OVERVIEW
Earth Sciences can be offered as a complete course that investigates the structure, processes, and dynamic interactions of the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. The course may cover a variety of topics to give students a comprehensive grasp of the Earth's physical, chemical, and biological systems.
In Earth Science, numerous field studies is covered such as Geology studies Earth's structure, composition, and processes. Meteorology studies atmospheric phenomena and climate. Oceanography explores oceans and human impact. Environmental science investigates human activities and environmental issues. Astronomy studies celestial bodies, water cycle, ecology, and natural hazards.
General Chemistry is a subject that is commonly taught in senior high school (SHS). This course provides students with essential chemistry knowledge by addressing fundamental principles, ideas, and concepts such as atomic bondings, chemical structure and components, stoichiometry, matter, electrochemistry. The course is usually run with a concurrent lab section that gives students an opportunity to experience a laboratory environment and carry out experiments with the material learned in the course.
EAST AFRICAN RIFT SYSTEM
The East African Rift System Valley or EARS is a series of rift that is roughly located in the Horn of Africa. down to Mozambique.
The most recognizable one is located on the Afar Region in Etihopia, thus the name Ethiopian Rift was coined.
Down to the south of the Ethiopian Rift, it spread mainly in 2 branches, which is Lake Albert Rift or Albertine Rift which contains the East African Great lakes.
To the east the Kenya Rift or Gregory Rift, was located, which named after John Walter Gregory, the first one who mapped in early 1900s.
The Ethiopian Rift, also known as the Afar Triple Junction, is a tectonic plate boundary in East Africa influenced by geological processes that split the African Plate. It extends to the Red Sea and Dead Sea, connecting to the Gulf of Aden and Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge. The Lake Albert Rift, also known as the Albertine Rift, covers Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania, extending from Lake Tangyanika to Lake Albert. The rift was formed due to divergent plates in the Afar Region, and the Albertine Rift and surrounding mountains were formed by tectonic movements. The rift itself has resulted in the mineral and rocks formation during the geological process which includes:
SOME ROCKS/MINERALS PRESENT IN EAST AFRICAN RIFT:
Natural Copper (Cu)
Cuprum or commonly known as Copper is a type of Metal Element that is found in the Late Transition Metals, Copper deposits may occur in areas with volcanic activity and associated mineralization, it can also be found in Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposit which Copper can found in mafic to intermediate volcanic rocks, such as basalt and andesite. Copper ores are often found in magmatic-hydrothermal systems. Copper is composed of positively charged nuclei surrounded by a negative charged "sea" of delocalized electrons, known as Metallic Bonding, which allows for the movement of electrons throughout the material. The copper was created from deposited hot sulphur solutions which was located in volcanic regions which later than called copper ores.
Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) GYPSUM
This mineral was commonly found in the sulfur-rich areas, such as near a volcanic activity. The Gypsum which has a composition of (CaSO4·2H2O) thus, it was sorted in SULFATE because of the presence of (SO4). Gypsum forms with water evaporating in mineral-rich soil environments such as near an active volcanoes.
The Gypsum is a Ionic Bonding since it is composed of calcium and sulfate ions, which form ionic bonds due to electrostatic attraction between the positively charged calcium ions and the negatively charged sulfate ions. This results in stable electron configurations.
Also, it is a Covalent Bonding as The sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻) is composed of covalent bonds between sulfur and oxygen atoms, where sulfur shares electrons with oxygen atoms.
Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
TABLE SALT
TABLE SALT
Because of the evaporating liquids in the near the volcano, Rock Salt was formed with a composition of (NaCl) which is a type of Halide Mineral because of the presence of Chlorine which is under the Flourine Group of the periodic table.
The Rock Salt has involved in a Ionic Bonding as Rock salt's dominant bonding type is ionic bonding, where sodium loses one electron to form a Na+ cation and chlorine gains one, forming an ionic lattice structure due to electrostatic attraction.
Rock Salts usually forms in hot and humid climate from the seawater or salty water. The water evaporates to the air leaving crystals which was now the table rock salt.