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1-2 Assignment: Minerals, Rocks, the Rock Cycle, and Soils Laura Spradley Southern New Hampshire University PHY103: Earth System Science Lynda Folts October 30, 2022

Any naturally occurring inorganic material with an ordered crystalline structure and a certain chemical makeup that permits some variation is referred to as a mineral (Lutgens, F. K., Tarbuck, E. J., & Tasa, 2017). So, in essence, what this means is that inorganic material is something that naturally forms on the earth without human intervention and is not derived from living life. Another example of a mineral is a substance that, while it is liquid, takes the shape of water but, in its natural condition, is a liquid that solidifies when it is frozen. Water can be categorized as a solid crystalline substance since it solidifies when it freezes, but only then. Since it lacks structure while it is in its liquid or vapor form, water cannot be categorized as a solid (Lutgens, F. K., Tarbuck, E. J., & Tasa, 2017). Minerals have two different categories of physical characteristics. Luster and "The Capability to Transmit Light" are them. Luster is defined as "the look of quality of light reflected

I'll move on to discussing sedimentary rocks now. Along with igneous and metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks are one of the three primary categories of rocks. They are created by the pressure of sediments from the ocean or other activities on or near the Earth's surface. According to Sedimentary Rocks | National Geographic Society, n.d., "erosion, weathering, dissolution, precipitation, and lithification" are the most significant geological processes that create sedimentary rocks. All rocks are somehow involved in the "Rock Cycle," a cycle of creation, modification, and destruction. The rock cycle starts out as molten rock that travels in two directions: underneath as magma and above the surface as lava. As the molten rock continues to cool and solidify, it becomes the form of "Igneous" rock. From then, the original rock starts to disintegrate into smaller pieces due to exposure to the elements, such as weather in the form of acid rain for

instance, and erosional pressures. These smaller rock fragments are categorized as "Sediment," after which they are moved from their original location to another by rivers, streams, wind, and glaciers. After being buried, sediments can then harden to form sedimentary rock. After being extensively buried and exposed to pressure and heat, this can eventually transform its structure into a new type of rock known as "Metamorphic Rock." Finally, the metamorphic rock can then be heated to the point where it transforms into magma. "Soil is a natural body made up of solids made up of organic matter, minerals, liquid, and gases that occurs on the surface and is distinguished by one or both of the following: horizons, or layers, that are distinguishable from the initial material as a result of additions, losses, and transformations of energy and matter, or the ability to support rooted plants in a natural environment" (What is Soil? (n.d.). USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Soils, 2021).