Term
|
Definition
| The study of rock formations and fossils. |
|
|
Term
| What aspects of the earth does geology study? |
|
Definition
History
composition
internal structure
surface features |
|
|
Term
| What is scientific research? |
|
Definition
| the use of the scientific method to make new discoveries and to confirm old ones. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| a tentative explanation based on data collected through observations and experiments. |
|
|
Term
| What is the scientific model? |
|
Definition
| a precise representation of how a natural process operates or how a natural system behaves. |
|
|
Term
| What is a geologic record? |
|
Definition
| information preserved in the rocks that have been formed at various times throughout Earth's history. |
|
|
Term
| What is the principle of uniformitarianism? |
|
Definition
| processes we see in action today have worked in much the same way throughout the geologic past. |
|
|
Term
| How is topography measured? |
|
Definition
| with respect to sea level; a smooth surface set at the average level of ocean water that conforms closely to the squashed spherical shape expected for the rotating earth. |
|
|
Term
| How was the solar system created? |
|
Definition
| The solar system formed from gravitational collapse of a nebular cloud of gas and (mineral) dust. |
|
|
Term
| Which greek philosopher believed the earth was spere with a radius of about 6370 km? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the four layers of the earth? |
|
Definition
Crust
Mantle
Outer Core
Inner Core |
|
|
Term
| Describe the Crusts background: |
|
Definition
0-40 km thick
.4% of earth's mass |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
40-2890km deep
67.1% mass of Earth |
|
|
Term
| Describe liquid iron outer core: |
|
Definition
2890 - 5150km deep
30.8% earth's mass |
|
|
Term
| Describe iron inner core: |
|
Definition
5150 - 6370 km keep
1.7% earth's mass |
|
|
Term
| How do earthquakes occur? |
|
Definition
| when geologic forces cause brittle rocks to fracture, sending out vibrations like the cracking of ice on a river. |
|
|
Term
| What are seismic waves? how can they be used? |
|
Definition
vibrational waves from earthquakes
can be used to locate earthquakes through seismographs. |
|
|
Term
| How do we know earth may be a combination of meteorites? |
|
Definition
| Meteorites often are abundant in Chondrite and Iron/nickel. These elements make up a large amount of the earth. |
|
|
Term
| What proves that the moon may in fact be a piece of the earth? |
|
Definition
| Oxygen isotopes that exist on both are practically the same. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a group of interacting, interdependent or functionally interrelated elements forming a complex whole. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A change in the state of the system. |
|
|
Term
| How does perturbation occur? |
|
Definition
| is sensed by the components of the system, triggering a response by these components that will bring the state of the system back into equilibrium. |
|
|
Term
| what two types of seismic waves exist? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is a compressional wave? |
|
Definition
| waves that expand and compress the material they move through as they travel through a solid, liquid, or gas. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| move materials from side to side. They can only propagate through solids. |
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|
Term
| True or false?Less dense continental crust floats on denser mantle. It is less dense than oceanic crust, therefore rides higher on the mantle. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How is the earth energized? |
|
Definition
| Earth is energized by the heat within it and solar system (sun). |
|
|
Term
| True or false? Decay of organic matter and volcanic eruptions are primarily responsible for most CO2 released into the atmosphere. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| It is the boundary seperating the crust (low-density silicates) from the mantle (high-density silicates, having more magnesium and iron). |
|
Definition
| Mohorovicic discontinuity OR the moho |
|
|
Term
| Describe the relationship with oxygen and iron in regards to where they are found in the earth. |
|
Definition
| The deeper into the earth, the more iron there is. The more Towards the surface of the earth (crust) the more oxygen there is. |
|
|
Term
| What is the transition zone? |
|
Definition
| division between the upper mantle and lower mantle where rock density increases in a series of steps. |
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|
Term
| True or false. 75% of the earth's mass is made from 8 elements. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| 90% of the earth is made of 4 elements; what are they? |
|
Definition
Iron
oxygen
silicon
magnesium. |
|
|
Term
| What is the typical elevation of land? |
|
Definition
| Typical elevation of land surface is 0-1 km |
|
|
Term
| What is the typical depth of oceanic floor? |
|
Definition
| Typical depth of ocean is 4-5 km |
|
|
Term
| What energy is responsible for climate and weather? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What 5 parts make up the Climate system? |
|
Definition
Atmosphere
Cryosphere
hydrosphere
biosphere
Lithosphere |
|
|
Term
| What 3 parts make up the plate tectonic system? |
|
Definition
Lithosphere
asthenosphere
deep mantle |
|
|
Term
| What 'sphere' exists in both the climate system and plate tectonic system? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the 2 parts in the geodynamo system? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| specialized subsystems that produce specific types of activity, such as climate change or mountain building. |
