FREE LEARNING SERIES
Earth, rocks, water and soils
Connect a moving planet with geological time, groundwater storage and the soil beneath us.
4 lessons · Learn at your own pace
Begin the first lesson →
Learn, practise, explain
Try the exercise before reading its explanation. Answer the self-check questions in your own words, then compare your reasoning with the answers. Revisit any difficult section before moving on. No account or payment is needed.
- 01
Earth’s interior and moving plates
Mountains, ocean ridges and earthquake belts are connected. Learn how indirect measurements reveal a layered Earth and how tiny yearly movements reshape a continent over geological time.
Learning outcome: Distinguish compositional and mechanical layers, interpret seismic evidence, compare plate boundaries and calculate a motion rate without pretending it predicts an earthquake.
Open lesson → - 02
Rock cycles and reading geological time
A stone records processes, but its appearance alone does not reveal a complete history. Learn how minerals, layers, cross-cutting relationships and radioactive clocks work together to reconstruct that history.
Learning outcome: Classify formation processes, reconstruct a sequence, calculate an idealised half-life age and recognise what a geological date actually measures.
Open lesson → - 03
Water cycle and groundwater: follow stores and flows
Rain can run off, remain in soil, return to the air or recharge an aquifer. Learn why those pathways differ and why a rise in one well is not a direct measurement of the whole groundwater supply.
Learning outcome: Distinguish infiltration, recharge and groundwater flow; calculate a catchment budget and estimate storage change under clearly stated aquifer assumptions.
Open lesson → - 04
Soil formation, structure and erosion
Soil is a developing system of minerals, organic matter, organisms, air and water. Learn why soil with the same colour can behave differently and how to measure loss without confusing muddy appearance with mass.
Learning outcome: Read a soil profile, separate texture from structure, calculate equivalent soil loss and design a fair comparison of protective cover.
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