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GEOL 1110 - Midterm > Chapter 3 (part 1) > Flashcards

Chapter 3 (part 1) Flashcards

Time and Geology

1
Q

The science that deals with determining the ages of rocks is called ____

A

Geochronology

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2
Q

____ uses fundamental principles of geology (Steno’s Laws, Fossil Succession, etc.) to determine the relative ages of rocks (which rocks are older andwhich are younger).

A

Relative Dating

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3
Q

____ quantifies the date of the rock in years. This is done primarily by radiometric dating (or analysis of the breakdown of radioactive elements in the rocks over time).

A

Absolute Dating

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4
Q

____ Has been determined bit-by-bit over the years through relative dating, correlation, examiniation of fossils and radiometric dating

A

The Geologic Time Scale

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5
Q

____ are the largest division of geologic time.

A

Eons

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6
Q

The Precambrian covers ____ of geologic history.

A

87%

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7
Q

There are three ____ in the Phanerozoic Eon & are divided into geologic periods.

A

Eras

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8
Q

Eras are divided into ____

A

Periods

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9
Q

Periods can be subdivided into ____

A

Epochs

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10
Q

Epochs can be subdivided into ____

A

Ages

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11
Q

____ are the actual rocks formed or deposited during a specific time interval. They are sometimes called time-rock units.

A

Chronostratigraphic Units

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12
Q

The Archean and Proterozoic are together referred to as the ____ , meaning “before the Cambrian Period”.

A

Precambrian

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13
Q

The ____ is the smallest particle of matter that can exist as a chemical element.

A

Atom

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14
Q

If there is an unequal number of protons and electrons, the atom has a charge (positive or negative), and it is called an ____

A

Ion

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15
Q

The ____ of an atom = number of protons in the nucleus of that atom.

A

Atomic Number

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16
Q

The atomic number of uranium is ___

A

92

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17
Q

The ____ is the sum of the number of protons plus neutrons.

A

Mass Number

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18
Q

Uranium-235 has 92 protons and ____ neutrons.

A

143

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19
Q

The mass number may vary for an element, because of a differing number of ____

A

neutrons

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20
Q

Elements with various numbers of neutrons are called ____ of that element.

A

Isotopes

21
Q

As ____ decays to lead, there are 13 intermediate radioactive daughter products formed (including radon, polonium, and other isotopes of uranium), along with and 8 alpha particles and 6 beta particles released.

A

Uranium-238

22
Q

____ particles are large, easily stopped by papercharge = +2 mass = 4

A

Alpha

23
Q

____ particles - penetrate hundreds of times farther than alpha particles, but easily stopped compared with neutrons and gamma rays.charge = -1 mass = negligible

A

Beta

24
Q

____ are highly penetrating no charge mass = 1

A

Neutrons

25
Q

____ are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation which can penetrate concrete. Lead shield can be used. Photons (light). no charge no mass.

A

Gamma rays

high energy x-rays

26
Q

Naturally-occurring radioactive materials break down into other materials at known rates.This is known as ____ decay.

A

Radioactive

27
Q

Many radioactive elements can be used as geologic clocks because each radioactive element ____ at its own constant rate.

A

Decays

28
Q

Geologists can estimate the length of time over which decay has been occurring by can be found by measuring the amount of radioactive parent element and the amount of stable ____

A

Daughter Elements

29
Q

The quantities and masses of atoms and isotopes are measured using an instrument called a ____

A

Mass Spectrometer

30
Q

The mass spectrometer came into use after ____

A

WWI (1918)

31
Q

The mass spectrometer led to the discovery of more than ____ isotopes.

A

200

32
Q

Radioactive decay occurs at a constant ____ or geometric rate.

A

Exponential

33
Q

The rate of decay is proportional to the number of ____ atoms present.

A

Parent

34
Q

Each radioactive isotope has its own unique ____

A

Half-Life

35
Q

A half-life is the time it takes for half of the parent radioactive element to decay to a ____

A

Daughter Product

36
Q

What rocks are best for age dating?

A

Igneous Rocks

(the dates they give tell when the magma cooled- when the magma cools and crystallized containing some radioactive elements that can be dated.)

37
Q

The ages of sedimentary rocks and fossils are determined using ____

A

Both Relative & Absolute Dating

38
Q

The ages of fossils in a sequence of sedimentary rocks can be determined using ____

A

Both Relative & Absolute Dating

39
Q

Cosmic rays from the sun strike nitrogen-14 atoms in the atmosphere and cause them to turn into radioactive carbon-14, which combines with oxygen to form ____

A

Radioactive Carbon Dioxide

40
Q

Living things are in equilibrium with the atmosphere, and the radioactive carbon dioxide is absorbed and used by____. The radioactive carbon dioxide gets into the food chain and the carbon cycle.

A

Plants

41
Q

All living things contain a constant ratio of ____

A

Carbon-14 to Carbon-12.

1 in a trillion

42
Q

What is the basis for Carbon-14 dating?

A

The Change In Carbon-14 to Carbon-12 Ratio

43
Q

Carbon-14 dating can only be used on materials less than ____. Assuming that the rate of carbon-14 production has been constant.

A

70,000 years old

44
Q

Charged particles from radioactive decay pass through mineral’s crystal lattice and leave trails of damage called ____

A

Fission Tracks

45
Q

____ looks at the number of tracks per unit area is a function of age and uranium concentration.

A

Fission Track Dating

46
Q

The oldest rocks that have been dated are ____. They date from the time of the origin of the solar system and the Earth, about 4.6 billion years old.

A

Meteorites

47
Q

The oldest Moon rocks are from the ____, and may represent the original lunar crust.

A

Lunar Highlands

the ighter-colored areas on the moon

48
Q

The oldest dates of Earth rocks are ____ detrital zircon grains in a sandstone in western Australia.

A

4.2 Billion Years Old

GEOL 1110 - Midterm (6 decks)

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