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114 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
The scientific study of earth
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Geology
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The economic systems of western civilization currently depend on _____ and ______ energy sources.
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abundant; cheap
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What are the 5 most dangerous geologic hazards?
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earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, tsunamis
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The study of Earth's materials, changes of the surface and interior of the earth, and the forces that cause those changes
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physical geology
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Products of Earth's sudden release of energy
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volcanic eruptions
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A hot, turbulent mixture of expanding gases and volcanic ash that flows rapidly down the side of a volcano
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pyroclastic flow
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A slurry of water and rock debris that flows down a stream channel
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mudflow
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The envelope of gases surrounding the earth
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atmosphere
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Water on or near the Earth's surface
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hydrosphere
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Frozen regions of Earth (ice, snow)
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cryosphere
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All living or once living organisms
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biosphere
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Aka, solid earth system; The solid rocky earth (the bulk of the planet)
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geosphere
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Earth's 3 compositional layers
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crust, mantle, core
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The crust that is thick and less dense
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continental crust
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The crust that is thin and more dense
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oceanic crust
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Devices that convert heat energy into mechanical energy
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heat engines
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Consists of the crust plus the uppermost mantle and makes up the earth's plates (100 km thick)
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Lithosphere
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Layer within upper mantle that is capable of flow
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asthenosphere
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The forces generated inside the earth that cause deformation of rock as well as vertical and horizontal movement of portions of the earth's crust
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tectonic forces
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Primordial heat left over from the earth's formation and heatfrom the decay of radioactive isotopes
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sources of internal heat
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The thermal gradient from the hot core-mantle boundary up to the upper mantle gives rise to solid-state convection within the mantle
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convection
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Fit of continents and rocks/fossils match across continents. Initially proposed in early 1900s
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continental drift hypothesis
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Regards the lithosphere as broken into plates that are in motion
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plate tectonics
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What are the 3 types of plate boundaries
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divergent, convergent, transform
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Type of plate boundary that moves apart (mid-ocean ridge)
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divergent
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Type of plate boundary that moves together (subduction zone)
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convergent
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Type of plate boundary that slides past each other
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transform
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Rock that forms when magma solidifies
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igneous rock
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The 2 layers based on mechanical behavior
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lithosphere, asthenosphere
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Primarily found at divergent and convergent plate boundaries
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volcanism
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Occurs along plate boundaries of all 3 types
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seismicity
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4 types of surficial processes
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isostatic adjustment, external heat engine, erosion, sedimentation
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Vertical movement of sections's of earth's crust to achieve balance
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isostatic adjustment
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3 processes at earth's surface
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uplift, weather and erosion, depositon
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Volcanic and/or plate tectonic forces build crust up above sea level
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uplift
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Drives most surficial processes; driven by the radiative heat from the sun
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external heat engine
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Eroded sediments are transported to low energy environments where they accumulate
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sedimentation
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Nearly all rocks are made of ______
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minerals
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A naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, or physical properties
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mineral
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"perfectly formed" minerals
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crystals
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10 physical properties of minerals
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color, streak, luster, hardness, crystal form, cleavage, fracture, specific gravity, magnetism, chemical reaction
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The basic building block of the elements
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atom
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Protons and neutrons; protons have a +1 charge, neutrons are neutral
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nucleus
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Have a -1 charge
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electrons
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Atoms of an element with different numbers of neutrons
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isotopes
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Positively (cation) or negatively (anion) charged atoms (protons and electrons are not balanced)
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ions
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Bonds that form between cations and anions due to attraction between positive and negative charges of each
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ionic bonds
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Bonds that form through sharing of outer (valence) electrons between atoms
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covalent bonds
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The most abundant element in the crust
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Oxygen
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Most rock-forming minerals are _____
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silicates
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Ions and atoms bond together in very orderly, three-dimensional structures that are _______
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crystalline
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A naturally formed, consolidated material usually composed of grains of one or more minerals
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rock
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Rocks that crystallize from magma/lava
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igneous rocks
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Molten rock, usually rich in silica and containing dissolved gases (forms intrusive igneous rocks)
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magma
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Magma on the earth's surface (forms extrusive igneous rocks)
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lava
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Igneous rocks that contain abundant dark-colored minerals
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mafic
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Igneous rocks that contain roughly equal amounts of dark and light-colored minerals
