What on Earth Is Going on Here?

By Veronica Rodriguez, TeacherHolt Crossing Intermediate School

Grove City, Ohio

This Powerpoint presentation was downloaded from Science for Ohio. Click on the icon to visit our site.

What on EARTH is going on here?

• Earth Make-up• Continental Drift• Mechanical &

Chemical Weathering• Erosion & Deposition

Once upon a time 4.6 billion years ago, Earth was born.

4.6 BILLION YEARS AGO!

As Baby Earth cooled, it settled into three layers. The denser, hotter core fell to the middle. Then, the mantle and crust laid down on top, forming the globe-shaped

Earth.

Call the fire department!

The core is burning at 13,000 degrees F!

When Earth got a little older, its crust was covered with one big ocean and one SUPERcontinent! Well, that’s what scientists think Earth looked like.

“I’m Alfred Wegener, and I’m telling you that Pangaea was real!”

Pangaea broke apart and the seven continents started drifting. Since the mantle flows slowly, the continental plates sort of shift around on top. When you look at the continents, don’t they look like puzzle pieces?

Yep, still movin’.

Earth may not be a baby anymore, but it’s still growing, changing, and aging.

Weathering is particularly hard on Earth’s looks. Weathering breaks down the lithosphere with

1. Wind

2. Water

3. Ice

4. Plants

5. Animals

6. and Chemical

Change, like acid rain.

There are two kinds of weathering:

MECHANICAL, which breaks down rocks,

and CHEMICAL, which changes rocks into something new.

Here are some examples of weathering:

Plant roots have grown into the rock, causing some of it to break away.

MECHANICAL OR CHEMICAL WEATHERING?

The exposed iron in this rock has started to oxidize. The iron combines with oxygen in the air to make rust.

MECHANICAL OR CHEMICAL WEATHERING?

Once weathering has occurred, then erosion can take place. Erosion is the process of carrying away weathered rock. The Grand Canyon is an excellent example of what erosion can do!

Deposition is the process of laying weathered rocks down in a new location. Erosion and deposition go together like my favorite school lunch, toasted cheese and tomato soup.

Over billions of years, Earth has changed drastically. Life has evolved, continents have shifted, and the surface has altered. One thing is for sure, Earth will keep on changing!

What do you think Earth will look like in another

4.6 billion years