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ERSC 1304 > Earth Science, Lecture pt 1 (ch 1 and 2) > Flashcards

Earth Science, Lecture pt 1 (ch 1 and 2) Flashcards

1
Q

What is Geology?

A

Geology is the study of the solid Earth, but it consists
of more than just studying rocks

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2
Q

What are some ways geologists study the Earth?

A
  • Formation and composition of the planet
  • Monitoring how the Earth evolves through time
  • Locating and extracting mineral resources
  • Causes/effects of natural disasters (i.e.
    earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.)
  • Evolution of life
  • Changing of Earth’s climate through time
  • Groundwater flow through the subsurface
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3
Q

Historically, what are the two two main branches of geology?

A
  • Physical geology
  • Historical geology
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4
Q

What is the new third branch of geology?

A

Environmental geology

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5
Q

The application of geologic information to the entire spectrum of interactions between people and their physical environment

A

environmental geology

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6
Q

What are the two main categories of environmental problems:

A
  • Geologic hazards
  • Earth (or natural) resources
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7
Q

What are two renewable resources?

A
  • Soils
  • Water
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8
Q

What are some non-renewable resources?

A
  • Mineral and rock
  • Energy
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9
Q

What is tragedy of the commons?

A

Where the self-interest of individuals can result in the destruction of a common, or shared, resource

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10
Q

What are the steps of the scientific method?

A
  1. Gather data from observations or experiments
  2. Formulate a question
  3. Develop a hypothesis to explain the data/observations
  4. Gather new data to test hypothesis
  5. Analyze results to validate (or falsify) original hypothesis
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11
Q

When does a theory become a theory?

A

If a hypothesis is validated through repeated testing, then we can propose the hypothesis become a theory.

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12
Q

What is the geocentric theory?

A

Old theory that believed the planets revolve around the Earth

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13
Q

What is the heliocentric theory?

A

Where the planets revolve around the Sun

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14
Q

When did the heliocentric theory get adopted?

A

15th century

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15
Q

A statement that completely describes a specific phenomenon, with a mathematical equation

A

What is a scientific law?

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16
Q

In what 2 ways can geologic time be described?

A
  • Relative age dating
  • Absolute age dating
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17
Q

What is the law of superposition?

A

In undisturbed sediments, the oldest rocks are found at the bottom and the youngest at the top.

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18
Q

How much of the Earth’s history does humans occupy?

A

0.05%

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19
Q

How is human population growing?

A

In a non-linear exponential behavior

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20
Q

What is the carrying capacity?

A

A population that a system can support indefinitely

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21
Q

What is the ecological footprint?

A

The supply of biologically productive land/sea area needed to support the lifestyle of humans

22
Q

What is the ecological footprint of the US?

A

24 acres per person

23
Q

What is sustainability?

A

Where a system or process can be maintained for an indefinite period of time

24
Q

What hypothesis best explains the formation of the solar system?

A

Nebular hypothesis

25
Q

What is the nuclear fusion of the Sun?

A

Hydrogen and Helium

26
Q

What energy does the Sun release?

A

Electromagnetic radiation

27
Q

What are the terrestrial planets?

A

Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Mars

28
Q

What are the gas planets?

A

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

29
Q

How big are comets?

A

1 - 10 km in diameter

30
Q

What theory explains how the universe was formed?

A

Big Bang Theory

31
Q

How old is Earth?

A

4.5 billion years old

32
Q

What is Jupiter’s moon?

A

Europa

33
Q

What is Saturn’s moon?

A

Enceladus

34
Q

What are the 4 layers of Earth’s composition?

A

Crust, Mantle, Outer Core (Liquid), Inner Core (Solid)

35
Q

What following 5 conditions must be met in order to be classified as a mineral?

A
  1. Be naturally occurring
  2. Generally Inorganic (i.e. non-biologically produced)
  3. Solid
  4. Have a definable chemical composition composed of one or more elements
  5. The individual atoms have an orderly arrangement in a crystalline structure
36
Q

What is color in a mineral?

A

Part of visible light that is reflected by a mineral

37
Q

What is streak in a mineral?

A

Color of the mineral when powdered

38
Q

What is luster in a mineral?

A

The way a mineral surface scatters light

39
Q

What is hardness in a mineral?

A

The ability of a mineral to resist scratching.

40
Q

What is crystal habit in a mineral?

A

The ideal shape of minerals

41
Q

What is specific gravity in a mineral?

A

How heavy the mineral feels

42
Q

What does fracture look like?

A

Has no cleavage, bonding is the same in all directions

43
Q

What does cleavage look like?

A

Mineral breaks with specific orientations in relation to the
crystal structure; various directions (3D)

44
Q

Currently there are over ____ minerals on Earth

A

5,000

45
Q

What are the most common group of minerals referred to?

A

Rock-forming minerals

46
Q

What is the most common group of rock-forming minerals?

A

Silicates (contains Si and O)

47
Q

What is a rock?

A

An aggregate or assemblage of one or more types of minerals

48
Q

What are the two ways that a rock can be held together?

A
  1. Clastic texture
  2. Crystalline texture
49
Q

What is clastic texture?

A

Grains are stuck together by natural cement

50
Q

What is crystalline texture?

A

Crystals interlock with one another like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle

ERSC 1304 (7 decks)

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