Resources
There are many different types of resources. There are both renewable and non-renewable resources (to be explained later) Examples of resources are coal, oil, lumber, natural gas, fishing, farming etc. These resources are used for anything from energy to transportation.

The Rock Cycle

Igneous Rock: rock formed by the cooling of magma or lava. Magma that erupts out of a volcano is called lava. When lava cools and hardens on the earth's surface it is called volcanic igneous rock. If magma cools and hardens under the earth's surface it is called plutonic igneous rock (extrusive and intrusive).
Examples: Granite, obsidian, pumice, and basalt.
Characteristics: Gas bubbles can possibly look like swiss cheese (basalt). Glassy surface, shiny and smooth (obsidian).

Metamorphic Rock: just as cookie dough changes as it is baked, rock changes as it's heated, squeezed or both. Rocks deep within the earth are put through intense heat and pressure. In time, these forces change sedimentary or igneous rock into a type of rock that is known as metamorphic rock.
Examples: Marble, slate, gneiss, quartzite, and schist.
Characteristics: Ribbonlike layers, straight or wavy stripes (gneiss and marble).

Sedimentary Rock: wind, water, chemical reactions and ice cause erosion, breaking off pieces of rock and carrying them from one place to another. Gradually these pieces along with sand, pebbles, shells and plant mutterer deposited in layers on the bottoms of lakes, seas, and oceans. Over a long period of time, and under immense pressure caused from the weight of the sediment, these particles are compressed and formed into sedimentary rock. Sedimentary rock is the most common type of rock found the the earth's surface.
Examples: Shale, dolomite, sandstone, limestone, and conglomerate
Characteristics: Sand or pebbles. Individual stones and pebbles (conglomerate). Fossils, imprints of ancient life (limestone).

Tectonic Plates/ Plate Tectonics
The earth's crust is a thin cool layer of magma on the outside of the earth like an egg shell. Under the earth's crust there is molten rock (mantle). Scientists believe that the crust is made of tectonic plates. Tectonic plates are pieces of molten metal floating on the earth's mantel. These plates are constantly moving because of the slow circular movement of the molten lava under the crust. These plates are what are held responsible for a variety of past and present events and natural disasters. This is because if the plates have sudden movements it will amplify until the earth's surface causing the land to shake and can cause a massive amount of damage.
The Continental Drift
The continental drift is a theory that the tectonic plates are constantly moving causing the land/continents to slowly move as well. This was the cause of what scientists call Pangea. Pangea was a "supercontinent" that existed around 180-200 million years ago. Pangea means "all lands" or "all earth". This theory was created by Alfred Wegener in the early-mid 1900s. There were many pieces of evidence that have been found that support this theory. These include the matching nightgowns of Africa and South America, identical fossils and rock formations found on continents separated by oceans that the fossilized animals did not have the ability to cross. There were also fossilized remains of tropical plants and animals found in Antarctica where they would never had been able to survive.

	Created by tessa.piccolo7 over 8 years ago

Accademic Geography Note on Geography Exam Notes , created by tessa.piccolo7 on 12/15/2015.

Geography Exam Notes