GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Movement in the mantle caused by variations in heat from the core, cause the plates to shift, which can cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. These natural hazards then change our landscape, and in some cases, threaten lives and property. Learn more about how the earth is constructed with these classroom resources.

Detailed explanation-2: -The earth has changed a great deal over its long 4.5 billion year history. It has gone from a molten ball of elements to a layered rocky planet. Following the emergence of plants, an atmosphere rich in oxygen, supporting a lush green world, has replaced Earth’s early atmosphere of methane and carbon dioxide.

Detailed explanation-3: -Geological processes are extremely slow. However, because of the immense lengths of time involved, huge physical changes do occur-mountains are created and destroyed, continents form, break up and move over the surface of the Earth, coastlines change and rivers and glaciers erode huge valleys.

Detailed explanation-4: -Wind, water, and ice break down large rocks and move sediments on the surface. It usually takes years for weathering, erosion, and deposition to cause noticeable changes. Some events, though, change Earth’s surface much more quickly. These include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides.

Detailed explanation-5: -Wind, water, and ice erode and shape the land. Volcanic activity and earthquakes alter the landscape in a dramatic and often violent manner. And on a much longer timescale, the movement of earth’s plates slowly reconfigures oceans and continents. Each one of these processes plays a role in the Arctic and Antarctica.