Types of Soil

Just like plants and animals, soils are classified into different orders and suborders. There are 12 main orders of soil:

-Alfisols

-Andisols

-Aridisols

-Entisols

-Gelisols

-Histosols

-Inceptisols

-Mollisols

-Oxisols

-Spodosols

-Ultisols

-Vertisols

The image to the right is a soil texture triangle. The soil texture triangle shows the 12 major soil texture classes and what percent of each type of soil makes them up.

http://http://soils.usda.gov/technical/soil_orders/

Rocks

There are three different types of rocks: igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks.

Igneous Rocks: Igneous rocks are the oldest types of rocks. They form when magma pushes up towards the earth's surface and begins to cool. However, not all igneous rocks cool the same way. Thus, they can all look very differently drom each other. They can also either be intrusive or extrusive. If they are intrusive then they cool deep under the earth's surface and if they are extrusive they cool on the earth's surface.

Characteristics of Igneous Rocks:

-Classified by texture and composition

-Rarely reacts with acids

-Normally contains no fossils
-May be light or dark colored
-May be fine grained or glassy

Types of Igneous Rocks:

Granite: Pink/Grey Color; Intrusive

Obsidian: Usually dark colored; Extrusive

Sedimentary Rocks:

The earth's surface is constantly being eroded. Weathering agents like wind, ice, and water cause rocks to be broken up into smaller rocks. Rocks turn into pebbles, clay, sand, or gravel. They travel through streams and eventually settle into new places. The sediments form flat layers and over time become so pressed together that they form new rocks known as sedimentary rocks. Most sedimentary rocks are under water and many have fossils.

Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks:

-Classified by texture and composition

-May be rich with fossils.

-May react with acid

-Often have layers

-Great color variety

-Particle size may be the same or vary

Examples of Sedimentary Rocks:

-Sandstone

-Limestone

-Shale

Metamorphic Rocks:

Metamorphic rocks form deep in the earth where high temperature, pressure, and chemical reactions cause one for of rock to "morph" into another form of rock. They begin to form at 12-16 kilometers below the earth's surface and begin changing at 100 to 800 degrees Celsius.

How do metamorphic rocks change? ---

Characteristics of Major Metamorphic Rocks:

-Classified by texture and Composition
-Rarely have fossils
-May react with acid
-May have alternate bands of light and dark minerals
-May be composed of only one mineral
-May have layers of visible crystals
-Rarely have pores or openings
-May have bent or curved foliation.

Types of Metamorphic Rocks:

-Gneiss
-Marble
-Quartzite
-Slate

Geocaching

Geocahing is an outdoor activity where the participants are required to use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to reach a specific coordinate to find a "treasure." The treasures are generally small waterproof containers that are called "geocaches" and have a logbook hidden instead of them. The Geocacher must record that date and time they found the geocache inside the logbook.

Right now, there are over 1.3 million active geocaches found in over 100 countries. There are also currently 5 million Geocachers in the world.

While I have never been Geochaching outside of class in my life, I did grow up letterboxing. Letterboxing is similar to Geocaching. One of the main differences is that in letterboxing you use clues and references found in stories to find your prize, instead of a GPS device.

Geo-caching Lab

Geocaching Locations

1) Black container with a rolled piece of paper.

2) White container with black eyed peas.

3) Red container with a log.

4) Pill bottle with baby Tabasco sauce.

5). Pill bottle with soda tabs.

6) White bottle with chalk.

7) Clear container with a battery.

8) Pill bottle with magnet and a little car.