221 Facts About Earth

Minerals are naturally occurring substances formed by geological processes. They are found in the uppermost layer of the Earth’s crust. Some minerals are formed from molten magma, such as diamond, mica and feldspar. Some are found in places such as in rocks, in sand or in gravels. There exist more than 2800 different varieties of […]

Rocks are formed through various natural processes such as weathering, erosion or movement of tectonic plates. One type of rock gradually interchanges and recycles to form another type of rock. This change is called rock cycle. It is a very slow process. ♦ Solidification of molten magma produces igneous rocks. ♦ These igneous rocks break

Metamorphic (meta means ‘form’ and morphic means ‘change’) rocks are the transformed form of igneous or sedimentary rocks. They are formed when these rocks experience intense heat and pressure deep inside the Earth’s crust. For example: limestone (sedimentary) converts to marble (metamorphic) when it comes in contact with high heat and pressure. Metamorphic rocks are

Sedimentary rocks are formed by the sediments of rocks and remains of plants and animals. Flowing rivers carry pieces of broken rocks and deposit them in lakes or seas. Slowly these deposits settle in sea bed. Rock fragments and remains of plants and animals are squeezed together due to water pressure, and eventually they get

Rocks: A rock is a natural substance made up of solid crystals of different minerals. Rocks are formed when different minerals join together and make a solid lump. Every rock has a unique structure. There are certain rocks that are made up of only one mineral. For example, limestone rock contains only calcite mineral, while

Estuary: Estuary is the point where a river ends and meets the sea. Estuaries have brackish water which is not so salty as the ocean water. There are four kinds of estuaries: ♦ Coastal plain estuaries are created during heavy rain, when the sea level rises and fills a nearby river valley. Example: Hudson River

Mangroves are medium height trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in tropical and subtropical regions. These regions are swampy and are permanently filled with water. There are about 68 species of mangrove trees in the world. The Indo-West Pacific region is the mangrove dominant area with the greatest diversity of species–30 to

A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by sandbars, barrier islands or coral reefs. Lagoons can be divided into two categories: Coastal Lagoons: These are formed along flat or gently sloping landscape coastlines  protected by sandbars or barrier islands. Atoll Lagoons: They are similar to coastal lagoons

Tides are rhythmic rise and fall of the ocean’s water. They take place twice a day. There are two types of tides: high (when the water rises to its highest level and covers much of the seashore) and low (when the water falls to its lowest level and moves away from the shore) tide. Tides

A wave is the movement of the ocean’s surface water. Wind is the main causative agent of waves. The energy of the wind moves the waves towards the seashore. As the wave approaches the seashore, the speed is slowed down due to the sand and rocks present on the beach. The size of the wave

A narrow and gently sloping strip of land moving along the edge of an ocean, or sea is known as a beach. A beach contains sand, pebbles, rocks and seashell fragments. Weathering, erosion, sedimentation, wave currents, tides and ocean currents are the main creators of a beach. Sandy beaches are a result of sedimentation, when

The interaction of land and sea creates various topographical features of geographical importance. Some of these features are rocks-formed by erosion due to waves and some are shore-related features formed by sedimentation or shore-eroding forces of the waves. ♦ The most common features of seashore are beaches. They are made up by sedimentation of eroded

Seashore is also called an oceanic coast or a sea coastline or marine coastline. It is a broad area of land along the edge of a sea or an ocean. This is the area where land meets a sea or an ocean. The total length of the seashore all over the world is more than

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the second largest reef of the world. It is also known as Belize Barrier Reef. This reef protects the coastal inhabitants from violent storms occurring in the ocean. The protective barrier of the reef is supported by a large area of mangrove that lines the coral coast. It is home

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure built by animals. It is located on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains about 600 types of soft and hard corals, more than 1000 species of jellyfish, more than 4000 types of mollusc (snails, slugs and octopuses), and more than 30 species of whales