Task: Core Samples Coming up at the end of this section.

1.2 Physiographic Regions of Québec

		A physiographic region is defined as an area where the relief and landscape are uniform. Québec has three physiographic regions. Do you know what they are?
	Source

The Earth’s structure can be likened to a boiled egg. The shell is the crust, the white of the egg, the underlying mantle and the yolk, the core.

This structure has been revealed through the study of earthquakes (or seisms). The seismic waves travel through the planet, making an X-ray of its interior.

		Cross-section of the Earth’s interior.
	Source

Beneath the oceans, the crust is approximately 10 km thick. Beneath the continents, it is up to 70 km thick.

Unfortunately, only mineral resources in the upper part of the crust are accessible.

In Québec, for example, the deepest mines are up to 2 km deep. The deepest mines in the world are in South Africa. They are approximately 5 km deep.