Term
| What are the main geophysical features over the earth where "internal forces" dominate? |
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Definition
| Mountains, deep valleys, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes |
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Term
| Earth is dynamic by itself because internal forces reach the earth's surface at all points on the globe. True or False? |
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Definition
| False. It is unevenly distributed to the surface |
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Term
| What does the big bang theory suggest about the origin of the universe? |
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Definition
| Tremendous explosion, temperature decreased, gravity took place. Elements started to be attracted forming patches of matter and energy |
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Term
| How many years ago did the big bang occur? |
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Definition
| 13-15 billions of years ago |
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Term
| What was the most abundant element after the initial big explosion? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many years ago were the galaxies formed? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many years ago do we believe the sun was formed? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many years ago do we believe the earth was formed? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the Cold Accretion Hypothesis? |
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Definition
| (6-4.5 billion years ago) As planets gradually cooled, heavy material was placed at the center and lighter material at the outer parts |
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Term
| Materials with less density was placed at the center of the earth and material with the highest density was placed at the surface of the earth. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the composition of the rocky planet's solid parts? |
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Definition
| Minerals with high melting point (silicates), and metals (iron and nickel) |
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Term
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Definition
| Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars |
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Term
| Name the giant gaseous planets |
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Definition
| Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune |
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Term
| Why is pluto not considered a planet? |
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Definition
| Small and rocky, but farthest from the sun with an eccentric orbit |
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Term
| What are the three concentric layers in the internal structure of earth? |
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Definition
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Term
| How did researcher's evidence the arrangement of earth's internal layers? |
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Definition
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Term
| Within the interior of the earth, seismic waves travel faster through rigid regions and slower through less dense material regions (liquid like) True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe how the energy from the center of the earth reaches the surface |
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Definition
Inner core: conduction
Outer core: convection
Energy seeps through the mantle and tries to escape |
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Term
| Approximately what temperature in Kelvin do we believe the inner core to be? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the dominant process of energy transfer occurring at the inner core? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which internal zone of the Earth is believed to be composed of iron mixed with nickel and to be molten and dominantly as liquid? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the dominant process of energy transfer occurring at the outer core? |
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Definition
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Term
| The mantle is predominantly solid, and particularly the lower mantle is solid but near to melting point. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| In which of earth's internal layers do we find the least dense rocks? |
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Definition
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Term
| In which of the three concentric layers of earth are essential nutrients for plants and animals located? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the density values for the continental crust and oceanic crust? |
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Definition
Continental: 2.7 kg/cm3
Oceanic: 3.0 kg/cm3 |
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Term
| What is the name of the layer of rock placed in the most upper region of the upper mantle that behaves more like a liquid ("low -velocity layer") |
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Definition
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Term
| What layers or parts of layers does the lithosphere include? |
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Definition
| The crust and the most upper cooler part of the mantle |
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Term
| The hard lithosphere is resting over the "plastic" layer (Asthenosphere), which allows the lithosphere to "move over the hard mantle" True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the silicates and in which two of the earth's layers are they found? |
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Definition
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Term
| By definition, what are the characteristics all minerals must have? |
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Definition
| Natural inorganic, specific chemical formula, crystalline structure |
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Term
| What is the definition of a rock? |
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Definition
| Natural aggregate of minerals in solid state that are part of the lithosphere. Of different composition, size, shape, and ages. |
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Term
| What does weathering mean? |
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Definition
| Disintegration of rocks by direct contact with atmospheric conditions (heat, ice, water, pressure) It occurs with no movement |
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Term
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Definition
| Disintegration of rocks and minerals by agents: water, winds. It carries away "weathered rocks" |
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Term
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Definition
| It is the process in which a rock may be converted into a new type of rock |
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Term
| What is the principal material that forms igneous rocks? |
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Definition
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Term
| Intrusive igneous rocks result when magma cools rapidly, and they are placed over the earth's surface. True or False? |
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Definition
| False. Intrusive is when the magma cools very slowly and they are beneath the earth;s surface |
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Term
| Extrusive igneous rocks result when magma cools slowly, and they are placed close to the inner core. True or False? |
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Definition
| False. Extrusive is when they cool rapidly and they are placed on the earth's surface |
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Term
| Igneous rocks result from weathering and erosion of sedimentary rocks. True or False? |
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Definition
| False. They are formed from cooling magma |
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Term
| What type of rock is derived mostly by weathering and erosion? |
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Definition
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Term
| Sedimentary rocks are said to be originated from sediments deposited and buried in overlaying strata. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| Sedimentary rocks result from magmatic cooling. True or False? |
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Definition
| False. They result from fragment accumulation of mineral particles |
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Term
| What are the three major classes of sedimentary rocks? |
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Definition
Clastic (conglomerate: sandstone, clay)
Chemical: (after solution with water: limestone)
Organic: (from tissues of plants and animals: coal) |
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Term
What is the particular composition or Organic Sediments (Sedimentary Rocks)?
