My Science School

The parts of the world affecting our lives are called the ‘environment’. This includes the Earth’s crust, oceans, atmosphere, plants and animals. If the balance between things added and things taken away from the environment is upset, the environment will change.

Many of the things we take from the Earth, like metals and fossil fuels, take millions of years to be replaced naturally. Other things, like wood from trees, are replaced more quickly, but if we use them too fast, they will disappear. Some things we produce, like poisons and waste, are not removed as quickly as we add them to the environment, so they build up as pollution.

Household waste is a serious pollution threat – the UK produces 27 million tonnes each year.

 

 

 

 

Cutting down huge forests can cause changes in the Earth’s atmosphere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pollution from industry can also disturb the Earth’s balance.

Moving Crust

As the plates of the Earth’s surface move towards each other, one plate may rise over the other one. The one which goes up forms mountains and the one which goes down is slowly melted below the Earth’s surface. Where two plates move away from each other, magma is free to escape. It solidifies to form rock, and a ‘mid ocean ridge’ or a ‘volcanic island’ is formed.

 

 

 

Folding

Movements in the Earth’s plates can also cause the Earth’s surface to buckle and split. Where the surface splits and slips, a ‘fault’ is produced. Where the surface buckles, a ‘fold’ is formed. Many familiar features of the landscape are caused by folds and faults, and these can often be seen in layers of rocks at seaside cliffs. The diagram shows some of the features that can be produced in these ways.