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Geology Board Exam day 1 > General Geo > Flashcards

General Geo Flashcards

1
Q

belives that the earth was created in 4004 BC and it’s landscape had been shaped primarily by great catastrophes.

A

Catastrophism

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2
Q

states that physical, chemical and biological laws that operate today also operated in the geologic past

A

Uniformitarianism

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3
Q

says that rocks are formed by emplacement and solidification of lava from volcanoes

A

Plutonism

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4
Q

plutonism is proposed by

A

James Hutton

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5
Q

concept that says rocks had settled out of a large ocean whose level gradually dropped over

A

Neptunism

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6
Q

same concept as uniformitarianism but the events occur at different rate

A

Actualism

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7
Q

father of stratigraphy

A

Nicholas Steno

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8
Q

Beds were originally deposited nearly horizontally due to gravitational pull

A

Law of Original Horizontality

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9
Q

Younger strata lie on top of the older strata

A

Law of superposition

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10
Q

strata are deposited laterally until sediments supply last or encounter any geologic barrier

A

Law of lateral continuity

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11
Q

laws proposed by Charles

A

Law of cross-cutting Relationship
Law of inclusion
Law of Fossil Succession

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12
Q

ordering strata by examining contained fossil

A

Law of Fossil Succession

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13
Q

structures that cut across strata are younger.

A

Law of cross-cutting Relationship

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14
Q

rocks that have been included are relatively older than the host rock.

A

Law of inclusion

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15
Q

Remains or traces of prehistoric life which were essential in the development of the geologic time scale

A

fossil

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16
Q

igneous or metamorphic rock inclusions

A

xenolith

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17
Q

sedimentary rock inclusions

A

Clasts

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18
Q

Clasts vs Xenolith

A
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19
Q

Events or strata are placed in their proper sequence or order without knowing their age

A

Relative Dating

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20
Q

Produce of calculating the approximate ages of rocks and minerals containing radioactive isotopes

A

Absolute Dating

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21
Q

A chart that divides the earth’s vast history (4.6 billion) into Eon, era, period and epochs that utilized the absolute and relative ages of the rocks

A

Geologic time scale

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22
Q

Hydrosphere covers_______z% of the earth’s surface and has a depth if about _______

A

71%, 3800m or 12,500ft

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23
Q

layer of gas that surrounds the earth is called

A

Atmosphere

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24
Q

Division of the atmosphere that extends from the mean sea lvl to about 100km sea lvl, mix of atmosphere gases is roughly constant

A

Homosphere

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25
Q

Found above the homosphere where the mixture of gases changes with altitude

A

Heterosphere

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26
Q

Lowest and densest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere
that extends from the mean sea level up to an average of 10 km above sea level, the tropopause, contains roughly about 80% of the mass of the Earth’s atmosphere, and where most of weather and climate phenomena are confined.

A

Troposphere

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27
Q

Extends to approximately about 9 km above sea level at poles, and approximately about 17 km above sea level at the equator.

A

Troposphere

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28
Q

Boundary between the Troposphere and the Stratosphere

A

tropopause

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29
Q

The second major layer in the atmosphere that extends from the Tropopause up to about 50 km above sea level, and contains the ozone layer.

A

Stratosphere

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30
Q

Boundary between the Stratosphere and Mesosphere.

A

Stratopause

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31
Q

Part of the atmosphere that contains relatively high concentration oh ozone, which also protects the Earth from UV rays, but traps the rays that enter.

A

Ozone Layer

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32
Q

Penetrates glass & deep into the skin, causing skin damage and aging.

A

UV-A

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33
Q

Dangerous between 10:00AM to 4:00PM, with its rays able to cause skin cancer, but can be easily blocked by glass & clothes. UV-C-Deadliest of the three UV rays, but mostly absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere.

A

UV-B

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34
Q

The third layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that extends from the Stratopause to about 85 km above sea level, with the temperature within this layer dropping with increasing altitude, having an average temperature of about -85°C.

A

Mesosphere

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35
Q

The boundary between the Mesosphere and Thermosphere.

A

Mesopause

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36
Q

also known as night clouds, these are tenuous cloud-like phenomena appearing in the Mesosphere.

A

Noctilucent clouds

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37
Q

The layer in the atmosphere that extends from the Mesopause to about 600 km above sea level, and is completely cloudless and water vapor free. Auroras also occur within this layer.

