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GSC 110 > Exam #1 > Flashcards

Exam #1 Flashcards

(72 cards)

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1
Q

Geology

A

the study/science of the Earth

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2
Q

Earth System Concept

A

Earth is an interconnected system of air, water, rocks, and life; studying it this way provides a holistic approach

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3
Q

System

A

any part of Earth or the universe that is somewhat isolated and has something that sets it apart from its surroundings

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4
Q

3 types of systems

A

isolated, closed, open

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5
Q

Isolated

A

neither matter nor energy is transferred

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6
Q

Closed

A

energy is transferred, but matter is not

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7
Q

Open

A

both matter and energy are transferred

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8
Q

4 spheres of Earth

A

geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere –> all OPEN systems

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9
Q

Geocentric vs. Heliocentric

A

Earth-focused (everything revolves around Earth) vs. Sun-focused (everything revolves around the Sun)

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10
Q

Retrograde Motion

A

motion that is against the norm; planets exhibit this when they slow down and reverse direction briefly

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11
Q

Law of Gravitation

A

every body in the universe attracts every other body, resulting in elliptical orbit; components of distance and mass

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12
Q

What dictates a planet?

A

in orbit around the Sun, sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (round shape), has “cleared the neighborhood” of its orbit (planet’s gravity is enough to pull other smaller objects in)

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13
Q

Doppler Effect

A

light appears red as it moves further away; indicates that the universe is continually expanding

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14
Q

2 types of terrain on the moon

A

highlands and maria

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15
Q

Highlands

A

bright, densely cratered regions

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16
Q

Maria

A

dark regions, fairly smooth lowlands, originated from asteroid impacts and lava flooding surface

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17
Q

Light Years

A

light traveling at speed-of-light for 1 year; measure of distance, not time
how far light travels in a year

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18
Q

Makeup of the Sun (what we think)

A

6 concentric layers, 4 make up a sphere and the other 2 are external “gaseous” layers

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19
Q

Layers of the Sun

A

core (innermost), radiative (surrounds core), convective (energy moves by convection), photosphere (surface layer), chromosphere (low-density gas flaring out from Sun), and corona (forms solar wind)

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20
Q

Plasma

A

a form of matter in which gas is electrically charged

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21
Q

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

A

powerful storms release solar gas, so hot that they are electrified into a state of plasma, producing a CME

Magnetic field lines become over-energized and snap, causing plasma to soar into space at 2-5 million mph

X-class: strongest
M-class: medium
C-class: weakest

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22
Q

Earth layers

A

core (inner and outer), mantle, crust

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23
Q

Mechanical units of Earth

A

lithosphere, Mohorovic Discontinuity, asthenosphere, mesosphere, core

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24
Q

Lithosphere

A

composes the crust and uppermost part of mantle

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25
Moho Discontinuity
defines the distinction between the crust and the mantle, when the density changes
26
Asthenosphere
includes the mantle; plastic, deformable and flows a bit
27
Mesosphere
lowermost part of mantle
28
Core
outer core (liquid) and inner core (solid)
29
Continental Plate
made of continental crust, thicker, less dense, stands/floats on asthenosphere
30
Oceanic Plate
made of oceanic crust, thinner, denser, sinks lower on asthenosphere
31
Where does subduction occur?
Active margins
32
Active Margin
has a lot of subduction and tectonic plate activity, leading to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.
33
Passive Margin
much less tectonic activity, fewer tectonic events occur
34
Conduction
heat moves through a solid without physical movement
35
3 types of plate margins
divergent, convergent, transform (fault)
36
Divergent margin
spreading centers, where new plate is created, plates move apart
37
Convergent margin
two plates move together and one is forced under the other (subduction), or two plates collide and one is uplifted
38
Transform (fault) margin
where two plates slide past each other, grinding together; frequent cause of earthquakes
39
Wilson Cycle
process of "rift and drift" in which continental crust breaks (rifts) and moves apart (drifts) to form an ocean basin
40
Magnetic reversals
when magnetic field flips, a new stripe (showing the new polarity) begins --> wider stripes move faster than more narrow ones
41
What are the two zones for convergent margins?
subduction and collision
42
Subduction zone
where oceanic lithosphere sinks into asthenosphere 3 options: ocean hits continent and goes underneath, ocean hits ocean and one goes under the other, or continent hits continent and tends to form mountain range characterized by: deep trenches and chain of volcanic islands at surface
43
Collision zone
crust of two continents converges
44
Key point about collision and subduction
collision = subduction = destruction
45
Where is crust destroyed?
at subduction zones
46
Stick slip behavior
occurs in transform plate margins; plates stick together due to friction and deform and squish as more pressure is added, before sliding and returning to normal
47
Where do transform faults occur?
between spreading ridges
48
What drives plate tectonics?
believed to be because convection currents in asthenosphere are weakly connected to the lithosphere, so plate movement follows this convection
49
3 potential mechanisms for plate tectonics hypothesis
ridge push, subduction drag, gravity pull
50
Ridge push
creation of new plate pushes outward
51
Subduction drag
lithosphere dragged downward pulls plate
52
Gravity pull
lithosphere sliding down sloped asthenosphere
53
Geological Time Scale
2 components: first, position in sequence identifies Relative Age, and second, numerical age can be determined by analysis of the products of radioactive decay
54
Stratigraphy
the study of strata (layered rocks)
55
Law of Original Horizontality
states that water-laid sediments are deposited in strata that are horizontal or nearly horizontal
56
Principles of Stratigraphic Superposition
states that any sequence of sedimentary strata was deposited from bottom to top
57
Unconformity
a substantial break or gap in a stratigraphic series
58
Types of unconformities
angular, disconformity, nonconformity
59
Angular
older strata were deformed (tilted, folded) and then cut off by erosion before younger layers were deposited across them
60
Disconformity
an irregular surface of erosion between parallel strata; implies cessation of sedimentation and erosion but NOT tilting
61
Nonconformity
strata overlie igneous or metamorphic rock, so you have different rocks or young rocks laid on top of much older ones
62
Stratigraphic units
rock = formation time = system age = period
63
System
time NOT age chosen to represent a time interval sufficiently great so that such units can be used globally
64
Period
represents ACTUAL AGE (numerical)
65
What are some tools used to study geology?
remote sensing, radar and satellites, robotic measurements, GIS, remote vehicles, computer processing and modeling, etc.
66
What does GIS do?
represents the real world by breaking it up into different slices and categories (elevation, water features, boundaries, imagery, etc.)
67
Why does it make more sense that Earth revolves around the Sun? (evidence for heliocentric)
daily rising and setting of the Sun, change in seasons, movement of stars across the sky
68
explain the life cycle of a star
~10 billion years, hydrogen burns to form helium, forming a red giant, which eventually burns out and uses up all the hydrogen, so helium makes the switch to form carbon, forming a white dwarf, then the star burns out and releases the elements into space; alternatively, a supernova can experience gravitational collapse, which creates elements heavier than iron
69
how is a new Sun produced?
supernova collapses and creates new objects, and gravitational compression of gas at the center of the cloud produces nuclear burning and thus a new sun
70
where does new lithosphere from?
at spreading centers (new crust comes from the mantle, spreads outward from the mid-ocean ridge)
70
what do wide-age stripes indicate?
faster movement than narrower ones
71
Rule of Original Continuity
strata were originally deposited in continuous layers, and “missing pieces” were removed later

GSC 110 (2 decks)

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