Week 1, Chpt 1-2 Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is geology?
The study of the (natural parts of) Earth.
What does it mean when we say “the surface of the Earth is transient?”
It is always changing.
In the simplest terms the Earth is composed of 3 parts, what are they?
Crust, mantle, and core.
What is the mantle made of?
Peridotite
The lithosphere is composed of
crust and upper mantle.
In a more descriptive sense, the Earth is composed of 5 parts, what are they?
Crust Upper Mantle Lower Mantle Outer Core Inner Core
Theory of Plate Tectonics
Plates move very slowly relative to one another.
The foundation for understanding most geological phenomena.
Plates
Large cracks separate the crust into discrete pieces.
Cosmology
The study of the overall structure and history of the universe.
Fission
A large nucleus breaks apart to form 2 smaller atoms.
Smaller atoms collide and stick together to form a larger atom.
Fusion
The Earth system is comprised of
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Lithosphere
The Earth produces a magnetic field that
deflects solar wind.
4 classes of igneous silicate rocks (from least dense to most dense)
Felsic
Intermediate
Malic
Ultramalic
The crust is made up of two parts, what are they?
Oceanic and continental crust.
What makes the iron alloy of the inner core solid?
Pressure
What generates Earth’s magnetic field?
Liquid iron alloy, which flows.
What is the name of the supercontinent that existed before continental drift occurred?
Pangea
Continents move toward each other when the old floor floor between them sinks, this is called_____.
subduction
An imaginary arrow that represents Earth’s field.
Magnetic dipole
Continents move relative
to a fixed pole.
Plate Boundaries
The breaks between lithosphere plates.
Earthquakes indicate
a plate boundary.
What are the 3 types of plate boundaries?
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
