Geomorphology Flashcards
(96 cards)
1
Q
terrestrial plants are (4)
A
- Mercury
- Venus
- Mars
- Earth
2
Q
Jovian (AKA gas giants) are
A
- Jupiter
- Saturns
- Uranus
- Neptune
3
Q
Uniformitarianism
A
processes that are happening today occurred in the same way in the past.
4
Q
is this uniformitarianism or catastrophism
Key to the past is the present
A
uniformitarianism
5
Q
is this uniformitarianism or catastrophism
earth is young
A
Catastrophism
6
Q
is this uniformitarianism or catastrophism
Earth is old
A
uniformitarianism
7
Q
catastrophism
A
earth is formed through unique supernatural means and affected by a series of catastrophes
8
Q
earth is _____ years old
A
4.6 billion
9
Q
periods of time from greatest to smallest
A
- eons
- eras
- periods
- epochs
- ages
10
Q
eons
A
hundreds of millions to billions of years
11
Q
eras
A
many millions of years
12
Q
periods
A
millions of years
13
Q
epochs
A
few million years
14
Q
ages
A
thousands of years
15
Q
what’s period are we in
A
Holocene
16
Q
periods are divided by
A
mass extinction events
17
Q
endogenic vs exogenic
A
endogenic
builds things up
exogenic
breaks things down to SEA LEVEL
18
Q
where does exogenic process break things down to
A
SEAL LEVEL
19
Q
examples of exogenic
A
- weathering
- mass movements
- erosions
20
Q
examples of endogenic
A
- rock formations
- plate tectonics
- isostatic adjustments
21
Q
what would earth look like with ONLY endogenic processes
A
very high and flat
22
Q
what would earth look like with ONLY exogenic processes
A
very low with lots of bumps
23
Q
what creates our topology
A
both endogenic and exogenic
24
Q
a planet is a _______ body
A
celestial
25
what defines a planet
1. an orbit around a sun
2. has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (a nearly round shape)
3. has "cleared the neighbourhood" around its orbit
26
the three dwarf planets are
Ceres
Pluto
2003 UB313
27
what separates terrestrial and jovian planets
asteroid belt
28
terrestrial or jovian planets
smaller
terrestrial
29
terrestrial or jovian planets
larger
jovian
30
jovian or terrestrial planets
closest to sun
terrestrial
31
jovian or terrestrial planets
farthest from sun
jovian
32
parts of Earth's interior
1. Solid inner core
2. Liquid outer core
3. Solid lower mantle
4. partially molten upper mantle
5. crust
33
what layer of the earth's interior has the LARGEST radius
Solid inner core
34
what element makes up the solid inner core and the liquid outer core
iron
35
what makes up the mantle
solid lower mantle and the partially molten upper mantle
36
A
Inner core
37
B
outer core
38
C
mantle
39
D
crust
40
have natural catastrophes played some role in the formation of landforms
YES
41
how is Earth formed
through gradual processes, punctuated by dramatic events (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides...)
42
uniformitarianism vs catastrophism
processes take time to form earth
uniformitarianism
43
uniformitarianism vs catastrophism
catastrophic events form earth
catastrophism
44
who supported uniformitarianism
1. Darwin
2. Lyell
3. Hutton
45
who supported catastrophism
Cuvier
46
what period of time is associated with distinct fossil records
eras
47
what period of time is associated with distinct rock units
periods
48
why do we use such large periods like eons
because there are long stretches in earth's history where nothing really happened
49
what produces distinct fossilis
evolution
50
did the oceans, continents and atmosphere form slow or fast
very slow and over long time
51
is earth's crust (surface) constantly changing or is it static
ongoing state of change
52
two types of processes
1. endogenic process
2. exogenic process
53
endogenic or exogenic
internal system
endogenic
54
endogenic or exogenic
external system
exogenic
55
what powers endogenic processes
radioactive decay deep within earth
56
what powers exogenic processes
solar energy
57
endogenic or exogenic
flows of heat and material from below earth's crust
endogenic
58
endogenic or exogenic
motion of air, water and ice to modify surfaces
exogenic
59
radiative decay
turns one unstable element into another more stable element
60
where does heat migrate in endogenic systems
from the center by conduction and convection
61
what creates the magnetic field
convection and conduction currents deep within core of earth
62
outermost layer of earth
crust
63
describe the crust
1. outermost rigid layer
2. has varying thickness (but relatively thin)
64
two types of the crust
1. continental crust
2. oceanic crust
65
what type of crust has the highest density and why
ocean (3.0 g per cm3) - water has more pressure then air does (forces the same amount of particles into a smaller density)
66
what type of crust has a lower density
continental (2.7 g per cm3)
67
what stone makes up the continental crust
granite
68
what stone makes up the oceanic crust
basalt
69
the mantle is mostly ______ (liquid or solid)
solid
70
where do temp and pressure increase in the mantle and why
towards the center - the deeper you go into the earth the more temp there is and the more mass above your
71
where does energy transfer move in the mantle
towards surface - energy is lower near the surface
72
asthenosphere
partial melting zone which allows the continents to move
73
where is the asthenosphere zone located
in the mantle
74
why is the mantle MOSTLY solid
because the outer portion holds the continents which can floaontop
75
the interior (core) is _____
layered
76
what are the layers of the core
1. inner core
2. outer core
77
the inner core is _____
solid iron
78
why does the inner core remain solid
because of the high pressure, it won't melt despite the high temp
79
outer core is _____
molten iron
80
is the inner core solid or liquid
solid
81
is the outer core solid or liquid
liquid
82
outer core
1. molten iron
2. lighter density
83
why is the outer core molten and not solid
because it has a lower pressure which causes it to melt under the high temps
84
what does earth's magnetism make
magnetic field
85
what generates the magnetic field and magnetosphere
fluid outer core
86
what produces magnetic energy
1. thermal energy
2. gravitational energy
87
true or false
the north magnetic pole does not move
false - it does move
88
what is a geomagnetic reversal
when the polarity of the magnetic field reverses
89
importance of the geomagnetic reversal
allows us to date rocks because we have a time scale for these events
90
average period of geomagnetic reversal
500 000 years but it VARIES
91
the geological cycle includes both
endogenic and exogenic systems
92
what system ERODES LANDFORMS
exogenic
93
what system BUILDS landforms
endogenic
94
what is the geological cycle tied to
1. hydrological cycle
2. rock cycle
3. tectonic cycle
95
what is involved in the tectonic cycle
1. heat, energy and material cycling
96
what are exogenic and endogenic processes
uniformitarianism
