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Earth and Space Science > The Geosphere > Flashcards

The Geosphere Flashcards

1
Q

True or False: Lava is the liquid form of rock.

A

True

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2
Q

Where do Igneous rocks get their name?

A

Igneus = fiery, burning hot

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3
Q

What type of rock makes up 90% of the earth’s crust?

A

Igneous rocks

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4
Q

What type of rock is Granite?

A

Igneous

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5
Q

True or False: Obsidian is Igneous

A

True

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6
Q

What is magma?

A

Molten rock BELOW the earth’s surface

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7
Q

True or False: Magma cools quickly

A

FALSE

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8
Q

Why is magma able to turn into granite underground?

A

Because it cools slowly, because it is insulated by the surrounding rock. This gives time for the natural elements to form the large crystals that make up granite.

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9
Q

What is lava?

A

Molten rock that flows ABOVE the ground.

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10
Q

True or False: Lava cools quickly

A

True

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11
Q

Why does lava cool quickly?

A

Partially due to the thickness (or thinness) of the lava once it leaves the ground, and also due to heat loss due to the air and the earth below it.

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12
Q

True or False: Obsidian is made up of tiny crystals.

A

True

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13
Q

Why are the crystals different between obsidian and granite?

A

Because of the rapidity of the cooling process. Lava cools much quicker to make obsidian, so the crystals don’t have as much time to form.

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14
Q

What is the weathering process?

A

When water, wind, snow, and other natural elements and forces chip away at the rock slowly over time.

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15
Q

What are the tiny pieces of rock that get chipped away due to weathering?

A

Sediments

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16
Q

What is erosion?

A

When the sediments from rocks get moved around by wind and water.

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17
Q

True or False: New rocks can be formed from sediments

A

True

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18
Q

What are sedimentary rocks?

A

Rocks that are made up of the sediment of other rocks.

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19
Q

What is lithification?

A

Lith = stone
“stoneification”
Becoming a rock, the process of sediments turning into a rock

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20
Q

How many (general) steps are in the lithification process?

A
  1. Deposition
  2. Compaction
  3. Cementation
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21
Q

What is Deposition?

A

When sediment is deposited in a new location and is spread out to form a layer.

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22
Q

What is compaction?

A

When multiple layers of sediment (caused by deposition) get squished together due to gravity. They slowly compact on each other.

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23
Q

What is cementation?

A

When water moves between the layers of compacted sediment, it leaves behind dissolved minerals. These minerals “stick” the layers of sediment together.

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24
Q

What makes a sedimentary rock turn into a metamorphic rock?

A

When a sedimentary rock is put through so much heat or pressure that the minerals within it CHANGE composition.

25
Q

What does metamorphosis mean?

A

It is when something changes from one form or structure into another.

26
Q

What is a metamorphic rock?

A

They are rocks that used to be other metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary rocks that changed in form or structure due to heat or pressure. They have become something new.

27
Q

True or False: Rocks change until no more heat or pressure can be applied, then they stop changing.

A

False.
Rocks can keep changing forever.

28
Q

True or False: Metamorphic rocks and Sedimentary rocks can be turned into Igneous rocks.

A

True
When they are melted down by extreme heat (like near the mantle)

29
Q

True or False: In the rock cycle, all types of rocks can become all types of rocks.

A

True basically lol

30
Q

True or False: Soil, dirt, and sand can all be turned into rock.

A

True

31
Q

What are paleosols (not soils)?

A

They are ancient soils that never turned into rocks (like dinosaur soils) and can give clues about ecosystems due to their various components.

They’re rare

32
Q

True or False: Deposition is the process by which gas directly turns into a solid.

A

TRUE
It means both the geologic thing and the gas thing.

33
Q

What is the Geologic Time Scale?

A

It is the geologic scale of all the different eons and eras on earth, using the age/composition of rocks to determine when the eons and eras began and ended.

34
Q

What are the units of the Geologic time scale?

A

Eons and eras

35
Q

Which is a larger amount of time? Eons or eras?

A

Eons

36
Q

What is the name of a sedimentary rock layer?

A

Strata

37
Q

What is the fossil record?

A

The fossil remains of organisms that have been preserved in rock layers

38
Q

True or False: Scientists look at the fossil record and mineral count to determine when the surrounding rock existed on earth.

A

True

39
Q

True or False: In the strata, the layers at the bottom are always older than the layers at the top.

A

FALSE.
This is usually true, but the layers can be disturbed or turned over.

40
Q

What is the law of superposition?

A

The strata layers on the bottom are always older than the layers at the top UNLESS the layers are disturbed or turned over.

41
Q

True or False: A bone found in a lower layer of the strata would be older than a bone found nearer the top.

A

True

42
Q

What is relative dating?

A

Scientists determine the relative age of a fossil by determining which layer of strata it was found in, comparing that to where other fossils were found.

43
Q

What is relative age?

A

Age in relation to something else. One fossil’s age compared to another fossil’s.

44
Q

What is an intrusion?

A

Molten, igneous rock that has invaded another rock (like sedimentary) and then cooled. It disturbs the strata layers.

45
Q

What is the law of crosscutting relationships?

A

When two geologic features cross or intersect, the feature that cuts through the other is younger.

46
Q

What are index fossils?

A

Fossils that are only found in a specific section of the geologic time scale. Easy to identify and determine relative age.

47
Q

How do index fossils help scientists determine how old the rock is?

A

If they find an index fossil in two different rocks, they know that those rocks were formed in the same general time period.

48
Q

What methods or tools are used to determine how old a rock is?

A
  1. Law of crosscutting relationships
  2. Index fossils
  3. Relative dating
  4. Superposition
  5. Evidence of the same geologic/natural event (like a layer of ash that could mean a volcano erupted)
49
Q

How many eons are there?

A

4

50
Q

What are the four eons?

A

Oldest to youngest:
1. Hadean
2. Archean
3. Proterozoic
4. Phanerozoic

51
Q

Which eon are we living in?

A

Phanerozoic

52
Q

How many eras are there in the geologic time scale?

A

11

53
Q

Which era are we living in?

A

Cenozoic

54
Q

List the eras in the Hadean Eon

A

Hadean

55
Q

List the eras in the Archean eon

A

Oldest to Youngest:
1. Eoarchean
2. Paleoarchean
3. Mesoarchean
4. Neoarchean

56
Q

List the eras in the Proterozoic eon:

A

Oldest to Youngest:
1. Paleoproterozoic
2. Mesoproterozoic
3. Neoproetrozoic

57
Q

List the eras in the Phanerozoic eon:

A

Oldest to Youngest:
1. Paleozoic
2. Mesozoic
3. Cenozoic

58
Q

What is a fault?

A

A crack in earth’s crust

59
Q
A

Earth and Space Science (4 decks)

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