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GEOL 1010 > Chapter 1 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Geology

A

Science that examines Earth, its form and composition, and the changes that it has undergone and is undergoing

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2
Q

Physical geology

A

Examines materials composing Earth and seeks to understand the processes that operate beneath and upon its surface

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3
Q

Historical Geology

A

Division of geology that deals with origin of Earth and its development through time. Ex: Study of fossils

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4
Q

What are some of the potential impacts of global warming?

A

Rise in sea level, more extreme weather events, and extinction of many plants and animal species

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5
Q

Catastrophism

A

The concept that Earth was shaped by the catastrophic events of a short-term nature

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6
Q

Uniformitarianism

A
  • States that the physical, chemical, and biological processes that operate today have also operated in the geologic past
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7
Q

Hypothesis

A

Proposed explanation for a certain phenomenon that occurs in the natural world

  • Hypothesis must be testable and be possible to make predictions
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8
Q

Thory

A

A well-tested and widely accepted view that explains certain observable facts

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9
Q

Scientific Method

A

The process by which researchers raise questions, gather data, and formulate and test scientific hypothesis

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10
Q

What is Earth’s physical environment traditional divided into?

A
  1. Hydrosphere
  2. Atmosphere
  3. Geosphere
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11
Q

Hydrosphere

A

Dynamic mass of water that is continually on the move, evaporating from the oceans to the atmosphere, precipitating to the land, and running back to the ocean again.

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12
Q

Atmosphere

A

The gaseous portion of a planet, the planet’s envelope of air. One of the traditional subdivisions of Earth’s physical environment

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13
Q

Biosphere

A

Includes all life on Earth

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14
Q

Geosphere

A

The solid Earth; one of Earth’s four basic spheres

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15
Q

Earth System Science

A

An interdisciplinary study that seeks to examine Earth as a system composed of numerous interacting parts or subsystems

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16
Q

System

A

A group of interacting or interdependent parts that form a complex whole

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17
Q

Hydrologic cycle

A

The unending circulation of Earth’s water among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere

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18
Q

What two energy sources power the Earth system?

A
  1. Sun
  2. Earth’s interior
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19
Q

The parts of the Earth system are _____ so that a change in one part can produce changes in any or all of the other parts

A

linked

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20
Q

What is the big bang and how long ago did it happen?

A

Large explosion that sent all matter of the universe flying outward at incredible speed. The debris began to cool over time and condense into the first stars and galaxies. Happened about 13.7 billion years ago

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21
Q

Nebular theory

A

A model for the origin of the solar system that supposes a rotating nebula of dust and gases that contracted to form the Sun and planets

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22
Q

Solar Nebula

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A

The cloud of interstellar gas and/or dust from which the bodies of our solar system formed

23
Q

What are the three divisions of Earth’s interior?

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A
  • Core
  • Mantle
  • Crust
24
Q

What are three key features of seafloor bathymetry?

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A
  1. Mid-Ocean ridges: Sharp ridges rising 2-2.5 km below sea level
  2. deep ocean trenches: Narrow elongated trenches reaching 8-12km below sea level
  3. Fracture zones: Many ocean basins are cut by narrow bands of fractures that run approx. perpendicular to the ridges
25
Paleomagnetism
Both the strength and the polarity of earth's magnetic field have changed through time
26
What are the three different types of plate boundaries?
Divergent, convergent, and transform
27
What evidence did Wegener have to support his hypothesis of continental drift?
1. Fit of the continents: continents can be arranged to join with nearly no overlap or gaps 2. Location of past glaciation 3. Distribution of tropical climates: coals, evaporite minerals, desert sand dunes, and reefs matched up on continents 4. Distribution of fossils: Fossils matched up such as Mesosaurus
28
Magnetite
Preserves a magnetic field
29
Igneous rocks
generated by cooling and solidifying a melted magma or lava.
30
Bathymetry
Topography of the sea floor
31
What is sea floor spreading and who came up with the idea
* Harry Hess *
32
Plate tectonnics
* Earth's lithosphere is divided into a number of pieces called plates * These plates of rigid lithosphere ride over the softer, ductile asthenosphere * Motion of these plates cause nearly all geologic features we observe on the earth's surface
33
How have we learned about the composition and structure of Earth's interior?
Analyzing the seismic waves from earthquakes
34
Crust
* Thin, rocky outer skin consisting of continental crust and oceanic crust * Oceanic crust is younger and denser than continental rocks
35
What is the mantle? What are the three parts of the upper mantle? What is the lower mantle?
* Solid, rocky shell * Uppermost mantle is made of peridotite, contains the lithosphere (upper), asthenosphere (weak sphere), transition zone (bottom part) * Lower Mantle: Zone goes to the core, rocks are hot here. Contains the D" layer
36
Core? What are the two different regions?
* Innermost layer of Earth. Thought to be largely an iron-nickel alloy with minor amounts of oxygen, silicon, and sulfur * Contains Outer core (liquid layer with metallic iron) and inner core (contains solid iron)
37
Minerals
Chemical compounds, each with their own composition and physical properties
38
What are the three major rock groups?
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
39
Rock Cycle
A model that illustrates the origin of the three basic rock types and the interrelatedness of Earth materials and processes
40
What is Magma?
* Molten rock that forms deep beneath Earth's surface * Magma cools and solidifies over time in a process called crystallization
41
Igneous rock
Rock formed from the crystallization of magma
42
Sedimentary Rock
Rock formed from the weathered products of preexisting rocks that have been transported, deposited, and lithified
43
Metamorphic Rock
Rock formed by the alteration of preexisting rock deep within Earth (but still int he solid state) by heat, pressure, and/or chemically active fluids * When it is subjected to additional pressure or higher temperatures, it melts, creating magma
44
What are the two principal divisions of Earth's surface?
Ocean basins and continents
45
Ocean basins
Deep submarine region that lies beyond the continental margins
46
Continents
Large, continuous area of land that includes the adjacent continental shelf and islands that are structurally connected to the mainland. Less dense than ocean basins and hence more buoyant
47
What are the three major regions of the ocean floor?
Continental margins, deep-ocean basins, and oceanic (mid-ocean) ridges
48
Continental Margin
Portion of the seafloor that is adjacent to the continents. (includes the continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise)
49
Deep ocean basins
The portion of seafloor that lies between the continental margin and the oceanic ridge system. This region comprises almost 30% of Earth's surface * Consists of abyssal plains * Deep ocean trenches * Seamounts
50
Oceanic Ridges
Continuous mountainous ridge on the floor of all the major ocean basins and varying in width. Rifts at the crests of these ridges represent divergent plate boundaries
51
Mountain belts
A geographic area of roughly parallel and geologically connected mountain ranges developed as a result of plate tectonics
52
Cratons
Part of the continental crust that has attained stability (not affected by significant tectonic activity
53
Shields
Large, relatively flat expanse of ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks within the craton
54
Stable Platforms
Part of a carton that is mantled by relatively undeformed sedimentary rocks and underlain by a basement complex of igneous and metamorphic

GEOL 1010 (3 decks)

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