Geology Flashcards
what is continental drift? how do we know the theory is true?
theory of how earths continents have moved over time slowly changing their positions and shaped, this is proven as they fit like a jixsaw puzzle
what is Pangaea
it is a hypothetical continent created by the movement of the plates
what is gondwana
a huge landmass that split to form India, south America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica
what is Laurasia
ancient landmass that split to form europe, asia, north America and greenland
What is geology about?
studying the earth’s matierials, structures and processes. involving examining rocks, minerals, fossils and landforms to understand how they formed and changed over time
How does earth movement work?
it is made up of many tectonic plates which can shift
where are earths boundaries?
boundaries are anywhere where this is a border between two edges
what are the different plate movements?
convergent: where 2 plates collide
divergent: where 2 plates move apart
transform: where 2 plates slide past each other
what is an earthquake?
rapid movement in the ground due to the shift of tectonic plates causing a rapid release of energy in the form of an earthquake or tsunami
where do earthquakes occur?
at the edge of tectonic plates, eg japan, Indonesia, china, turkey
what is a volcanic eruption?
where extremely hot material erupts from earth’s surface including gas, ash, volcanic rock and lava
where do volcanoes form?
near the edges of tectonic plates
what is the earths structure? how do we know this?
3 main layers
crust: the outer most layer of earth
mantle: earth’s interior between the crust and core
core: central part of the earth with inner and outer core
scientists know this by studying seismic waves
what are the 5 main rock types?
igneous: formed by melted rock deep in the earth
metamorphic: formed by other rocks which are changed by heat and pressure
sedimentary: formed through layers of silt, dead plants and sand, animal skeletons
extrusive: type of igneous rock formed when magma erupts on earth’s surface and cools
intrusive: type of igneous rock formed when hot magma cools beneath the surface and embeds in older rock layers.
what is Moh’s hardness scale?
rates hardness of minerals from their ability scratch softer minerals. a harder mineral can scratch a softer one but a softer one cannot scratch a harder one
