Chap 1 An Introduction to Geology

Question 1

UNIFORMITARIANISM

Answer 1

The same geological processes that occur today occurred in the past.

Question 2

RELATIVE DATING:

Answer 2

Measuring a rock by observing the layers of rock and determining their age relative to one another

Question 3

HYDROSPHERE:

Answer 3

water bodies of earth including ice, sea water, rivers lakes

Question 4

GEOSPHERE

Answer 4

rock component of earth. I.e.: continents

Question 5

ATMOSPHERE

Answer 5

the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.

Question 6

BIOSPHERE

Answer 6

the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms

Question 7

A ROCK:

Answer 7

(1) Naturally occurring
(2) Coherent: a rock holds together, and must be broken into separate pieces not a pile of unattached grains that can move around.
(3) Aggregate of minerals: aggregate of many minerals grains or crystals, stuck or grown together. A crystal is a piece of a mineral that grew into its present shape and a grain is any fragment or piece of mineral, rock or glass.

Question 8

ROCK CYCLE:

Answer 8

Igneous rocks may weather and erode to produce sediment, which lithifies to form sedimentary rocks. The new sedimentary rocks may become buried and because of the change in
pressure and temperature the sedimentary rocks develop into metamorphic rocks, which then could
partially melt to create magma (igneous → sedimentary → metamorphic → igneous)

Question 9

a system

Answer 9

any size group of interacting parts that form a complex whole

Question 10

Open system

Answer 10

both energy and matter flow into and out of the system e.g. the ocean

Earth is an open system with
many interacting subsystems that involve the transfer of energy and materials from one area – and state – to another.

Question 11

Closed system

Answer 11

is self-contained, allows only energy to flow into and out of the system e.g. the Earth as whole