Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Honors Science > District Final Exam > Flashcards

District Final Exam Flashcards

geology/rocks/volcanoes/landforms (97 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is the Theory of Continental Drift?

A

It is a theory that explains that all the continents were once one big supercontinent called Pangaea and the continents have been in constant movement, movement to where they are now.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

2) What is Pangaea?

A

The supercontinents name that Alfred Wegener used when all the continents were combined.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

3) How did evidence from rock formations support Wegner’s theory?

A

Very similar shaped mountains in similar areas and positions were found in both North America and Scotland, for example

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

4) How did evidence from fossils support Wegner’s theory?

A

Fossils of the same fresh water species were found in two ocean( saltwater) separated continents. Ex) mesosaurus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

5) How did climatic evidence support Wegner’s theory?

A

Plant remains have been found in areas of the world that today cannot carry these plants because of the current climate, demonstrating how the remains are from a long time ago on the supercontinent that drifted and separated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

6) Why was Wegner’s theory rejected?

A

He died in a blizzard before he could figure out and test how the continents could have drifted.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

1) What are mid-ocean ridges?

A

Oceans spread apart on divergent boundaries create mid-ocean-ridges. On example is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

2) What are deep-ocean trenches?

A

Seafloor crust subducts into underwater canyons, forming deep ocean trenches.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

3) Where are the youngest rocks on the seafloor found? Why?

A

Found closest to the mid ocean ridges because the crust is constantly moving away from the ridge that is created.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

4) Where are the oldest rocks on the seafloor found? Why?

A

They are found near ocean boundaries and basins because they are the farthest point from the ridge at which they were created.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

5) What is a magnetic reversal?

A

An interchange of Earth’ s magnetic north and south pole due to a reverse in the magnetic field.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

7) What is an isochron?

A

A diagram that dates various rock materials.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

8) Explain the process of seafloor spreading.

A

New Oceanic crust is form when magma rises through mid ocean ridges (formed at log cracks in oceanic crust). This new magma constantly pushes the seafloor from below, causing it to spread.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

1) What are tectonic plates?

A

Areas in which the lithosphere is broken into smaller pieces.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

2) How fast do tectonic plates move?

A

They move very slowly, roughly the length of a fingernail each year (2 cm).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

3) Identify the three types of plate boundaries.

A

Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

4) What is a divergent boundary and where do most occur?

A

Where two plates spread apart, and they occur underwater at mid ocean ridges.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

5) What are convergent boundaries?

A

Where two plates push together.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

6) What is subduction?

A

The process in which a given plate (the denser one) slides under another plate and into the mantle.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

7) What is a transform boundary?

A

Where two plates slide/scrape by each other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

8) By what are transform boundaries characterized?

A

Mostly by earthquakes, the San Andres fault is a prime example.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

1) What is convection?

A

The transfer of heat by the means of movement, in which hot rises and cool sinks.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

2) What is the driving mechanism of plate tectonics?

A

Convection currents in the mantle.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

3) How is movement at divergent and convergent boundaries related to mantle convection?