A

Thermosphere

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38
Q

A natural phenomena that are results of disturbances in the magnetosphere, caused by solar winds, and are found in high-latitude regions.

A

Auroras

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39
Q

A dynamic comet-shaped region around the planet created by the interaction of solar wind with Earth’s magnetic field, that acts as a barrier of Earth from space weather.

A

Magnetosphere

40
Q

orbits within the Thermosphere, between 350 and 420 km above sea level.

A

*The International Space Station (ISS)

41
Q

The outermost layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that extends up to 10,000 km above sea level, and contains most of the satellites orbiting Exobase-The boundary between the Thermosphere and Exosphere.
the planet.

A

Exosphere

42
Q

The global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere

A

Biosphere

43
Q

Note about biosphere

A

*Ocean life is concentrated in the sunlit surface water of the sea. On land, most life is concentrated near the surface, with tree roots and burrowing animals reaching a few meters underground, and flying insects and birds reaching about a kilometer above land.

44
Q

Encompasses the solid Earth that extends from the surface to the center of the planet, about 6,400 km deep.

A

Geosphere

45
Q

The process of transforming original pieces of matter into an ordered, concentric layers that are separated by physical and chemical properties.

A

Differentiation

46
Q

The process of gradual accumulation of additional layers of material, causing a growth or increase in body mass.

A

Accretion

47
Q

MODELS FOR EARTH’S ACCRETION & DIFFERENTIATION

A

Homogeneous Accretion (Ringwood, 1979), Heterogeneous Accretion (Turkenia and Clark, 1969),
Magma Ocean Model

48
Q

2-step process of Homogeneous Accretion (Ringwood, 1979)

A
  1. Accretion of a homogenous or undifferentiated proto-Earth
  2. Subsequent differentiation into a metallic core and silicate
    mantle.
49
Q

Core and mantle material simultaneously formed, but accreted and differentiated at separate times.

A

Heterogeneous Accretion (Turkenia and Clark, 1969)

50
Q

The Earth experienced a large-scale melting, that may have been due to continuous collisions of planetesimals the radioactive decay of short-lived nuclides or the effects of the excess greenhouse gases, and formed one or more magma oceans during the late stage of its accretion.

A

Magma Ocean Model

51
Q

LAYERS of the earth BY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

A

Crust, Conrod Discontinuity, Mantle, Mohorovicic Discontinuity, Core

52
Q

Outermost layer of the Earth by chemical composition.

A

Crust

53
Q

Boundary between Upper and Lower Crust.

A

Conrod Discontinuity

54
Q

A solid, rocky shell that constitutes the great bulk of the Earth, 83% by volume and 62% by mass, that extends to a depth of 2900 km deep. The uppermost part is dominantly peridotite.

A

Mantle

55
Q

Boundary between Crust and Mantle. 6300km

A

Boundary between Crust and Mantle. 6300km

56
Q

Central mass that’s about 3,480 km in radius, making up about 16% of the Earth’s volume, and composed of an iron-nickel alloy, with minor amounts of oxygen, silicon, and sulfur, with an average density of nearly 11 g/cm3 due to extreme pressure.

A

Core

57
Q

Boundary between Mantle and Core.

A

Gutenburg Discontinuity

58
Q

The rigid outer physical layer consisting of the entire crust and upper mantle, which rupture due to stress, producing earthquakes, and broken into large fragments called plates.

A

Lithosphere

59
Q

LAYERS of the earth BY MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

A

Lithosphere,
Mohorovicic Discontinuity,
Low Velocity Zone, Asthenosphere,
Transition Zone,
Repiti Discontinuity, Mesosphere,
D” Layer,
Ultra-Low Velocity Zone
Gutenburg Discontinuity
Outer Core
Geodynamo
Lehmann Discontinuity
Inner Core

60
Q

Boundary between Lithosphere and Asthenosphere.

A

Mohorovicic Discontinuity

61
Q

Contact between the Lithosphere and the Asthenosphere where small amounts of partial melting occur, causing decrease in P-wave velocity.

A

Low Velocity Zone

62
Q

Plastic and free-flowing enough not to rupture when subjected to stress, but have more rigid solids compared to the Low-Velocity Zone, which increases the P-wave velocity. It is dominantly composed of Olivine, Pyroxene, and Garnet.

A

Asthenosphere

63
Q

Contact between the Asthenosphere and the Mesosphere, where at this layer, Olivine transforms into Wadleysite, which transforms into Ringwoodite, and together with Garnet, transforms into Perovskite and Periclase at the depth of 660 km.

