Earth Science Flashcards
What is the name of the preserved remains, traces, or evidence of organisms that were formerly alive, often found in rocks and other geologic deposits?
Fossils
Fossils are most often found in what type of rock?
Choose your answer:
W) Igneous (read as: IG-nee-us)
X) Metamorphic
Y) Sedimentary
Z) Granitic
Y) Sedimentary
The three components required for an oil reservoir to form are a source rock, a porous and permeable reservoir rock, and:
Seal and Trap
Deposition of primarily which compound leads to the formation of stalactites and stalagmites in caves?
CALCIUM CARBONATE
Description:
Limestone caves, where most stalactites and stalagmites are found, are mainly composed of calcite, a common mineral found in sedimentary rocks. Calcite molecules are made of calcium and carbonate ions, and are referred to as CaCO3, or calcium carbonate.
The largest volcano on Mars is about 15 miles above the surrounding planes. What is the name of this volcano?
OLYMPUS MONS
What type of glacier originates in the high alpine and flow through valleys, carving it over time and making a U-shaped valley?
VALLEY GLACIERS
Valley glaciers sometimes flow out of mountain ranges, and arrange themselves in a lobe on the flat land. This forms a new glacier called…
Piedmont glacier
What is the name for the plane of structural weakness along which a mineral is likely to split smoothly. It refers to the splitting of a crystal between two parallel atomic planes.
Cleavage
In some regions of the U.S., sinkholes form in the bedrock when rocks are naturally dissolved by circulating ground water. Name a rock type which can dissolve, collapsing to form spaces and caverns deep underground.
CARBONATE
What type of intrusive igneous rock cools slowly, and can be identified by its large grain sizes and phaneritic texture?
Plutonic
What processes helped shape the earth’s surface to what it is today?
Movement in the tectonic plates in the crust, weathering, erosion, and deposition
Approximately when did pangea break apart?
~200 million years ago
What were the two pieces of pangea called?
Laurasia and Gondwanaland
Rank the seven continents in order from largest to smallest area.
ASIA, AFRICA, NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, ANTARCTICA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA
What is the death of a star called?
Supernova
If you see part of the moon one night, then three nights later you can see more of it, you know that the moon is:
Choose your answer:
W) Waning
X) Waxing
Y) Gibbous
Z) Full
X) Waxing
What is the SI unit for pressure?
Pascals
On which day does daylight last for 24 hours at the Arctic Circle?
Choose your answer:
W) Vernal equinox
X) Summer solstice
Y) Autumnal equinox
Z) Winter solstice
X) Summer solstice
When the Earth’s interior finally cools, which of the following will stop?
Choose your answer:
W) Water cycle
X) Weathering and erosion
Y) Plate tectonics
Z) Solar energy reaching Earth
Y) Plate tectonics
What greenhouse gas has the greatest impact on Earth’s climate?
CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon)
Knowing that the growth of lava domes is generally nonexplosive and they often grow for many months to years, which of the following best describes their magmas:
Choose your answer:
W) low viscosity and low gas content
X) low viscosity and high gas content
Y) high viscosity and low gas content
Z) high viscosity and high gas content
Y) high viscosity and low gas content
Without a greenhouse effect, what would be Earth’s approximate average temperature in degrees Celsius?
Choose your answer:
W) -18
X) -8
Y) 8
Z) 18
W) -18