A

Tectonic plates float as soft rock from the mantle rises and sinks in convection currents. This creates slow movement that carries the plates along and can bring them together (convergent) or away from each other (divergent) in doing so.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
1) What is volcanism?
The term used for when molten lava within the Earth erupts to the surface.
26
2) Where do most volcanoes occur?
At plate boundaries.
27
3) Describe the Ring of Fire
An area in which there are occurrences of many, many volcanoes and therefore earthquakes and is located on the boundaries of the Pacific plate.
28
4) What is a hot spot and give an example?
An abnormally warm area in which hot mantle is rising from within Earth, and an example is some parts of Yellowstone National Park.
29
6) What is a vent?
A vent is an opening in the seafloor that releases hot, usually toxic gasses and fluids.
30
7) What is a crater?
A bowl shaped depression at the point of a volcano where gasses and lava erupts.
31
8) What is a caldera and how can it become a lake?
A large depression that is left behind after a volcano is formed. It can form a lake after precipitation has fallen consistently.
32
9) Identify the three types of volcanoes.
Cinder cone, shield, and composite (stratovolcanoes).
33
10) What is a shield volcano and give an example.
A dome shaped volcano with sides that gently slope. Basaltic lava fluid spews out of it when it erupts. One example is Mauna Loa
34
11) What is a cinder cone and give an example.
The most common; built up from congealed lava from previous eruptions and are steep and conical. One example is Mauna Kea.
35
12) What is a composite volcano and give an example.
A large volcano built up from lava flow. One example is Mount Rainier. These alternate eruptions and lava flows.
36
1) What happens to temperature and pressure with depth beneath the surface?
The deeper it is, the higher the temperature and pressure.
37
2) What determines a volcano’s ability to explode?
The composition of magma along with the ability of the gas readily escape determines a volcanoes ability to explode.
38
3) Describe how the amount of dissolved gases in magma affect its ability to explode.
Gas within magma is the driving force for eruptions.
39
4) What is viscosity?
Thickness-the amount of silica in lava. It is also the ability to flow.
40
5) Describe how the silica content of magma affects its properties.
The silica content of magma controls its viscosity, as well as the rock type that forms. High silica=thick lava and potentially explosive eruption.
41
6) Describe a quiet eruption.
Also called effusive eruptions, quiet eruptions are characterized by their vast pourings of easily running, fluid like lava across the surface.
42
7) What causes an explosive eruption? A large amount of gas trapped in the magma, building up extensive pressure to the point of explosion.
A large amount of gas trapped in the magma, building up extensive pressure to the point of explosion.
43
8) What is a pyroclastic flow?
This describes the great speed at which lava and other materials that are ejected from a volcano in an explosive eruption flow downslope.
44
1) What is a pluton?
A body of intrusive igneous rock.
45
2) What is a batholith?
A large amount of igneous rock that intrudes deep into the Earth's crust.
46
3) What is a stock?
An irregularly shaped pluton that is similar to a batholith but smaller in size. This generally forms 5-30 km beneath Earth's surface and cuts across older rock.
47
4) What is a laccolith?
A lens shaped mass of igneous rock that has been intruded between rock strata. This causes a dome-shaped uplift.
48
5) What is a sill?
A planar igneous rock that is intruded parallel to the primary structure of its host rocks or bedding.
49
6) What is a dike?
Instead of a horizontal sill, it is a vertical one but called a dike.
50
1) What is the cause of most earthquakes?
Most earthquakes are caused by sudden slips on a fault when a tectonic plate gets stuck due to friction.
51
2) What is stress?
Stresses are forces that cause deformation in rocks (of size or shape).
52
3) Identify the three types of stress.
Compression, Shear, tension.
53
4) What is a fault?
Defined as a fracture or fracture zone between two rock blocks.
54
5) Identify the three kinds of faults.
Strike-Slip, Reverse, and Normal.
55
6) What is a reverse fault?
When the rock above the fault moves up in relation to the block below it. The hanging wall pushes alongside the footwall.
56
7) What is a normal fault?
AKA a dip-slip fault, when the block above the fault moves down in relation to the block below it. It is a vertical shift.
57
8) What is a strike-slip fault?
When vertical fractures cause blocks to move horizontally.
58
9) What type of stress causes each type of fault?
Compression- reverse faults Shear- strike- slip faults Tension- normal
59
10) What are seismic waves?