A

Transition Zone

64
Q

Boundary between Asthenosphere and Mesosphere.

A

Repiti Discontinuity

65
Q

The lower mantle extending from 660 km to 2900 km in depth. Dominantly composed of Perovskite, Periclase, Magnesiowustite, Stishovite, Ilmenite, and Ferrite.

A

Mesosphere

66
Q

Common site of anomalous seismic signals. Characterized by anomalously fast velocities that may have been caused by lithosphere subducted all the way down to the ______. It contains the Ultra-Low Velocity Zone (UVLZ) in the lowermost part.

A

D” Layer

67
Q

Found in the lowermost part of the D” Layer that causes a large decrease in P-Wave velocity, and may be related to the formation of deep mantle plumes within the lower mantle.

A

Ultra-Low Velocity Zone

68
Q

Boundary between Mesosphere and Outer Core.

A

Gutenburg Discontinuity

69
Q

A dramatic decrease in P-Wave velocity and absence of S-Wave due to the layer being liquid. It is highly incompressible with a density of 10-12 g/cm3. The circulation of the molten iron causes geodynamo. Dominantly composed of iron and nickel alloy.

A

Outer Core

70
Q

The production of most of Earth’s magnetic field.

A

Geodynamo

71
Q

Boundary between Outer Core and Inner Core.

A

Lehmann Discontinuity

72
Q

A solid inner core that is 13 g/cm3 in density, that has a rapid increase in P-Wave velocity and reoccurrence of S-Wave velocity. It is seismically anisotropic, which makes seismic velocity travel faster in one direction compared to the rest due to the parallel alignment of iron-rich crystals. Dominantly composed of iron and nickel alloy.

A

Inner Core

73
Q

earth’s external structure

A

Continents, and Ocean basins

74
Q

2 categories of continets

A
  1. Extensive, flat stable areas
  2. Uplifted regions
75
Q

Typically located in the interior of the continents.

A

Extensive, flat stable areas

76
Q

Long, narrow features at the margins of
continents.

A

Uplifted regions

77
Q

Average elevation of the continental features

A

0.8km

78
Q

Includes the region surrounding the Pacific
Ocean: the mountains of the western Americas and the island arcs in the eastern Pacific.

A

Circum-Pacific Belt

79
Q

Found along the boundary of the Indian plate and Eurasian plate.

A

Alps and the Himalayas

80
Q

a mountain range Found in the Eastern United States.

A

Appalachians

81
Q

a mountain range in Eurasia that runs north-south mostly through Russia

A

Urals

82
Q

The interiors of the continents that have been relatively stable or undisturbed for at least 600 million years.


A

Stable interior

83
Q

Expansive, flat regions composed of deformed crystalline rock, or highly deformed igneous and metamorphic rocks, that is typically a basement complex.

A

Shields

84
Q

Extensive, flat stable regions of the continents covered by a relatively thin veneer of sedimentary
rocks.

A

Stable platform/Craton

85
Q

Portion of the seafloor adjacent to major
landmasses.

A

Continental Margin

86
Q

A gently-sloping platform that extends seaward from the shore which is also considered as the flooded extension of the continents.

A

Continental Shelf

87
Q

A relatively steep drop-off that extends from the outer edge of the continental shelf to the floor of the deep ocean.

A

Continental Slope

88
Q

A thick accumulation of sediments that moved
downslope from the continental shelf to the deep-ocean floor.

A

Continental Rise

89
Q

The Earth’s surface is ___% ocean basins, and ___% continents

A

60, 40

90
Q

Area between the continental margins and oceanic ridges.

A

Deep-Ocean Basins

91
Q

Incredibly flat features in deep-ocean basins.

A

Abyssal Plains

92
Q

Extremely deep, relatively narrow depressions that are occasionally more than 11 km deep, with some located adjacent to young mountains or volcanic island arcs.

A

Deep-Ocean Trenches

93
Q

Submerged volcanic structures which sometimes form long narrow chains dotting the ocean floor.

A

Seamounts

94
Q

The most prominent feature on the ocean floor. This broad elevated feature forms a continuous belt that can wind for more than 70,000 km around the globe in a manner similar to the seam of the seam of a baseball.

A

Oceanic Ridges

95
Q

take note

A

The ocean floor also contains extremely deep depressions that are occasionally more than 11,000 m (36,000 ft.) deep.

Geology Board Exam day 1 (9 decks)

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