|
|
Term
| What are the three geosystems? |
|
Definition
climate system
plate tectonic system
geodynamo system |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| used to describe temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and winds observed at a particular location and time on earth's surface. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| averaging temperatures and other variables over many years of observation. |
|
|
Term
| What is the climate system? |
|
Definition
| includes all subsystems that determine climate on a global scale and how it changes with time. |
|
|
Term
| What is the greenhouse effect? |
|
Definition
| heat may be trapped by water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases in the atmosphere. |
|
|
Term
| Anthropogenic emissions are what? |
|
Definition
| human generated green house gasses. |
|
|
Term
| Describe convection in the mantle? |
|
Definition
| Cooler materials sink while hotter materials push upwards towards the crust. |
|
|
Term
| What is the geodynamo system? |
|
Definition
| system involving the magnetic field produced deep inside the earth in its liquid core. |
|
|
Term
| Does density of the earth increase or decrease as you move towards the core? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Is continental crust Felsic or Mafic? |
|
Definition
‘Felsic’
K-feldspar and silica rich |
|
|
Term
| Is oceanic crust felsic or mafic? |
|
Definition
| ‘Mafic’ magnesium and iron (ferrum) rich |
|
|
Term
| Describe decompression melting: |
|
Definition
Hot matter from the mantle rises causing plates to form and diverge.
Where plates converge, a cooled plate is dragged under, sinks, warms,
and rises again. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Fractures in the crust caused from cooling magma trying to expand or release. |
|
|
Term
| How thick are tectonic plates? |
|
Definition
| Plates are normally 100-150 km thick |
|
|
Term
| What is the date where oxygen can be found? |
|
Definition
| Oxygen only existed 2100 Million years ago. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| what is continental drift? |
|
Definition
| large scale movements of continents. |
|
|
Term
| Who proposed Pangea, the supercontinent? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What supported the hypothesis of pangea? |
|
Definition
| convection of earths mantle could allow continental drift. |
|
|
Term
| The Earth’s outermost rigid layer (lithosphere) is broken up into a number of large fragments called plates. What determines their location/trace? |
|
Definition
| the distribution of earthquake epicenters (shown above) and volcanism |
|
|
Term
| True or false? The Lithosphere thickens as you move further away from the hot/red areas. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| plates move apart and create new lithosphere. When they occur inland, they can cause land seperations. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| plats move together, oceanic lithosphere is recycled back into mantle, continental plates are deformed. |
|
|
Term
| transform-fault boundaries: |
|
Definition
| plates slide horizontally on each other. |
|
|
Term
| Divergent boundaries: Rifting and spreading zones on continents are characterized by what? |
|
Definition
Parallel rift valleys
volcanism
earthquakes |
|
|
Term
| (Ocean-ocean) Convergent Boundaries: describe process. |
|
Definition
| 1 plate is subducted under the other, deep-sea trench and island are created. |
|
|
Term
| Ocean-continent convergent boundary: describe |
|
Definition
| ocean lithosphere is subducted under continent lithosphere, mountain volcanic belt is formed on land. |
|
|
Term
| continent-continent convergence: describe |
|
Definition
| one lithosphere will be subducted. A mountain range is created and the crust thickens. |
|
|
Term
| what creates earth's magnetic field? |
|
Definition
| Convection in the outer core |
|
|
Term
| What can measure the rate of seafloor spreading? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| 40K-40Ar dating of basaltic lava flows allows for the creation of the magnetic polarity reversal time scale because the sea floor pattern of magnetic stripes can be dated. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
237 Million years ago.
Early triassic |
|
|
Term
| Describe Carbon's molecular stucture? |
|
Definition
6 electrons
6 protons
6 nuetrons |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a naturally occuring solid crystalline substance, usually inorganic, with a specific chemical composition. |
|
|
Term
| What is covalent bonding essentially? |
|
Definition
| Sharing of electrons with neighboring atoms. |
|
|
Term
True or false:
Anions–positively charged atoms
Cations–negatively charged atoms |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the tendency of a mineral to break along preferred planes of weakness |
|
|
Term
| Where are minerals most likely to break? |
|
Definition
| Minerals tend to break at areas where bonds are longest. |
|
|
Term
true or false:
Strength of a material coincides with the strength of bonds |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is an igneous rock and how is it formed? |
|
Definition
Melting of rocks from magma.
formed through crystallization. |
|
|
Term
| What is a sedimentary rock and how is it formed? |
|
Definition
weathering and erosion of exposed rocks.
deposition, burial, and lithification. |
|
|
Term
| What is a metamorphic rock and how is it formed? |
|
Definition
rocks under high temperature and pressure.
