Geology

Antarctic plate holds the continent of Antarctica including the surrounding ocean. It shares borders with the African, Pacific & South American plate.

Like a rake scraping the dirt, glaciers leave a lasting impression on the land. They can erode mountains, transport vast amount of rock and reshape the land.

Hydrocarbons, oil and coal formation in general are made from living organisms that have been compacted from intense heat and pressure millions of years ago.

When convergent plates collide, the lithosphere thrusts upwards. This geologic process of vertical upheaving are orogenies or mountain building events.

Earth formed a stable climate in the Archean Eon. Because it cooled down from its molten state, Earth was able to support oceans, continents and oxygenation

Earth density steadily increases as you go inwards from the crust to core. If you average density throughout the whole planet, it is about 5.513 g/cm^3.

When you unveil a fossil, it’s like rewinding into the past. Fossils are preserved remains from past living things such as bones, shells or exoskeletons.

The Indo-Australian Plate combines the Australian & Indian Plate. Widely considered two separate plates, it includes Australia, India and the Indian Ocean.

During the last ice age, ice pushed down on continents with immense pressure. After the ice melted, land began slowly lifting which is isostatic rebound.

Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rocks into sediments by physical means.This type of weathering does not alter the chemical composition of rocks.

The Earth is a big magnet. This is why compasses point to the magnetic north. But north didn’t always point northward because of magnetic pole reversals.

The asthenosphere is the unsung hero of our planet. This plasticky layer 80 to 200 km beneath Earth provides the necessary lubrication for plate tectonics.

The South American plate is the smallest of all major plates that includes the continent of South America and a large portion of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sedimentary rocks form from two key processes. First, compaction squeezes material together. Second, cementing glues the squeezed material together.

In the Proterozoic Eon, key highlights are: ozone layer thickened, an oxygen crisis, Snowball Earth and eukaryotes and multicellular organisms evolved.