The vibrations caused by energy-carrying earthquakes.
60
11) Identify the three types of seismic waves.
p-waves (primary) s-waves (secondary) and surface waves.
61
12) Describe primary waves.
They push and pull the ground like an accordian. They are the fastest and cause the least amount of damage.
62
13) Describe secondary waves.
These shake the ground side to side or up and down. They are in the middle-speed wise and cause medium damage.
63
14) Describe surface waves.
These cause the ground to roll up and down and side to side. They are the slowest and cause the most damage.
64
15) Through what types of materials can P waves and S waves travel?
P-waves; solid liquid and gas S-waves; solids.
65
16) What is the focus of an earthquake?
The focus of an earthquake is the point below the surface where rocks begin to move.
66
17) What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
The epicenter of an earthquake is the point right above the focus.
67
1) What is a seismometer?
It detects earthquakes by converting vibrations from seismic waves into electrical signals displayed on a computer or paper.
68
2) In what order do seismic waves reach a seismograph?
P waves travel the fastest and are the first to be seen, S waves are slightly slower and the next to be seen, surface waves are the slowest and appear last.
69
3) How does the difference in arrival time between P and S waves determine epicenter distance?
The further the seismic station is from the epicenter , the greater the difference between the arrival of P waves and S waves . S waves also arrive later than p waves in the first place.
70
7) How do seismic waves provide geologists Information about the Earth’s interior?
Seismic waves allow geologists to learn about the layers of the Earth. (ex) core, mantle, crust.
71
1) What is the Richter Scale?
It rates earthquakes based on the size of their seismic waves.
72
2) What is magnitude?
The measure of energy released during an earthquake which can be described by the richter scale.
73
3) What is the Moment magnitude Scale?
Used the most, rates earthquakes according to how much total energy is released.
74
4) What is the Mercalli Scale?
Based on how much damage earthquakes cause at a specific location. It also uses Roman numerals.
75
5) How is the epicenter of an Earthquake located?
The epicenter of an earthquake is located by triangulation. This is shown when three seismometer readings are graphed in circles. The place where all three circles intersect is where the epicenter is.
76
1) What is soil liquefaction?
Soil liquefaction is when soil stiffness and strength is reduced by shaking from an earthquake.
77
2) What is a tsunami?
Giant waves caused by underwater volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.
78
1) What is topography?
Topography is the arrangement of features (natural and artificial)
79
2) What percentage of the Earth’s surface is above sea level? Below sea level?
Above- 29% below- 71%
80
3) Of what is oceanic rock composed and what is its density?
Density- roughly 3g/cm3 Composed of basalt and gabbro.
81
4) Of what is continental crust and what is its density?
Density- roughly 2.7g/cm3 Composed of mainly granite
82
5) What is the density of the mantle?
4.5g/cm3
83
6) What is isostasy?
The settling or rising of a portion of the lithosphere in order to maintain an equilibrium.
84
7) What are roots?
Deeper areas below a mountain range that extend into the mantle.
85
8) What happens to mountains’ roots when crust is eroded?
Roots rise up out from the middle.
86
9) What is isostatic rebound?
Depressed land masses rise after the weight of huge sheets of ice is removed.
87
1) What is orogeny?
Earths crust is deformed and folded by lateral compression from a mountain range.
88
2) What are compressive forces?
The compaction of an object by physical force.
89
3) How are the three kinds of convergent boundaries classified?
ocean-ocean, ocean-continent, continent-continent.
90
4) What happens at oceanic-oceanic boundaries? Give an example.
One oceanic plate subducts under another Ex) Marianas trench.
91
5) What happens at oceanic- continental boundaries? Give an example.
Oceanic crust is destroyed, new continental crust is formed Ex) Nazca plate
92
6) What happens at continental- continental boundaries? Give an example.
Mountains are created Ex) Himalayas.
93
7) Rank the mountains formed at each convergent boundary according to size.
continent-continent ocean-continent ocean-ocean
94
1) Describe the mountains formed at divergent boundaries.
Submarine mountain ranges are formed.
95
2) Describe an uplifted mountain?
Vertical elevation of a mountain is increased in response to natural causes.
96
3) What is a plateau?
A level area of uplifted ground.
97
what is a fault-block mountain?
Formed by large blocks when crust moves apart, fault-block mountains are broken up, large areas of bedrock.

Honors Science (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions