Chapter 1 - The Earth Flashcards
(27 cards)
Name the most inner layer of the earth.
The core
What two metals does the core compress?
1) Iron
2) Nickel
What layer surrounds the core?
The mantle
What is the mantle made of?
Semi-molten rock known as magma.
Name the outermost layer of the earth.
The crust.
What is continental drift?
The process of the earth’s continents moving as a result of tectonic plates moving on the surface of the crust.
Describing how tectonic plates move.
Tectonic plates move as a result of convection currents in the mantle: the core is very hot so the magma moves upward. The magma then cools and sinks back downwards. As the magma moves there is friction between the plates and the magma, this causes the plates to move.
What land feature forms when tectonic plates collide?
Fold mountain (e.g. The Rockies)
Name the land feature that forms when tectonic plates separate.
Volcanoes (e.g. Mt. St. Helens)
What occurs as tectonic plates slide past each other.
Earthquakes (e.g. The sischuan earthquake)
What is the fault line?
The line which plates slide past each other.
What is the focus?
The point where the earthquake originates in the earth’s crust.
What is the epicentre?
The point on the earths surface directly above the focus.
At what area is the earthquake most damaging?
The epicentre
What is an aftershock?
Smaller tremors that follow the earthquake. They may be more dangerous than the earthquake because buildings have already been weakened by the earthquake.
How are earthquakes measured?
Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale by a seismograph.
Give 3 effects of a named earthquake.
The sischuan earthquake:
1) Many people died
2) Many people were made homeless
3) Animals were killed
4) Landslides (resulting from the earthquake) disrupted communications
What is a tsunami?
An underwater earthquake that causes a massive wave. They are equally devastating.
Name a country that has benefit from volcanic activity. Mention 3 of these benefits.
Iceland:
1) creates geothermal energy
2) centrally heats houses
3) heats greenhouse gases for growing vegetables
Name a volcano that has negativity impacted a named region. Mention 3 of these impacts.
Mt. St. Helens, USA:
1) Killed people
2) Stripped down forests
3) Melted snow at the summit mixed with ash to form mudflows that blocked shipping channels.
Name the three states of a volcano and describe each.
1) Active - Frequently erupts.
2) Dormant - Has not erupted in recent times.
3) Extinct - Has not erupted in recorded times.
Name the location where most of the worlds active volcanoes are found.
The Pacific ring of fire
What is the name given to an underwater mountain range?
A mid ocean ridge.
Give an example of a mid ocean ridge.
The mid Atlantic ridge
