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lab4 - sturdy earth For instance some species of animals...

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Mark Dee Professor David J. Young Lab 4 Date: February 14th 2011 4) a) Matter from the rock cycle enters the atmosphere through a variety of ways. Volcanic eruptions and impacts from space are the primary ways, as when volcanic eruptions occur, ash and cinder, along with gases are released into the atmosphere. Meteorites can slam into the earth, and powerful impact events can release massive amounts of rock into the surrounding area, and cause catastrophic events. b) The hydrosphere molds rock through erosion, precipitation, and transportation. In the hydrosphere, sediment can be carried and taken far away from original sites, compacted and cemented (lithification). Oceans also serve as wide “caskets”, whereby sediment is allowed to seal layer after layer over itself. Precipitation of salt crystals can also occur, as well as strong storms and weathering patterns that can erode away old rock, in favor of new. c) Exchange with the biosphere happens through animals, and plant life, many of which rely on the
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Unformatted text preview: sturdy earth. For instance, some species of animals will eat rocks (geophagy) as a way to aid in digestion. These rocks eventually leave the system, and are pocketed back into the earth’s cycle. Plants use the earth as a way to ground themselves, and often, these plants and animals are fossilized within the earth’s sedimentary layers. Fossilization takes time, however, and many are left chipped and fragmented from other earth processes. This lab detailed three things: how to determine rock “species”, defining properties of rocks, and classifying rocks. It was also indicated common markers for certain types of rocks, such as “dense, hard, glassy” being of igneous rock type. Or, “folded texture” for metamorphic rocks. This lab experience also highlighted the necessity of deeper, more inclusive geologic factors, looking beyond the Moh’s hardness scale and color....
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