Recrystallization. |
|
|
Term
| What determines what kind of igneous rock is formed? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Extrusive igneous rocks form when magma erupts at the surface.
Intrusive igneous rocks form when molten rock intrudes into un-melted rock masses. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the most common polymorphs? |
|
Definition
Aragonite and calcite are the two most common forms of CaCO3,
called polymorphs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
minerals that have the same
chemical formula, but different arrangements of the constituent atoms |
|
|
Term
| what are banded iron deposits and how were they formed? |
|
Definition
| a chemical sedimentary rock deposited in Precambrian Oceans when dissolved O2(g) was very low |
|
|
Term
| To sum up igneous, sedementary, and metamorphic rocks, you can say: |
|
Definition
Sediments are buried to form
sedimentary rocks, Magma rises to form igneous rock, and Subsidence leads to formation of sedimentary rock. |
|
|
Term
| What are the 2 kinds of igneous rocks? |
|
Definition
Intrusive - Plutonic
Extrusive - Volcanic |
|
|
Term
| Extrusive igneous rocks cool ______________. |
|
Definition
| rapidly and are fine-grained |
|
|
Term
| Extrusive pyroclasts form in ________________________. |
|
Definition
| violent eruptions from lava in the air. |
|
|
Term
| Intrusive igneous rocks cool _______________________. |
|
Definition
| slowly, allowing large, coarse crystals to form. |
|
|
Term
| What is the most abundant element in the entire earth? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
True or false:
The more Mafic = higher pressure / lower water content
More Felsic = lower pressure, higher water content |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Describe Bowen's Reaction series: |
|
Definition
As magma temperature decreases, materials crystallize in an ordered series, while plagioclase feldspar crystallizes, from calcium-rich
sodium-rich form,and the composition
of magma changes from ultramafic to andesitic. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| is the lowest melting point of a mixture. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| first temperature where liquid will appear from a solid. |
|
|
Term
| To sum up fractional crystallization... |
|
Definition
| two magma chambers essentially combine; one leaks into a chamber with partially crystallized rock. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Batholiths are the largest forms of plutons (magma chambers), covering at least 100 km2. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| cut across layers of country rock. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| How are Pilow basalts created? |
|
Definition
| by magma meeting water and cooling down quickly. |
|
|
Term
mafic = oceanic crust
Felsic = continental |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is mechanical weathering? |
|
Definition
| physical disaggregation of the rock or mineral into particles that are then subjected to erosion and transport by wind, water and glacier. |
|
|
Term
| What is chemical weathering? |
|
Definition
| the disintegration of the rock or mineral into its constituent cations and anions. These ions constitute the dissolved loads of rivers, lakes, soil waters, groundwaters, rainwater, and the salt of the sea. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Feldspar
Magnetite
Biotite
Quartz |
|
|
Term
| In terms of rate of weathering, what determines the speed of which it occurs? |
|
Definition
More stable = slower rate of weathering
Less stable = faster rate of weahtering |
|
|
Term
| Large rocks have less surface area for chemical weathering than small rocks do, so smaller rocks weather more quickly. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Describe chemical weathering and the atmosphere: |
|
Definition
Reduced weathering rate --> leads to
an increase in atmospheric CO2 --> which leads to climate warming, which increases weathering --> Weathering reduces CO2 in atmosphere as CO2 / HCO3–. --> Lowered CO2 leads
to climate cooling --> Lower temperatures and decreases in atmospheric CO2 reduce weathering |
|
|
Term
Variability in atmospheric
carbon dioxide leads to
variability in the rate of
weathering. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Describe feldspar weathering. |
|
Definition
Carbonic acid forms when CO2 and H2O molecules combine. Carbonic acid ionizes to form hydrogen (H+) and bicarbonate ions. Hydrogen ions (H+)
react with feldspar making shale. |
|
|
Term
| Describe The sedimentary stages of the rock cycle: |
|
Definition
Weathering breaks down rocks.
