Earth’s Crust, Minerals, Rocks, and Elements
Earth’s Crust
The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth. Principal relief features include:
- Continental Shelf: Prolongation of the continent under the ocean.
- Abyssal Plain: Flat surface located about 6,000-12,000 meters deep, forming most of the ocean floor.
- Continental Slope: Slope between the continental shelf and the deep sea-bottom.
- Ocean Trenches: Deep depressions over 10,000 meters, associated with edges of continents and archipelagos.
- Seamounts: Underwater mountains.
- Oceanic Ridges: Large mountain
Key Climate and Ocean Terms Defined
Cell Connect
A closed set of backward and side wind movements.
Ocean Currents
Movements are continuous, and water bodies are the main mechanism of heat transport, more effective than the atmosphere.
Surface Currents
The main ocean currents that run through the central zones of the oceans largely follow the pattern of anticyclonic winds, moving west and then east along the trade winds, carrying clouds and rainfall. Upon reaching the west (East Coast), they return to their origin; this is called the West
Read MoreKey Definitions: Soil and Natural Resources
Farming (Sustainable Agriculture)
Agricultural production prioritizing soil and water conservation and minimizing negative environmental impacts. This is achieved by using organic fertilizers, avoiding chemical pesticides and aggressive plowing techniques, using genetically diverse and non-transgenic varieties, and rotating crops.
Desertification
While some authors use ‘desertification’ to describe the natural process of soil degradation and erosion leading to desert conditions, others apply the term
Read MoreEarth’s Surface Processes: Weathering, Soil, Erosion, Transport
Geological Processes
Weathering
Transformation of rock by the action of weather and living organisms.
Physical Weathering
Transformations that alter the physical structure of rock (e.g., temperature contrasts) without changing its chemical composition.
- Cryoclasty (Frost Wedging): Breaking by ice.
- Haloclasty (Salt Wedging): Breaking by salts.
- Thermoclasty: Breaking by temperature changes.
- Bioclasty: Breaking by living organisms.
Chemical Weathering
Chemical reactions within the rock that transform minerals
Read MoreSedimentary Rocks and External Geodynamics Hazards
Sedimentary Rock Characteristics
- Stratification is characteristic of sedimentary rocks, which are often found in overlapping horizontal layers called strata, limited by a roof and wall. The distance between the ceiling and the wall is the power.
- The structure is the geometric arrangement of the components of a sediment or sedimentary rock.
- Texture is the internal order of the rocks as to disposition, shape, and relative size of its components. It may be clastic, consisting of bits of minerals or rocks,
Industrial Production: Elements, Energy, Regions
Goods Production
Elaborated products are not consumed directly; they are intermediate products that serve as feedstock for other industries. Heavy industry is characterized by handling huge amounts of product. Heavy industry requires large facilities, large amounts of manpower, and significant capital investment.
Light Industry
These industries produce goods for the market and consumers, such as footwear. Often called light industries because facilities are usually smaller and require less labor and
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