"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Earth/Climate science
Geologic Provinces
12/15/24
“How can we group areas with similar geological properties?”
An area’s geology is one of its most important features. Areas with similar geological properties are grouped into Geological Provinces. Geological provinces are typically bordered by geological features.
The Lower Mantle
12/11/24
“What’s special about the Earth’s lower mantle?”
The Earth’s mantle is a marvel to behold. Connecting the crust and the core, it’s a transition that makes up most of the planet’s volume. Over half of the Earth’s total volume is located in what’s called the Lower Mantle, where temperatures can reach up to 2600 kelvin and pressure 127 gigapascals.
Image credit: wikimedia.org
The Upper Mantle
12/10/24
“What is special about the upper part of the mantle?”
The Earth is a humungous structure. Not only is it divided into multiple layers, but each layers are divided into layers itself. The mantle has an upper part called The Upper Mantle which acts as a transition zone from the crust to the lower mantle. The temperature can range from 227 °C at the upper boundary to 3,930 °C at the lower.
Image credit: Adobe Stock
Earth’s Mantle
12/09/24
“What is the part of the planet between the core and the crust?”
When people think of the Earth, people typically imagine the outer mantle or the inner mantle. But what’s between these features? Well, that’s made up of the Earth’s Mantle. The Earth’s mantle is made primarily up of solid rock and contains over 80 percent of the planet’s volume.
Earth’s Crust
12/08/24
“What is the top surface of the Earth?”
The lithosphere is the top layer of the Earth. The top portion of this is called The Earth’s Crust. The crust of the Earth is less than one percent of the volume of the Earth but contains 100 percent of its life.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
12/07/24
“How can heat pumps use the ground as a heat source?”
Heat pumps take heat from one place and transfer it to another. Typically, underground layers in the Earth are much more mild compared with the Earth’s surface. This means that heat can be transferred from the ground to a building on a cold day and vice versa on a hot day. This is how Ground Source Heat Pumps work.
Extrusive Rocks
12/05/24
“What happens when lava cools in rocks?”
Lava is a powerful, hot, liquid substance. When it comes to the Earth’s surface and cools, it can solidify into rock. This becomes a type of igneous rock called Extrusive Rocks. Extrusive rocks have large crystalline structure sizes that can be seen by normal human sight and a lack of flow texture. Extrusive rocks have small, even microscopic crystal sizes because of the quick cooling. Examples of extrusive rocks include basalt and obsidian.
Image credit: http://www.britannica.com
Igneous Rocks
12/03/24
“What rocks are formed when molten rock cools and solidifies?”
Rocks are formed through all sorts of manners. Some rocks form when magma or lava cools and solidifies. These Igneous Rocks form one of the three main rock types along sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
Boulders
12/02/24
“What are rock fragments greater or equal to 25.6 cm?”
Rock fragments come in all shapes and sizes. Rock fragments that are greater or equal to 25.6 cm are classified as Boulders.
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