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Definition
| From tissues of plants and animals |
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Term
| What are the two principal processes to form metamorphic rocks? |
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Definition
| Changes in temperature and pressure (regional and contact) |
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Term
| What is the parent rock of Schist and Slate Metamorphic rocks |
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Definition
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Term
| Which metamorphic rock can be originated from sedimentary and igneous rock, and it is featured by having alternating layers of dark and light materials? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do plate tectonics refer to? |
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Definition
| THe motion of lithosphere plates and the interactions at their boundary |
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Term
| Of the 7 major tectonic plates, what are the 2 most related to tectonic processes with USA? |
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Definition
| North American and Pacific Plate |
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Term
| Of the 7 minor tectonic plates, what is the plate most related to tectonic processes with USA? |
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Definition
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Term
| At divergent boundaries new lithosphere is being formed. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the main tectonic process occurring at divergent boundaries? |
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Definition
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Term
| The East African Rift Valley lies along a divergent plate boundary. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| What two large lakes fall along a divergen plate boundary in Africa? |
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Definition
| Lake Baikal and Lake Tanganyika |
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Term
| On top of what type of tectonic boundary does the island of Iceland lie? |
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Definition
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Term
| At convergent boundaries, lithosphere is being destructed. True or False? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| What are the three types of convergent boundaries? |
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Definition
| Oceanic-continental, continental-continental, oceanic-oceanic |
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Term
| Which geophysical features are associated with subduction at convergent plate boundaries? |
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Definition
| Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain building, ocean trenches |
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Term
| What type of tectonic plate boundary occurs at the western coast of South America? Name the two tectonic plates? |
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Definition
| Convergent. Nazca and South American plate |
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Term
| Which large mountain chain owes its orgin to the collision of South America and Nazca tectonic plates? |
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Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| When one plate goes under another one |
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Term
| When the process of subduction occurs between continental and oceanic plate, which plate goes down beneath the other? why? |
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Definition
| Oceanic under continental because of the difference of density. Oceanic is more dense than continental. |
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Term
| What are the geophysical features associated with the collision of two oceanic plates? |
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Definition
| Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain building, oceanic trench |
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Term
| Japanese islands is an example of collision between two oceanic plates. In this case, if both plated have similar density, why a process of subduction occurred? |
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Definition
| The oceanic crust is attatched to the continental part of Eurasia. |
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Term
|
Imagine “a transect” drawn from Japan Isles and South America (from northwest to southeast), what tectonic plates will you be including in the transect, and what type of boundaries will you find between those plates? |
|
Definition
Eurasia, Pacific, Nazca, South American
-Convergent between Eurasia and Pacific/Nazca and South American
-Divergent between Pacific and Nazca |
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Term
| In the same "imaginary transect" mentioned aboce, between what plates do you find a subduction process? |
|
Definition
Nazca under South America
Eurasia under Pacific Plate |
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Term
| In the same transect, where do you find ocean floor spreading procedd (Divergent boundary) What is the name of that mid-oceanic ridge? |
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Definition
| Pacific and Nazca-east Pacific rise |
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Term
| In the same transect: at which plate boundaries crustal rocks are being melted? |
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Definition
Eurasia and Pacific,
Nazca and South America |
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Term
| Which large mountain chain owes its origin to the collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates? |
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Definition
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|
Term
| What is the name of the ocean that geologist say existed between ancient India land mass and Asia? |
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Definition
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Term
| To which of the following present day continents do we believe India was attatched, about 250 million years ago? |
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Definition
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Term
