chapter 1-2 test 1 Flashcards
(40 cards)
Geology
The study of the earth
Catastrophism
earths landscape is shaped by catastrophes over short period of time (17th and 18th century)
Uniformitanism
Earths landscape occurred over many years in cycles- natural world is predictable.
Law of Superposition
Law that the youngest layers of rocks are on the top with the older beneath them.
Principles of Fossil Sucession
fossilized organisms succeed each other one where they are found. Higher in the sediment is younger, lower is older.
How old is earth?
4.6 billion years old
How old is the universe?
13.8 billion years old
Archaeological Geology
Buildings, pottery, strutures
Forensic Geology
murders
Geomorphology
earths surface
hydrogeology
Study of groundwater
paleoclimatology
study of prehistoric climate
paleontology
study of fossils
seismology
study of earthquakes
volcanology
volcanos
James Hutton
Founder of Modern geology. Author of Theory of Earth… in 1795. basically came up with the rock cycle idea.
Relative Dating
no specific time. Just dating based on knowing if one thing is older than another and comparing
Metomorphic
rock undergoes a change from heat or pressure
Igneous
magma cooling/crystalizing
sedimentary
sediments cementing and hardening, through lithification
crust
low density. continental crust, and oceanic crust.
oceanic crust
thinner, basalt
continental crust
thicker, granite
layers of the earth by composition. 3
crust, mantle, core