1. The Lithosphere
Ch 6, pg

2. Def: The hard shell of the Earth consisting of the crust and the topmost part of the mantle

3. Minerals vs Rocks vs Ores
Inorganic
Pure/Homogeneous
Heterogeneous Blend of Minerals
Rocks that contain valuable minerals and elements
Naturally Occurring
Naturally occurring
Have a distinct composition
Have distinct formation
Made of Identically shaped crystals
Presence of crystals varies
IDed through hardness, colour, density, and streak
Not characteristic
Economically viable to extract though mining (QC has gold, copper, iron etc)

4. Types of Rocks Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic
-Formed from the cooling and solidification of magma
-Different size of crystals depending on how fast and where the magma cooled (above vs below the ground)
-Three categories: Intrusive, Extrusive, Porphyritic
-Layers are pressed down and due to this pressure different rock layers are formed
-Debris accumulates over time
-May contain fossils
-Rocks that have been transformed because of heat and pressure
-Were once igneous or sedimentary rocks

6. Rocks to Soil
Through, wind, water erosion as well as freezing and thawing rocks erode.
Soil is produced; as soil develops, it thickens and forms distinct layers called soil horizons
It takes 200 years to form a layer of soil 1 cm thick!

7. Horizon O:
-Mostly made up of organic matter such as decomposing plants and animals
Horizon A:
-Supports plant life
- Mixture of minerals and organic matter
- This type of soil is known as humus
Horizon B:
-Made of small mineral particles
- Trees with deep roots can absorb these minerals
Horizon C:
- Also called substratum
- Formed by chunks of rock from layer below
- Little or no plant life reach this far
Horizon R:
-Starting point of soil formation
- Huge rocks found here; known as Bedrock

8. Humus
Def: the organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms.

9. Issues with Soil What makes soil fertile (able to support life)
1) Sufficient amount of minerals
2) Sufficient amount of moisture
3) Appropriate pH
pH that is not optimal will limit the absorption of nutrients
A soil’s buffering capacity is its ability to resist pH changes. The finer the texture of the soil the better it will resist pH change.