| Tibetan Plateau has older sediments that belong to Eurasian Plate, and Himalaya mountains have younger sediments that belong to the oceanic crust of the disappeared Sea of Tethys. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya Mountains have the same type of sediments originated in continental-continental boundary. True or False? |
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Definition
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|
Term
| Tibetan Plateau resulted from sediments originated in Africa after India land mass reached Eurasian Plate, and Himalaya Mountains were formed by extension process when India land mass separated from Africa. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| What type f geophysical feature is the formation of the Hawaiian Islands? |
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Definition
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Term
| Hawaiian Islands occur on the Pacific Plate and have been formed by a narrow stream of hot mantle that reaches earth's crust, which produces volcano activity with no spreading of oceanic floor. True or False? |
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Definition
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Term
| From southeast to northwest along all Hawaiian Islands, where are found the youngest volcanic rocks? |
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Definition
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Term
| Hawaiian Islands, Japanese Islands,and Iceland have similar geologic formation: in all cases there is formation of continental crust. True or False? |
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Definition
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|
Term
| What are transform boundaries? |
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Definition
| Transform boundaries occur when two plates are sliding along each other in opposing directions. Lithosphere is neither created or destroyed. Mostly found along mid oceanic ridges, but some cut continental lithosphere. |
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Term
| Along what type of plate boundary does the San Andreas fault, California, lie along? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the plates and boundary types of the tectonic activity occurring at western US? |
|
Definition
Convergent between North American and Juan de Fuca
Divergent between Juan de Fuca and pacific Plate
Transform between North American and Pacific Plate |
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Term
| What is the name of the mountain chain in coastal northwestern US (Oregon/Washington) and along what type of plate boundary does it lie? |
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Definition
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Term
| Plate tectonics is a geology theory based on the older "Continental Drift" and now complimented with the concept of "Seafloor Spreading" True or False? |
|
Definition
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|
Term
|
Definition
| After strong friction is produced between plates and a critical value is exceeded, a sudden failure occurs and an enormous amount of energy is radiated as seismic waves into the surrounding crust and a shake is produced |
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Term
| What does seismology study? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Point on earth's surface directly above focus |
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Term
|
Definition
| Focus. Subsurface area where rock displacement occurred and waves were originated. At the focal depth of the epicenter |
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|
Term
| What is the Mercalli scale? |
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Definition
| Qualitative. Describes the intensity of earthquakes (damage on humans, objects of nature, man-made structures) 1-12 |
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Term
| Richter scale measures quantitatively the amount of energy released by the quake. True or False? |
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Definition
|
|
Term
| The energy of an earthquake increases with distance from the epicenter. True or False? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| On what other features, besides magnitude, do earthquake's effects depend? |
|
Definition
| Distance to the epicenter, depth of hypocenter, and type of terrain |
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Term
| Where and when did the strongest and most catastrophic earthquake occur on earth? |
|
Definition
| May 22, 1960. Valdivia, Chile |
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Term
| What is the main difference between the Continental Drift Theory and the Plate Tectonics Theory? |
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Definition
| Wegener said that everything started from Pangaea (Continental Drift Theory). In the 60's Seafloor Spreading came. Plate tectonics is seafloor spreading plus continental drift |
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Term
|
Definition
| A supercontinent comprising all the continental crust of the earth, postulated to have existed in late Paleozoic and Mesozioc times |
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Term
| Right after Pangaea was fragmented, what were the two large continents formed? |
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Definition
|
|
Term
| Whose name do we associate with the proposition of the theory of continental drift and plate tectonics? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the evidences supporting Continental Drift Hypothesis? |
|
Definition
Continents on the globe fit together like a jig saw puzzle
Geology of continents (rocks on continents match, suggesting they would have been connected before)
Identical fossils, animals, and plants occur in same geological strata in places that are now separated by oceans |
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Term
| The main regions evidencing the jig-saw puzzle model is the similarity between eastern coasts of South America and western coasts of Africa continents. True or False? |
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Definition
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|
Term
| The geologic similarity between Appalachian Mountains (west) and the Cascade mountains (east) in the US is an evidence to support the concept of Pangaea. True or False? |
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Definition
|
|
Term
| The presence of deep lakes in Eastern Africa is one of the evidences to support the hypothesis of Wegener. True or False? |
|
Definition
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