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intermediate
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Igneous rocks that contain abundant light-colored minerals
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felsic (silicic)
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The second most abundant element in Earth's crust by weight is ______
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silicon
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The upper mantle if composed predominately of the rock _______ and its high pressure phases
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peridoite
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Pillow basalts often form due to _______
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Submarine eruptions
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Eruptions of shield volcanoes fed by mafic magma tend ________
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Not to be explosive or particularly dangerous
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The basic building block of silicate minerals is _________
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silicon-oxygen tetrahedron
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The geothermal gradient in the upper part of the crust ____________
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is the rate which temperatures increase with increasing depth
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The upper mantle is composed predominantly of the rock peridotite, which is ________
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ultra mafic
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The most important factor for affecting the texture of an igneous rock is the ______ of the magma
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rate of cooling
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Diorite and andesite differ most in ______
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texture
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The property of some minerals to break along preferred orientations is called _______
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cleavage
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Mafic magma is generated at divergent boundaries because of _________
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decompression melting
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An atomic particle with a +1 charge is a _______
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proton
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Atoms containing unequal numbers of protons and electrons are called ________
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ions
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A volcanic feature associated with basalts
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lava tubes
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In ____ _____, cations bond with anions because of the opposite charges
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ionic bonding
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______ often form from the collapse of overlying rock in to a large magma chamber following violent eruptions
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calderas
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Isotopes of the same element have different ____ ______
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atomic masses
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Forms when magma solidifies in a passageway of volcano
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volcanic neck
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vertical intrusion that cuts across country rock
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dike
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horizontal intrusion that parallels layering in country rock
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sill
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transfer of heat through matter by contact
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conduction
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transfer of heat by motion of fluid
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convection
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transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves emitted by an object
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radiation
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Temperatures at which minerals melt increase at greater pressures
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heat vs. pressure
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Mafic magmas will crystallize into _____ or ______ if early-formed minerals are not removed from the magma
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basalt, gabbro
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Intermediate magmas will similarly crystallize in to _____ or ______ if minerals are not removed
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diorite, andesite
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Seperation of early-formed ferromagnesian menerals from a magma body _______ the silica content of the remaining magma
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increases
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Magma becomes more ________ as crystals are removed
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silica-rich
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Igneous activity occurs at _____ and ______ plate boundaries
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convergent and divergent
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High silica content; light color
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rhyolite
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Low silica content; dark colored
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basalt
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Intermediate silica content; intermediate color
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andesite
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Blobs of ejected lava that solidify in flight
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volcanic bombs
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Rock composed of fine-grained pyroclastic material
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tuff
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Opening through which lava erupts
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vent
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depression over the vent at the summit of a volcano
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crater
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depression much larger that crater (>1 km)
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caldera
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4 types of volcanoes
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shield, cinder cones, composite, volcanic domes
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Low and broad volcano, gently-sloping, and built by low-viscosity lava flows (basalts)
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shield volcano
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Small,steeply sloping volcano, composed of a pile of loose cinders
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cinder cone
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Volcano that contains a mixture of types and is composed of layers of both pyroclastic debris and solidified lava flows
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composite volcano
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A volcano with high silica content and high viscosity felsic lavas; often glassy (obsidian)
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volcanic domes
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The more ______ , the more viscous the lava is
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silica
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Rocks that solidified too rapidly for crystals to develop form a natural glass called ______
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obsidian
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_______ are the result of volcanic explosions
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pyroclasts
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The group of destructive processes that change the physical and chemical character of rocks at or near earth's surface
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weathering
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The physical picking up of rock particles by water, ice, or wind
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erosion
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The movement of eroded particles by water, ice, or wind
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transportation
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Positive role of erosion
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generates soils
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Negative role of erosion
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deteriorates buildings
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When different rock types weather at different rates
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differential weathering
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mechanical effect of freezing (and expanding) water in rocks
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frost wedging
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Removal of mass of overlying rocks, allows for expansion of buried rock and fracturing
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pressure release
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Form from submarine eruptions
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pillow basalts
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Form at convergent plate boundaries due to addition of water to mantle above subducting slab
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andesites and granites
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Removal of early formed crystals
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differentiation
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