Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Oceanography
ATOC-GEOG 3070
44
Geology
Undergraduate 4
09/03/2015

Additional Geology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
plate tectonics
Definition
the theory that the outermost portion of earth is composed of a patchwork of thin, rigid plates that move horizontally with respect one another
Term
Alfred Wegener
Definition
first scientist to advance the idea of mobile continents in 1912.

Coined 'continental drift'
Term
pangea
Definition
ancient mega continent
Term
pantalassa
Definition
ancient mega-sea
Term
what drives plate motion
Definition
slab pull and slab suction
Term
slab pull
Definition
the pull generated by subduction that pulls the rest of the slab with it
Term
slab suciton
Definition
as the subducting plate drags against the mantle and causes the mantle to flow towards the subduction zone, thus pulling in nearby plates.
Term
rift valley
Definition
a common feature along the MOR.. the plates are continuously being pulled apart, instead of being pushed apart by the upwelling magma.
Term
oceanic rises
Definition
the gently sloping and fast-spreadin parts of the MOR
Term
oceanic ridges
Definition
steep sloping and slow spreading areas of the MOR
Term
nematath
Definition
A chain of extinct volcanoes as you move away from a hotspot.

Ex: the Hawaiian Islands
Term
evidence of continental drift
Definition
matching sequences of rock and mountain chains.

similar rok types, ages, and structures on different continents.
Term
paleomagnetisim
Definition
study of earth'smagnetic field.

showed polar wandering
Term
Harry Hess
Definition
WWII submarine captain and geologist.
Depth recordings that showed sea floor features.
Wrote "History of Ocean Basins" that showed seafloor spreading and mantle convection cells as driving mechanism.
Term
mid ocean ridge
Definition
spreading center
Term
subduction zones
Definition
where trenches form. crust is destroyed.
Term
Frederick Vine and Drummond Matthews
Definition
1963
Analysis of igneous rock stripes around mid ocean ridges that record Earth's magnetic polarity.
Term
Ocean Floor Age
Definition
oldest is 180 million y.o.
discovered in late 1960s
Term
Plate tectonics theory
Definition
Plates in lithosphere float on ductile asthenosphere
Term
3 spreading centers
Definition
Oceaninc rise
Oceanic ridge
Ultra-slow
Term
oceaninc rise
Definition
fast spreading
gentle slopes
found in east pacific
Term
oceaninc ridge
Definition
slow spreading
steep slopes
found in mid-atlantic
Term
ultra-slow
Definition
deep rift valley
widley scattered volcanoes
arctic and southwest india
Term
kimberlite pipes
Definition
gaseous volcanic eruptions from mantle.
mantle rock is thown out
rock is called "periodotite" and is ultra mafic(very high in iron and magnesium)
can also contain diamonds.
Term
P waves
Definition
primary waves. Waves of compression, they travel by expanding and compressing parallel to the direction of movement. can travel through both liquids and solids.
Term
s waves
Definition
shear waves and travel perpendicular to the direction of movement of wave.
Term
James Hutton
Definition
1700's.
A scottish physician interested in geology.
Disagreed with creationism, said earth's creation was slow, not sudden.
Formulated the "Principle of Uniformitarianism" which states that we can learn about the past by studying the present.
Term
John Tuzo Wilson
Definition
Pulled continental drift and sea floor spreading into comprehensive plate tectonics theory.
Term
physical oceanography
Definition
waves, tides currents heat transfer, tsunamis
Term
geological
Definition
sea floor topography including volcanoes, geothermal vents, earthquakes, canyons, mountains.
Term
Thor Heyerdahl
Definition
sailed on the "Kon Tiki", a balsa raft, to demonstrate migration of South Americans to the Pacific Islands
Term
Phoenecians
Definition
W. Hemisphere navigators circa 2000 BC.
Explored Mediterranean, Red, and Indain Ocean.
Circumnavigated Africa
Reached British Islands
Term
Herodotus
Definition
made inaccurate world map around 450BC
Term
Ptolemy
Definition
Produced accurate map 150 AD.
Wrongly estimated the circumference of the Earth which caused Columbus to believe he had reached Asia.
Term
crust compostition
Definition
low density, silicate minerals
Term
mantle composition
Definition
mainly iron and magnesium silicate minerals
Term
Core composition
Definition
high density iron and nickel
Term
Stanley Miller's Experiment
Definition
Organic molecules formed by ultraviolet light, electrical sparks, and a mixture of water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, metane, and ammonia.
Term
Hypatia
Definition
first notable woman who was a philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. was brutally murdered by Early Christians.
Term
Matthew Maury
Definition
Naval officer that was crippled and made a database of wind and temperature data that became essential to shortening sailing times.

Known as "Father of Physical OceanographY"
Term
Lithogenous
Definition
AKA terrigenous.
Produced by weathering
Term
Order of grain size
Definition
Boulder
Cobble
Pebble
Granule
Sand
Silt
Clay
Term
Neritic Distribution
Definition
Shallow water deposits
close to land
mostly lithogenous
typically deposited quickly
Term
pelagic
Definition
deeper water
finer grained
deposited slowly
Supporting users have an ad free experience!