Earth Science In my personal observation if you truly want to learn about science visit this section. There are so many things to learn in his one section that is hard to explain. I will start off by talking about mineral. Minerals are substances that occur naturally in the earth, are formed by physical (not biological) methods, and have characteristic chemical composition, physical properties and crystalline structures (though not necessarily visible crystals). Classification of Minerals are antimonates, vanadium oxysalts, tungstates amd molybdates, silicates, phosphates, arsenates, and vanadates, sulfosalts, halides, sulfates and chromates sulfides, carbonates, borates, nitrates and iodates. An element is a substance made of only one kind of atom. Among the over one-hundred known elements only about twenty are found not combined with other elements. Rocks are composed of one or more minerals. While a mineral is the same throughout, a rock is a mix, and can vary from part to part. Minerals form a variety of crystals like monoclinic, tetragonal, triclinic, hexagonal, isometric, orthorhombic system. Types of meteorites stony meterorites are made mostly of silicated minerals such as olivine and pyroxene (most common). Stony-iron meteorites are made of about equal amounts of silicate minerals and metal (least common). Iron- metorites are made almost entirely of metal-iron, nickel and cobalt (heavy metal). Meteorites come from out in space. Most meteorite are stony and may look like ordinary rocks at first glance. Meteor-wrongs come from here on earth. Slags, which are waste products from steel-making, are the most common metor-wrongs found around Chicago. Tektites begin in a meteorite’s fiery end. Geological Chronology, Precambrian 4.6 billion years ago, Paleozoic 555 million, Mesozic 245 million, Cenozoic 65 million geological cross section of Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois. Silyrian period began 380millionyearsago—ended 350 million years ago. Bedrock of the Chicago Region Glacial Water in the Chicago Region Globate Distribution of Glacial Moraines around Lake Michigan. Glacial Drift of the Chicago Region. Origin of unconsolidated materials what causes earthquakes when one block of the earth’s crust moves past another block P waves travel the fastest of all earthquake waves S waves (shear waves) follow immediately behind P waves. Igneous Rocks are formed by the cooling and solidification of molten matter, or magma that originates within the earth. Gabbro basalt, granite, double refraction, magnetism, silicates. Mineral Classification what do mica and baklava have in common. Baklava pastry is made from phyllo dough. Mica is a phyllosilicate. Both have many thin, flaky layers. The elements that form silicate minerals make various patterns: islands, small groups, chains, rings, sheets and framework. Mineralogists use these patterns to classify the mineral. Jointing in Stratified Rocks which folding occurs when the convergence of two tectonic plates creates enormous pressure on deeply buried rocks. Faulting normal faults form at divergent plate boundaries as a rock breaks and the upper fault block, or hanging wall, slides down the lower fault block, or footwall, extending the crust. Minerals of metamorphic rocks some of these minerals are diagnostic of metamorphism-other in origin. Deformation of Rocks the earth is not stable. It yields to forces and its crust bends and cracks. Texture of Igneous Rocks is largely determined by the cooling history of parent magmas grained and classy textures coarse, medium pegmatitic, graphic, fine, classy porhyritic and orbicular textures. Earthquakes causes and effects result from crystal movements and volcanic activities.