Term
| What are the planetary groups? |
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Definition
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Term
| How much of the mass of the solar system does the sun account for? How much for Jupiter? |
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Definition
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Term
| What elements are the most plentiful in the universe? |
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Definition
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Term
| What change to elements occurs following the fusion energy of a collapsed star? |
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Definition
| Heavier elements are produced. |
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Term
| What four events lead to the universe as we know it today following the Big Bang? |
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Definition
Protons and neutrons formed
Hydrogen nucleii fused to make He
Expansion and cooling creates molecules like H2
Nebulae form from clouds of gas |
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Term
| What is big bang nucleosynthesis? |
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Definition
| The creation of elements like He from fused nucleii, occurring during the big bang. |
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Term
| What are volatile and refractory elements? |
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Definition
Volatile elements are gases on Earth and ice in space.
Refractory elements melt at high temperatures. The Earth and other terrestrial planets are made of refractory elements. |
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Term
| What four elements are the primary components of Earth? |
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Definition
Iron
Oxygen
Silicon
Magnesium |
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Term
| What is the approximate radius of Earth? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the names for the layers of the Earth, starting from the surface to the center? |
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Definition
Crust
Lithosphere
Mantle
Core |
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Term
| What is the approximate age of the Earth? |
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Definition
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Term
| What technique was used to date the Earth? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the eons of the Earth, from oldest to most recent? |
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Definition
Hadeon
Archeon
Proterozoic
Phanerozoic |
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Term
| The lithosphere floats atop what type of geological feature? |
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Definition
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Term
| Who came up with the Continental Drift theory and what were the peices of evidence that suggested it? |
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Definition
Wegener.
Coastal fit
Location of glacial till
Distribution of sedimentary deposits
Matching fossils
Matching rocks and mountain belts |
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Term
| What is Paleomagnetism and what is its use in the plate tectonics theory of the Earth? |
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Definition
Cooling igneous rocks orient toward the Earth's magnetic field. Their declination and inclination is their paleomagnetism.
It was observed that the inclination of many rocks across continents showed a path of movement. |
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Term
| How was bathymetry used to support plate tectonics? |
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Definition
| SONAR mappings showed trenches and other sea floor features that suggested plate boundaries. |
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Term
| What is the sea floor spreading hypothesis and who is responsible for proposing it? |
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Definition
Hess proposed the theory.
The essential theory is that crust is created in mid-ocean ridges and destroyed in trenches. |
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Term
| What is magnetic reversal and how did it lead to acceptance of the Plate Tectonics theory? |
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Definition
| The magnetic poles of the Earth occasionally flip. The paleomagnetism of rocks can show this. A symmetric pattern was shown around mid-ocean ridges, suggesting crust was created there and spread away from it. |
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Term
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Definition
| The breaking of lithosphere. |
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Term
| What are the three types of plate boundaries? |
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Definition
Divergent
Convergent
Conservative |
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Term
| What are the characteristics of a divergent plate boundary? What are the two types? |
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Definition
Young crust
Shallow earthquakes
Volcanic activity
The two types are mid-ocean ridges and continental rifts. Continental rifts lead to mid-ocean ridges, eventually (if they are successful). |
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Term
| What are the charcteristics of convergent plate boundaries? |
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Definition
Deep earthquakes generated by subducting plate
Volcanoes generated by subducting plate
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Term
| What type of plate will always subduct at a convergent plate boundary? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the Benioff Zone? |
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Definition
| The zone of earthquakes caused by a subducting plate. |
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Term
| What force drives plate tectonics? |
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Definition
Convection in the asthenosphere, powered by radioactive decay and residual heat.
Slab pull and ridge push also contribute.
Finally, ridge push, due to the curve of the Earth. |
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Term
| What is the elastic rebound theory and what does it describe the cause of? |
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Definition
| Elastic rebound theory states that strike-slip behavior at plate boundaries causes earthquakes. |
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Term
| What are the four types of seismic waves, from fastest to slowest? |
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Definition
P wave
S wave
Love waves
Rayleigh waves |
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Term
| What magnitude of speed do seismic waves travel at? |
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Definition
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Term
| What time interval is used to calculate the distance from the focus of an earthquake? |
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Definition
| The S-P interval, measuring the time between the arrival of the P wave and the S wave. |
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Term
| What two scales are used to measure Earthquakes? |
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Definition
The richter scale
The modified mercalli scale (aka Shake Maps) |
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Term
| How must the water column be disrupted to cause a tsunami? |
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Definition
| The water column must be vertically displaced by an impulsive distrubance. |
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Term
| How is the wavelength of a wave related to the depth it is felt at? |
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Definition
| They are approximately equal. |
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Term
| How does a wave change as it reaches the shallow shore? |
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Definition
| Its wavelength decreases, the waves become higher and deeper, waves become slower. |
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Term
| How long, on average, is the wavelength of a tsunami wave? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the average depth of the ocean? |
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Definition
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Term
| Tsunami waves behave like shallow waves. What is the equation we can then use to estimate the velocity of the waves? |
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Definition
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Term
| How high is the amplitude of a tsunami wave at sea, and what is the implication of the measurement? |
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Definition
| The amplitude is about 1m, which means it is safer to be at sea during a tsunami. |
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