2. Soil, Rocks and Color Rocks are our world –Third rock from the Sun –Solid mineral deposits Soil is unconsolidated mineral matter –Influenced by decayed matter & environment Color is an important property of rocks & soil

3. c Rocks and Minerals Old rocks, new rocks and rocks of all ages in between –3 billion years to less than 1 million years Continuous process called the rock cycle Three rock types Igneous sedimentary Metamorphic  rock cycle rock cycle  rock types rock types

4. Rocks are composed of one or more minerals –Rock Salt - 1 mineral, halite (NaCl) –Granite - Several minerals including: feldspar, quartz & mica  Rocks Website Rocks Website  Rock Identification Rock Identification

5. Soil is much more than “dirt” Critical to life How much soil is there?

6. Color of Rocks and Soil Early artists used natural pigments from rocks and soil (earth tones) –Mostly from iron oxides –Umber, sienna, ochre Color used in classification to asses –Physical properties –Mineral content –Chemical content Ancient Oil Painting From Pisa

7. Color of Soil Moisture level affects brightness –Typically moist soil is darker; dry is brighter Soil temperature is affected by color –Black soil absorbs more solar radiation Warms up earlier in the spring for germinating seeds On a hot day in summertime, temperature can exceed 50 degrees C

8. Lab Activity We will investigate the possibility of using the ALTA II reflectance spectrometer to distinguish different rocks and soils We will investigate the possibility of using the ALTA II to determine soil moisture content. Activity #1 Activity #2