EARTH SCIENCE Flashcards by Jzahna Caguete

The largest division of time

Eon

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Internal processes that occur within the earth

Endogenic Process

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main endogenic processes

FOLDING & FAULTING or Tectonic Movements

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Where do endogenic processes take place?

Plate bounderies

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The processes by which folds formed are due to compressional forces

FOLDING

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When two forces push towards each other from opposite sides, the rock layers will bend into _____?

FOLDS

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2 SCALE FOLDS

large scale folds and small scale folds

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It is found mainly along destructive plate boundaries.

Large scale folds

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The fracturing and displacement of more
brittle rock strata along a fault plane either caused by tension or compression.

FAULTING

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A break in rock along which a vertical or horizontal rock movement has occurred

FAULT

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These lines are often lining of weakness which allow molten rock to rise onto the earth surface when there is active volcanic activity nearby

FAULTING

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TYPES OF FAULT

Dip-slip fault
Strike-slip fault

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occurs when the movement of
the two blocks are vertical.

Dip-slip Fault

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A type of fault described by vertical movement.

Dip-slip Fault

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occurs when the movement of the two
blocks is horizontal. (Transform or Lateral Movement)

Strike-slip Fault

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OTHER ENDOGENIC PROCESSES

Volcanism

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Also known as magmatism

VOLCANISM

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When folding and faulting occur cracks
o r fr a c t u r e s w h i c h a r e l i n e s o f
weakness are created.

Volcanism

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This allows magma to rise along the lines of
weakness and intrude into the crust

Volcanism

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Mixture of melted rock and trapped gases that buoyantly rises toward the earth’s surface

Magma

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Mixture of minerals and gases and results in
different types of lava flows

Magma

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Types of Volcanoes

CINDER CONE
COMPOSITE VOLCANO
SHIELD VOLCANO

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simplest type of volcano

CINDER CONE VOLCANO

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Rarely rise higher than 300 meters above ground
level

Mostly have bowl-shaped crater at the summit and
rarely rise more than a thousand feet

CINDER CONE VOLCANO

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Sometimes called strato volcanoes

COMPOSITE VOLCANOES

Typically steep-sided, symmetrical cones of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks and bombs May rise as much as 8,000 ft

COMPOSITE VOLCANOES

Built almost entirely of fluid lava flows

SHIELD VOLCANO

Flow after flow pours out in all directions from a central summit vent, or group of vents, building a broad, gently sloping cone of flat, domical shape, with a profile much like that of a warrior shield.

SHIELD VOLCANO

An endogenic process which occurs when there is pressure and heat applied to geologic structures which leads to the formation of metamorphic rocks

Metamorphism

A sudden shaking or vibration in the earth’s crust.

Earthquake/(Seismic Activity)

The area beneath the earth’s surface wherein rocks under stress undergo breakage

FOCUS (hypocenter)

It is the point of first break in a fault during an earthquake

FOCUS (hypocenter)

The point on the surface directly above the focus

EPICENTER

are vibrations that move out from the focus in all directions during an earthquake

SEISMIC WAVES

an instrument that records and measures seismic waves

Seismograph

depth from the earth’s surface to the region where an earthquake’s energy originates

FOCAL DEPTH

KINDS OF EARTHQUAKES

SHALLOW EARTHQUAKE INTERMEDIATE EARTHQUAKES DEEP - FOCUSED EARTHQUAKES

occur within the depth of the continental crust have focal depths from the surface to about 70 km

Shallow Earthquake

occur in the upper part of the mantle having focal depths from about 70-300 km

Intermediate Earthquake

occur in the lower part of the upper mantle have focal depths from about 300-700km

Deep Focused Earthquake

Scientists use 2 methods to determine the age of fossils:

Relative and Absolute dating

Determining how old something is compared to something else

Relative dating

Use words like “older” or “younger” instead of exact numbers

relative dating

Rules of Relative Dating

Law of Superposition Law of Original Horizontality Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships Law of Inclusion

When sedimentary rock layers are deposited, younger layers are on top of older deposits.

Law of Superposition

Sedimentary rock layers are deposited horizontally. If they are tilted, folded, or broken, it happened later.

Law of Original Horizontality

If an igneous intrusion or a fault cuts through existing rocks, the intrusion/fault is YOUNGER than the rock it cuts through

Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships

If rock or rock fragments are included within another rock layer, the rock fragments must be older than the rock layer they were embedded

Law of Inclusion

A surface that corresponds with a gap in sedimentation resulting from nondeposition or erosion.

Unconformity

Rocks above any unconformity are ____ than those below it.

younger

Types of unconformity

Angular Unconformity Disconformity Nonconformity

The rocks below the unconformity are tilted. The rocks above it are parallel

Angular Unconformity

The bed above and below the surface are parallel. It can be recognized by correlating one area to another and discovering some strata are missing in one area.

Disconformity

Intrusive igneous or metamorphic rocks are overlain by sedimentary rocks. It occurs if the metamorphic and intrusive igneous rocks undergo uplift erosion and the overlain sedimentary rocks.

Nonconformity

Determining how old something is Use numbers (in millions of years, mya) Only works for Igneous Rocks

Absolute dating

Determines the specific age of a fossil Looks at chemical properties

Absolute Dating

2 types of absolute dating

Carbon-14 (radiocarbon) Potassium-Argon

Also known as Radiocarbon dating

Carbon-14 (radiocarbon)

Used to date organic substances

Carbon-14 (radiocarbon)

Scientists measure the radiocarbon in the fossil to determine its age Can only date specimens up to about 60,000 years old

Carbon-14 (radiocarbon)

Scientists determine the age of the rock surrounding the fossil to determine the fossil’s age.

Potassium-Argon Dating

Used only for inorganic substances (rocks and minerals)

Potassium-Argon Dating

Scientists measure the amount of argon in the rock to determine its age Dates rock 60,000 years old and older

Potassium-Argon Dating

When magma/lava cools, radioactive elements are incorporated into the minerals

How Absolute Dating Works

- These elements begin to decay at a known rate starting when the rock cools - We can measure how much of the element is left - Tells us how much time has passed since the rock formed.

No life possible as the Earth initially forms ?

4.6 billion years ago

No life possible as the Earth initially forms 4.6 billion years ago.

The Proterozoic Eon