classified according to their chemical composition. A rock very common and easily recognized by its dark tones is basalt. The rhyolite, however, presents highlights.

METAMORPHIC: formed from other rocks, without mixing, have been subjected to high
pressures and temperatures and have become. The metamorphic process is performed in the solid state, ie the changes occur without reaching rock melt. Most metamorphic rocks are characterized by a general flattening makes its minerals packed in rows. This feature we call foliation structure looks very good on rocks as slates, schists and gneisses. The slates are metamorphosed clays. They have very straight foliation, parallel and close. They are usually dark and often contain fossils.

The shales are rocks that have undergone intense metamorphism. They present something
deformed foliation and fossils that may be in the original rock disappear during the metamorphic process.

The gneiss is a rock that has undergone intense metamorphism. Its main minerals are quartz,
feldspars and micas (such as granite) but are oriented in light and dark bands.

Other common metamorphic rocks are:

The marble: these carbonate rocks (such as limestone) that have undergone metamorphism
and exhibit a characteristic crystalline appearance.

Quartzite: are metamorphosed quartz-rich sandstones.

Metamorphism can occur in different terrestrial environments, for example at certain depths rocks undergo changes due to the weight of the materials that are above and to the high temperatures. Metamorphism also occurs at the edges of tectonic plates due primarily to large pressures acting and around magmas thanks to the high temperatures prevailing.

SEDIMENTARY: Sedimentary rocks are rocks which are formed by accumulation of sediments
which are particles of various sizes that are carried by the ice, water or air, and subjected to physical and chemical processes (diagenesis ) , give rise to more or less consolidated materials. May be formed on the banks of rivers, deep ravines, valleys, lakes, seas, and at the mouths of rivers. Are arranged in layers or strata. There are external geological processes acting on preexisting rocks and meteorizan, transported and deposited in different places depending on the transport agent (water, wind, ice). Similarly, other animal or vegetable organisms can contribute to the formation of sedimentary rocks ( fossils ) . Sedimentary rocks may be up to a depth of ten kilometers in the crust. These rocks may be present loose or consolidated, namely, which have been bonded to each other by following the sedimentation process, known as diagenesis. Sedimentary rocks cover more than 75 % of the earth's surface, forming a sedimentary cover on a plinth made up of igneous rocks and to a lesser extent, metamorphic . However its total volume is small when compared with mostly igneous rocks, which not only make up the majority of the cortex, but the whole mantle.

Detrital sedimentary rocks are formed from the deposition of other rock pieces after
transport phase. The classification of these rocks is based on the sizes of the pieces that compose them. The pieces consist of large size are conglomerates, sandstones have intermediate sized grains and silt and clay have very small pieces.

Organic and chemical sedimentary rocks are formed from the precipitation of certain
chemical compounds in aqueous solutions or by accumulation of organic substances. One very common type is the limestone, formed largely by the remains of organisms such as corals, algae, etc. but also can be caused by precipitation of calcareous cements. The calcareous tuffs are very porous rocks with abundant plant debris originating from the rivers when calcium carbonate precipitates on vegetation.

Using Rocks Rock are our source of minerals, such as diamond and gold. In fact the word mineral really means anything useful that can be mined from the Earth. Here are some more uses of rocks:

Rock Granite Limestone

Description Very hard sparkling Light colour

Marble Slate

Light colour, Hard smooth Hard, but splits Into flats sheets

Example of use Chippings road stone Building stone Building/facing stone Chippings In cement concrete Facing stone statues Roofing tiles Snooker tables