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Earth science Flashcards

1
Q

What is the lithosphere?

A

The solid, outer part of Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

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2
Q

What is the asthenosphere?

A

The layer of Earth that lays below the lithosphere. It is the upper part of the mantle.

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3
Q

What is a tectonic plate?

A

A massive slab of solid rock made up of the Earths lithosphere.

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4
Q

What is slab pull?

A

When two plates collide and the denser plate sinks.

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5
Q

What is ridge push?

A

When two plate move apart and molten magma rises to the surface and cools, forcing the plates apart.

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6
Q

What are convection currents?

A

This occurs when there is significant differences in temperature in a fluid. It causes the hot fluids to rise and cool fluids to sink which creates currents in the fluid.

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7
Q

What is an Earthquake?

A

The sudden release of energy at a tectonic plate boundary caused by the rapid release of energy in the form of waves that cause the tectonic plates to move.

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8
Q

Which plate boundary do Earthquakes most commonly occur along?

A

Transform boundaries.

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9
Q

Who’s first recognised continental drift?

A

Alfred Wegner.

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10
Q

What year did Alfred Wegner publish a paper explaining his theory?

A

1912.

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11
Q

How is tillite evidence of continental drift?

A

Glacial deposits like tillite are found in regions that today are too warm for glaciers, suggesting that in the past, they were located closer to the South Pole (or the North Pole, depending on the location) where glaciers could form.

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12
Q

What is a primary wave?

A

They are longitudinal waves that travel fast through Earth

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13
Q

What is a secondary wave?

A

They are transverse waves that travel slightly slower than primary waves through the Earth.

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14
Q

What way do longitudinal waves move the Earth?

A

Back and fourth.

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15
Q

What way do transverse waves move the Earth?

A

Up and down.

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16
Q

What are surface waves?

A

A seismic wave that travels along the Earths surface.

17
Q

Compare and contrast P and S waves.

A

P-waves are longitudinal waves.
S-waves are transverse waves.

P-waves particles move back and fourth.
S-waves particles move side-to-side or up-and-down.

P-waves are the fastest seismic wave.
S-waves are the second fastest seismic wave.

P-waves can travel through solids, liquids and gasses.
S-waves can only travel through solids.

18
Q

What is a seismometer?

A

A seismometer is a sensitive device that detects and records seismic waves (vibrations) caused by events like earthquakes, volcanic activity, or man-made explosions.

19
Q

What is a seismogram?

A

A seismogram is the graphical output or record produced by the seismometer. It shows the amplitude and frequency of seismic waves over time.

20
Q

Differentiate between seismometer and seismogram.

A

Seismometer = the instrument that detects and records seismic waves.
Seismogram = the actual record or data produced by the seismometer.

21
Q

How are fossils evidence of continental drift?

A

The occurrence of similar fossils in areas now separated by oceans indicates that the continents were once joined together.

22
Q

What is tillite?

A

Tillite is a sedimentary rock made from the compacted debris left behind by glaciers, including sand, silt, and boulders that were transported by ice.

23
Q

How do mountain ranges explain continental drift?

A

The presence of similar mountain chains across different continents, the geology of mountain ranges matching up across oceans, and the process of mountain formation at plate boundaries all suggest that Earth’s continents have shifted over time.

24
Q

How does the continental puzzle explain continental drift?

A

It shows that the coastlines of continents like South America and Africa fit together, suggesting that these continents were once part of a larger landmass.

25
Q

What is the epicentre?

A

The point directly above the focus.

26
Q

What is the focus?

A

The place where the Earthquake starts.

27
Q

How do base isolators reduce an Earthquakes impact?

A

They move and stretch under pressure and absorb much of an earthquake’s impact by reducing swaying and shaking during an earthquake.

28
Q

What substance/s can P-waves travel through?

A

P-waves can travel through solids, liquids and gasses.

29
Q

What substance/s can S-waves travel through?

A

S-waves can only travel through solids.

30
Q

How is the size and energy of an earthquake measured using the moment-magnitude scale?

A

Each full number you go up is 10x bigger and releases 30x more energy.

31
Q

Use two examples of two different sized earthquakes using the moment-magnitude scale.

A

A magnitude 8 is 10x bigger than a magnitude 7 and releases 30x more energy.

32
Q

What is the moment magnitude scale?

A

The moment-magnitude scale measures the size of the seismic event in terms of how much energy is released.

33
Q

What does the Mercalli Intensity scale measure?

A

The Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) estimates the shaking intensity from an earthquake at a specific location by considering its effects on people, objects, and buildings.

34
Q

Identify the impacts associated with earthquakes.

A

-Destroyed habitats
-Landslides
-Destruction of infrastructure
-Cause a tsunami
-Deaths and displacement of people

35
Q

Why is Australia geologically stable?

A

This is due to its central location on the Australian plate.

36
Q

What wave carries carries energy without the transfer of matter?

A

Electromagnetic waves.

37
Q

What is the motion of particles in a Primary-wave?

A

Back and fourth (longitudinal).

38
Q

What is the motion of particles in a Secondary-wave?

A

Up and down (transverse).

Hass (5 decks)

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