Physical geography notes
5 september: Introduction + Rocks and Mountains
Rocks and mountains:
Exogenous rock cycle:
- Tectonics
- Weathering
- Erosion
- Sedimentation
European mountain landscapes:
- Baltic shield
- Caledonian orogeny (gebergtevorming)
- Hercynian orogeny
- European alps
Core:
Inner core = solid
outer core = liquid
Mantle:
Asthenosphere = rigid
transition zone
Lower mantle = semi rigid
Crust:
5-10 km = oceans crust in the ocean is the newest therefore its the thinnest
30-70 km = continents
Hypothesis plate tectonics:
- Continental geometry and continental drift
- Palaeoclimatology
- Palaeontology
- Geological structures
Oceanic plate is younger than continental plate, because its crunching apart. Oceanic plate
is denser than continental plate, when stuff is new it hasn’t had enough time to fall apart a
bit.
Divergence: plates move away from each other. Occurs in mid-ocean ridges for example in
Iceland, or in rift valleys in east Africa. Effect = light earthquakes (because there is not so
much pressure building up) and calm volcanism
, - From rift valleys to oceans, slow expansion of wide valleys and water fills it up.
Convergence: plates move towards each other
- Continental vs continental (Alps, himalaya), same density so they will crumble up,
folded structures, no volcanism, earthquake
- Oceanic vs continental (Andes, Japan and Indonesia), subduction zones, trenches,
heavy earthquakes, because they don’t have the same density, and volcanism
because rocks melt because oceanic plate goes under continental plate.
- Oceanic vs oceanic (Antilles), volcanic island arcs
Transform: plates slide along each other, Transform faults: huge friction between
lithospheric plates, pressure is released jerkily, results is only earthquakes
Rock cycle:
Exogenous part: part of cycle that takes part on top of the earth surface
- Weathering = physical decomposition/ chemical change, once rocks come up to the
surface they start breaking up, frost shattering, gaps in rocks fill with water and that
freezes and gaps become bigger. Chemical weathering, decomposition of rock by
changing chemical composition. Biological weathering, threes growing in stones
through the small gaps
- Erosion = removal of material by gravity/friction (water, wind or ice). In the wind part,
its the material that the wind carries that creates erosion
- Transport by agents = water, wind and ice
- Sedimentation/deposition, sedimentary rocks can be clastic, chemical and biological
sediments
Indenogous part: part of cycle that takes part in the earth
6 september: Global Geology and Natural Resources
,Precambrian shields:
Caledonian highlands: (scandinavian highlands, scottish highlands, wales/cambrians)
Hercynian middle mountains: (central europe, massif central, adrennes)
, Alpine: (high mountains, pyrenees, apennijnen, alps)
Natural resources in Netherlands:
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Oil (dead rests of plankton and plants are left behind, and accumulate, because of
heat and pressure this converts into oil)
- Salt
- Wind
- Limestone (kalksteen)
- Sand
- Clay
- Peat (turf)
- Water
5 september: Introduction + Rocks and Mountains
Rocks and mountains:
Exogenous rock cycle:
- Tectonics
- Weathering
- Erosion
- Sedimentation
European mountain landscapes:
- Baltic shield
- Caledonian orogeny (gebergtevorming)
- Hercynian orogeny
- European alps
Core:
Inner core = solid
outer core = liquid
Mantle:
Asthenosphere = rigid
transition zone
Lower mantle = semi rigid
Crust:
5-10 km = oceans crust in the ocean is the newest therefore its the thinnest
30-70 km = continents
Hypothesis plate tectonics:
- Continental geometry and continental drift
- Palaeoclimatology
- Palaeontology
- Geological structures
Oceanic plate is younger than continental plate, because its crunching apart. Oceanic plate
is denser than continental plate, when stuff is new it hasn’t had enough time to fall apart a
bit.
Divergence: plates move away from each other. Occurs in mid-ocean ridges for example in
Iceland, or in rift valleys in east Africa. Effect = light earthquakes (because there is not so
much pressure building up) and calm volcanism
, - From rift valleys to oceans, slow expansion of wide valleys and water fills it up.
Convergence: plates move towards each other
- Continental vs continental (Alps, himalaya), same density so they will crumble up,
folded structures, no volcanism, earthquake
- Oceanic vs continental (Andes, Japan and Indonesia), subduction zones, trenches,
heavy earthquakes, because they don’t have the same density, and volcanism
because rocks melt because oceanic plate goes under continental plate.
- Oceanic vs oceanic (Antilles), volcanic island arcs
Transform: plates slide along each other, Transform faults: huge friction between
lithospheric plates, pressure is released jerkily, results is only earthquakes
Rock cycle:
Exogenous part: part of cycle that takes part on top of the earth surface
- Weathering = physical decomposition/ chemical change, once rocks come up to the
surface they start breaking up, frost shattering, gaps in rocks fill with water and that
freezes and gaps become bigger. Chemical weathering, decomposition of rock by
changing chemical composition. Biological weathering, threes growing in stones
through the small gaps
- Erosion = removal of material by gravity/friction (water, wind or ice). In the wind part,
its the material that the wind carries that creates erosion
- Transport by agents = water, wind and ice
- Sedimentation/deposition, sedimentary rocks can be clastic, chemical and biological
sediments
Indenogous part: part of cycle that takes part in the earth
6 september: Global Geology and Natural Resources
,Precambrian shields:
Caledonian highlands: (scandinavian highlands, scottish highlands, wales/cambrians)
Hercynian middle mountains: (central europe, massif central, adrennes)
, Alpine: (high mountains, pyrenees, apennijnen, alps)
Natural resources in Netherlands:
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Oil (dead rests of plankton and plants are left behind, and accumulate, because of
heat and pressure this converts into oil)
- Salt
- Wind
- Limestone (kalksteen)
- Sand
- Clay
- Peat (turf)
- Water