Erosion carries away particles.
Transportation moves particles downhill.
Deposition occurs when particles settle out or precipitate (in water body).
Burial occurs as layers of sediment accumulate.
Diagenesis lithifies the sediment to make sedimentary rocks. |
|
|
Term
| what are the 3 main classes of sedimentary rock? |
|
Definition
Clastic
Chemical
Biological/bioclastic |
|
|
Term
| What are clastic sedimentary rocks? |
|
Definition
| disaggregated rocks consisting of minerals and rock fragments |
|
|
Term
| What are chemical sedementary rocks? |
|
Definition
| minerals precipitated from seawater and freshwaters. They formed where they are found. |
|
|
Term
| What are biological sedimentary rocks? |
|
Definition
| minerals precipitated from seawater and freshwaters through the action of organisms (shells and skeletons) that may have been subjected to transport (as clasts) and re-deposition. |
|
|
Term
| What are the main 4 clastic sedimentary rocks? |
|
Definition
conglomerate
sandstone
siltstone
shale |
|
|
Term
| what are 4 main biological sedimentary rocks? |
|
Definition
Halite
Gypsum
Limestone
Chert |
|
|
Term
| What are the 4 continental environements? |
|
Definition
Lake
River
Desert Lake
Glacier |
|
|
Term
| What are the 3 shoreline environments? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What are the 4 marine environments? |
|
Definition
Deep sea
Continental sheaf
organic reaf
continental margin/slope |
|
|
Term
| Sediments are buried, compacted, and lithified at shallow depths or subducted, where they are subjected to higher pressure and heat |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| how are carbonate platforms built? |
|
Definition
| Carbonate platforms are built by reef-building organisms that precipitate calcium carbonate as calcite aragonite |
|
|
Term
| During the Miocene epoch, the Mediterranean Sea became a shallow evaporite basin. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
True or false:
less pressure results in lithification. |
|
Definition
False:
Compaction by burial squeezes out water resulting in lithification. |
|
|
Term
True or false:
Precipitation or addition of new minerals cements sediment particles leading to lithification. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| what occurs to carbonate platforms when sea-level rises? |
|
Definition
If the sea level rises, the reef
continues to grow toward the
light at sea leveland lagoon sedimentation outpaces sedimentation in the open ocean |
|
|
Term
| How are metamorphic zones defined? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Tectonic transports move
rocks through different
pressure-temperature
zones, and then transports them
back to the shallow crust or
the surface. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the relationship with temperature, pressure, and depth in the crust? |
|
Definition
Pressure increases with depth at about the same rate everywhere, but temperature increases at different
rates in different regions |
|
|
Term
| What are the 6 kinds of metamorphism? |
|
Definition
Shock
regional
regional high pressure
contact
burial
seafloor |
|
|
Term
| what are the 3 classifications of metamorphic rocks? |
|
Definition
Foliated - slaty cleavage, schistosity, mineral grains show preffered orientation.
Granoblastic- course or fine interlocking grains, little/no prefered orientation.
Porphyoblastic- large crystals set in fine matrix. |
|
|
Term
| What rock undergoes the greatest metamorphism? |
|
Definition
| shales undergo the most spectacular metamorphosis of all the rocks, minerals are grossly out of equilibrium with the high temperature and pressure conditions found at depth in the Earth’s crust |
|
|
Term
| Slate --> Schist --> Gneiss is the order of metamorphism. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| what is the relationship with metamorphism, crystal size, and coarseness of foliation? |
|
Definition
| As metamorphism increases in intensity, crystal/rock size increases and so does coarseness of foliation. |
|
|
Term
| What is foliation a result of? |
|
Definition
| Foliation is the result of compressive forces |
|
|
Term
| How are foliated rocks classified? |
|
Definition
| Foliated rocks are classified by the degree of cleavage, schistosity, and banding. |
|
|
Term
| Schists have the tendency to grow one mineral much larger than the others. The large mineral is called a_____? |
|
Definition
| porphyroblast (in the case of a metamorphic rock). |
|
|
Term
| The fact that certain minerals will grow only within a restricted range of temperatures and pressures gives way to the concept of using mineral assemblages to determine metamorphic conditions–--the minerals behave as ________ and ______? |
|
Definition
| paleothermometers and paleobarometers. |
|
|
Term
Metamorphic facies correspond
to particular combinations of
pressure and temperature and can be used to ________ |
|
Definition
| indicate specific tectonic environments |
|
|
