 How was Earth’s landscaped shaped the way we see it today?

Geology is the study of Earth’s physical structures and the processes that created them. Hills, mountains, valleys, plains, canyons, and other landforms characterize the land we live on. **The study of land can also provide evidence of what it looked like in the past, before human-environment interaction took place.

There are four scientifically identified zones in Earth’s interior, they are: 1. Inner core (temperature and pressure are very high) 2. Outer core (dense liquid metal – iron and nickel) 3. Mantle (the zone with most of Earth’s mass) 4. Crust (up to 25 miles thick)

Liquid rock within the Earth is called magma. When this liquid rock spills out onto Earth’s surface it is called lava. Huge currents carry heat from the Earth’s core to the surface or crust which may erupt from vents called volcanoes.

Plate Tectonics explains how forces within the planet create landforms. The Earth’s crust is divided into slow-moving plates across the upper mantle. The plates move less than an inch per year. This movement is called continental drift. Scientists use the theory of plate tectonics to explain how the continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangea.

Plate Tectonics Around the World

There are three types of plate movement: 1. Plates move apart or spread or DIVERGE (rift valleys or oceanic ridges). 2. Plates can collide or CONVERGE (trench, folds, faults). 3. Plates can move laterally/TRANSFORM, or “slip” past one another. (earthquakes)

Weathering is the process of how rocks break and decay overtime. Rocks break into smaller particles of gravel, sand, and mud called sediment. Erosion is the movement of surface material from one location to another. Water, wind and ice cause erosion.

Let’s check out some real-world examples of internal and external forces of Earth. 1.Read the article “Plate Tectonics: Moving and Shaking” 2.After reading the article, identify each of the places discussed in the article on the accompanying map. 3.Label the locations of each place on the map and create a legend that identifies the type of plate movement. For example, red color is used to identify converging plates. 4.What do the locations these places have in relation to the boundaries of plates found around the world?