Earth's Interior Flashcards
Who are geologists
Scientists who study earth in the process that have shaped earth overtime
What are the three main layers of the earth
The crust the mantle and the core
What are silicates
Rocks made of compounds of silicon and oxygen
What are the two different types of crust
Continental crust and oceanic crust
What is the listhosphere
A layer of relatively cool rigid rock that includes the uppermost part of the mantle as well as the earths crust
What is the asthenosphere
The layer in the middle of the mantle that consist of Softer weaker rock that could flow slowly
What is the mesosphere
The stronger lower part of the mantle
What are the two parts of the earth score and what do they do
The outer core in the inner core, The outer core keeps metal Liquid so because of the earths rotation the flowing iron of the outer core produces electric current and creates earths magnetic field, The inner core has very high pressure as a result of the inner core is solid
What is a mineral.
A naturally occurring inorganic solid with a crystal structure and a characteristic chemical composition
What are the different properties by which minerals can be identified
Crystal structure, color, Streak, luster, density, hardness, fracture, and cleavage
What are the three major groups that rocks are classified to
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
What is magma and what is lava
A mixture of molten rock and gases including water vapor which forms underground, and magma that flows out of volcanoes
What is igneous rock and how does it form
Igneous rock is a rock that forms when molten material cools it solidifies either inside Earth or on the surface
What is intrusive rock and extrusive rock?
Intrusive rock is igneous rock that forms underground from hardened magma, and extrusive rock is igneous rock that forms at the earths surface
What does sediment consist of
It consists of small solid pieces of material that comes from rocks or living organisms
What is sedimentary rock
A rock that forms over time as sediment is squeeze and cemented together
What are the three main types of sedimentary rock and how do they form
Clastic rock, they form from broken fragments of other rocks
Chemical rock, they formed when minerals precipitate out of solution
Organic rock, they form as a result of organic processes
What is metamorphic rock and how does it form
Metamorphic rock is rock that has been changed by temperature, pressure, or reactions with hot water. Metamorphic rocks form when a rock is transformed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.
What is the rock cycle and what happens in it
The rock cycle is a series of processes in which rock continuously change from one type to another. In the rock cycle, forces within earth and the surface cause rocks to change form
What is plate tectonics
The theory that pieces of the earths lithosphere called plates move about slowly on top of a asthenosphere, it explains the formation and movement of the earths plates
What is continental drift
It’s the process in which the continents move slowly across earths surface
What is a mid-ocean ridge
A huge crack in the Earth’s crust where magma is pulled up word
What is sea-floor spreading and what does it do and how does subduction effected
Sea-floor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges as older crust moves away. It creates new oceanic crust made-oceanic ridges. Subduction destroys old oceanic crust at subduction zones
What is subduction
It is the process of which old oceanic plates sink into the mantle
What is Geology
The study of planet Earth, including its composition and structure
What are the three types of plate boundaries and what do they do
Divergent boundaries, plates move away from each other along them
Convergent boundaries, plates come together or collide at them
Transform boundaries, plates slide past each other, moving in opposite directions
Why do most mountains form along plate boundaries charge
Because when plates collide the crust buckles, folds, and Thickens, pushing up the mountains
What is an earthquake
A movement of Lithosphere that occurs when the rocks in the lithosphere suddenly shift, releasing stored energy.
What are seismic waves
A small portion of the energy released during an earthquake is carried by vibrations called seismic waves
What is a tsunami
A large sea waves generated by an underwater earthquake, volcano, or landslide.
Why do earthquakes happen
because stress forces have exceeded the strength of rock
What is Stress
Stress is a force that squeezes rocks together, stretches or pulls them apart, or pushes them in different directions
what happens when tectonic plates move
They cause stress in the crust which in turn produces faults and folds
What is a fault
a break in a mass of rock along which movement occurs
What is a fold
A bend in layers of rock
What is the focus and the epicenter
Focus is where the earthquake begins. Epicenter is the location on the earth surface directly above the focus
What are the three main types of seismic waves and what do they do
P waves, are longitudinal waves similar to sound waves, can travel through solids and liquids
S waves, are transverse waves, like light, can only travel through solids
Surface waves, waves that develop when seismic waves reach Earths surface,
What is a seismograph and what is it used for
A device that can detect and record seismic waves, it is used to measure earthquakes and pinpoint their epicenters
Why are earthquakes concentrated along plate boundaries
Because that is where many faults are found
What is a volcano
A Mountain that forms when magma reaches the surface
How does a volcano form
Under certain conditions small amounts of mantle rock can melt forming liquid magma. The magma rises upwards through the crust erupting at the surface as a volcano
What are the structures of the volcano and what are they used for
Magma chamber, a pocket collects magma
Pipe, magma rises to the surface in the pipe
Vent, opening in the ground where magma escapes
Crater, bowl-shaped pit at the top of the volcano
What are the two types of volcano eruptions, what do they do,
Quiet eruption, lava flows quietly and quickly from volcano
Explosive eruptions, thick magma can clog the pipe causing massif pressure to build up and finally the magma explodes out of the volcano
