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The planet we live on: The beginnings of the Earth Sciences

The planet we live on: The beginnings of the Earth Sciences

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Figure 1.38: Fossil amm<strong>on</strong>ites, indicating sediments that <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>re deposited in <strong>the</strong> sea.compressed as <strong>the</strong> grains are compacted toge<strong>the</strong>r and water is squeezed out. Meanwhilewaters flow through <strong>the</strong> pore spaces bet<str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>en <strong>the</strong> grains and minerals crystallise from<strong>the</strong> water as cement. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two processes <strong>of</strong> compacti<strong>on</strong> and cementati<strong>on</strong> isthat <strong>the</strong> rocks become harder and <strong>the</strong> porosity is reduced. Porosity is a measure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>amount <strong>of</strong> pore space in <strong>the</strong> rock and, even after compacti<strong>on</strong> and cementati<strong>on</strong>, can stillbe as high as 20% in some sandst<strong>on</strong>es and limest<strong>on</strong>es. Since <strong>the</strong> pore spaces are largeenough for water and gas to flow through, <strong>the</strong>se rocks are also permeable (permeabilityis a measure <strong>of</strong> how quickly a fluid can flow through a rock). Most mudst<strong>on</strong>es and shalesare surprisingly <strong>of</strong>ten very porous, but because <strong>the</strong> pores are too small to allow fluids t<strong>of</strong>low through, <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>of</strong>ten impermeable, i.e. <strong>the</strong> fluids cannot flow through <strong>the</strong> rock.<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> porosity and permeability that remains in <strong>the</strong> coarser grained sedimentary rocks afterdiagenesis is vital, because <strong>the</strong>se rocks can c<strong>on</strong>tain underground water supplies and oiland gas, stored in <strong>the</strong> gaps bet<str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>en <strong>the</strong> grains. You can investigate for yourself howrock porosity and permeability work using <strong>the</strong> ‘<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> space within: <strong>the</strong> porosity <strong>of</strong> rocks’and <strong>the</strong> ‘Modelling for rocks: What’s hidden inside - and why?’ practical activities from<strong>the</strong> http://www.earthlearningidea.com <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>bsite. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se show that, if you drop water<strong>on</strong> to permeable porous rocks, it will soak in, but if a drop <strong>of</strong> water is put <strong>on</strong>to animpermeable rock, it will stay <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> surface. You can also distinguish a permeable froman impermeable rock by putting <strong>the</strong>m both in water. You might see a few small airbubbles <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> surface <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> impermeable rock but many more bubbles rise from <strong>the</strong>permeable <strong>on</strong>e as air bubbles rise out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pore spaces at <strong>the</strong> top, and water flows in t<strong>of</strong>ill <strong>the</strong> spaces at <strong>the</strong> bottom.Try to get a feel for how scientists use <strong>the</strong> clues from sedimentary rocks and fossils tointerpret <strong>the</strong> envir<strong>on</strong>ments in which <strong>the</strong> sediments <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>re deposited by using <strong>the</strong> ‘What wasit like to be <strong>the</strong>re - in <strong>the</strong> rocky world? and ‘What was it like to be <strong>the</strong>re - bringing afossil to life’ activities from <strong>the</strong> http://www.earthlearningidea.com <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>bsite.24

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