Weathering takes place as rocks are broken down into progressively smaller pieces by the effects of weather. These pieces do not move to a new location, they simply break down, but remain next to one another. A large chunk of bedrock many hundreds of feet long is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces, […]
Mass Wasting The power of gravity on Earth is inescapable. Hold your hand high above your head, and then relax your muscles. What happens? Now, hold a book in the air and release it. Again, what happens? The force of gravity tugs at both your arm and the book, pulling them down towards the center […]
In many locations the hot molten magma from deep within the Earth rises up through the crust to reach the surface. This sometimes happens in the middle of plates. When a hot spot forms in the middle of a plate, it remains constant, as the plate continues to move over it. The result is that […]
Using modern equipment, scientists known as oceanographers have been able to measure and map out the ocean floor. What these scientists have discovered has helped explain how it is that continents are able to move around on the Earth’s crust. Deep beneath the waves at the surface of the ocean located almost exactly halfway […]
Looking at a globe reveals coincidences that are difficult to ignore. The Eastern coast of South America seams to fit perfectly, almost like a puzzle, into the Western coast of Africa. At the same time, North America can be rotated slightly, and made to fit comfortably next to Europe, and Asia. These clues have […]
For many years it was believed by geologists that the location of the continents was fixed. These scientists believed that the locations of the continents was determined many billions of years ago, as the young Earth cooled down from its original state as a ball of molten lava. It was believed that the continents were […]
A landform is any natural formation of rock and dirt, found on Earth. A landform can be as large as a mountain range, or as small as a hill. It can be as large as a continent, or as small as a pond. Geologists study how landforms are created, and how they interact with one […]
How old are you? To you, your lifespan probably seems like a large amount of time. The span of just ten years seems like an eternity. As your grow older, time seems to pass more quickly. Consider your grandparents. How old are they? How long ago where your great-grandparents born? Looking way back into […]
Metamorphic rocks form deep within the Earth, when heat and pressure are applied to either igneous rocks, or sedimentary rocks. This heat, and pressure in essence cooks the rocks, changing their structure substantially. The rocks are partially melted, and the chemicals within them are rearranged, so that the final rock is very different than […]
Over the course of millions of years, the igneous rocks are weathered down by forces of wind and water. Fine particles of dirt begin to cover the landscape. Often, these small rock particles end up being suspended in water, and find their way to the bottom of lakes, streams, and the ocean. Slowly, the layer […]
