ARSC/GEOL 2110
Physical Science of the Earth System
Assignments
Fall 2001
| GRADES | LINKS |
Rock & Minerals Lab Report due November 1st.
Resources for this report:
Blue Planet: Ch 1: 12-14, Ch. 2: 35-36, Ch. 4: 87-88, Ch.
6: 114-128 , Ch. 7: 149-152, red lab book rock background material.
Other reading for recent and upcoming material: Ch. 7, Ch 8: 157-160,
162-176.
Turn in:
Questions:
1. What are the defining characteristics of a mineral and of a rock?
2. Why and how is the elemental abundance in the crust different than for the Earth as a whole?
3. What did you decide your mystery rock is, and why? Use your observations as evidence in your explanation.
4. If you had a mystery igneous rock, how would you go about identifying it?
5. Imagine that you have three rocks. All three are felsic in mineral composition but one is granite, one is sandstone, and one is marble. Describe a specific sequence of processes that connects all three rocks, converting one into another in sequence, in any order you choose. Your sequence should be plausible within the rock cycle, but does not have to be realistic or likely for the Front Range or any other particular location.