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earth sciences Flashcards

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1
Q

What are earths three layers

A

the crust, the mantle, the core

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2
Q

Which layer is the hard outer layer of the earth

A

The crust

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3
Q

Which layer is the thinnest layer

A

The crust

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4
Q

Under the oceans what layer is only about 5 km deep

A

The crust

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5
Q

Under most of the land what layer is about 30 km deep

A

The crust

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6
Q

Under mountains what layer is about 100 km deep

A

The crust

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7
Q

What is under the crust

A

The mantle

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8
Q

Which layer is very thick and is about 2900 km thick

A

The mantle

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9
Q

Describe the outer part of the mantle

A

It is cooler and more solid than the inner part

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10
Q

What forms the lithosphere

A

The cooler outer part of the mantle and the crust together

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11
Q

Where is the Mohorovicic discontinuity

A

Where the upper part of the mantle ends and the liquid part begins

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12
Q

The mantle is also called

A

The mesosphere

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13
Q

What is the mantle made up of

A

Liquid rock

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14
Q

What is the layer just below the lithosphere And is made of liquid rock that is more like liquid plastic

A

The asthenosphere

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15
Q

What is the core also called

A

Centrosphere

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16
Q

What layer is the very inner part of the earth

A

The core

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17
Q

Core has two parts what are they

A

The outer core and the inner core

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18
Q

What is the outer core And how thick is it

A

It’s liquid and about 2200 km thick

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19
Q

Is the inner core and how thick is it

A

It is solid and is about 1250 km thick

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20
Q

What creates earths magnetic field

A

The liquid outer core spins against the inner core

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21
Q

What is sial

A

It is the lighter materials and is composed of mostly silicon and aluminum

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22
Q

What is sima

A

It is the dancer material that is composed largely of silicon and magnesium

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23
Q

What does sial form

A

The continents and landmasses

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24
Q

What does sima form

A

It forms the ocean bottoms

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25
Q

Is the most common rock in sial

A

Granite

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26
Q

Most common rock in sima

A

Basalt

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27
Q

What is Isostasy

A

The balance or equilibrium achieved when one thing is in balance with another

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28
Q

Is the theory of Isostasy

A

The earth is surrounded by a layer of sima In a continuous shell. On the slayer blocks of sial Float. New land is always being made and all the land is always being worn away this means that the weight of the sial Is always changing, so balance cannot be found

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29
Q

What is the continental drift theory

A

300 years ago all the continents were attached informed one large continent called Pangea

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30
Q

Who suggested the continental drift theory

A

Alfred Wegner

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31
Q

Is some evidence of continental drift

A

What’s the line fit, geological fit, paleoclimatology, Paleo glaciation, fossil correlation, palaeomagnetism

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32
Q

why didn’t other scientists believe Wagner

A

Is evidence was only circumstantial, he could not explain how the continents moved.

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33
Q

What is subduction

A

IThe process that occurs when two tectonic plates come together. One plate goes up, and the other goes down. The plate that goes down is said to be subducting, and the part of the cross that is going down goes to the mantle, where it melts and becomes magma

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34
Q

What are the three basic types of rock

A

Igneous/ fire rock, Sedimentary/layers of dust, Metamorphic/rock that changes physically or chemically

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35
Q

What are the main processes that change rock

A

Erosion heat and pressure

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36
Q

What happens to magma when it crystallizes

A

Becomes igneous rock

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37
Q

What happens if the igneous rock is subducted and is moved back into the mantle

A

Melts and becomes a magma again

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38
Q

What happens if igneous rock experiences heat and pressure

A

It may change its form completely and become metamorphic rock

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39
Q

What happens if igneous rock is eroded

A

The particles break away and become sediments

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40
Q

What happens when sediments from eroded igneous rock experience great pressure

A

They harden into sedimentary rock

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41
Q

What happens when new sedimentary rock erodes

A

It becomes sediments again

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42
Q

Happens when sedimentary rock experiences heat and pressure

A

It changes into a metamorphic rock

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43
Q

Happens when sedimentary rock gets subducted

A

Melts into the mantle as magma

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44
Q

What happens to metamorphic rock when heat and pressure happens

A

The rock changes chemically or physically into a new type of rock

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45
Q

What happens when metamorphic rock Erodes

A

It becomes sediments again

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46
Q

Happens when metamorphic rocks get subducted

A

It melts into the mantle as magma

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47
Q

What Happens when plates move apart

A

Initially, causes rifts, later, plate formation (fault mountains, volcanoes)

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48
Q

What happens when plates move together

A

Plate Destruction-subduction (fold mountains, fault mountains, volcanoes)

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49
Q

What Happens when plates experience lateral movement

A

Causes violent movement also known as earthquakes

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50
Q

What is plate subduction

A

Two plates come together, the heavier plate slides under the lighter one, and the higher one slides up and over the heavier one

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51
Q

What happens when two plates make contact

A

Fold mountain is created

52
Q

What happens when plates move away from each other and space is left between them

A

Becomes a valley or fills with water and becomes a Sea

53
Q

Does an earthquake happen

A

One Plate will try to slide past another plate, friction will hold the plates in place, but pressure will build up. When the pressure to move is too much, the plates one move suddenly and quickly against each other

54
Q

How Is a volcano made

A

Are you a small opening is made in the crust, the molten lava and other material build up a cone

55
Q

The funnel shaped opening called

A

Crater

56
Q

What are the three basic types of volcanos

A

Cinder cones, dome cones, composite cones

57
Q

What Kind of volcanos are very explosive and cause a lot of destruction

A

Cinder cones

58
Q

What Volcano has steep sides and a narrow base and grows very quickly

A

Cinder cones

59
Q

Why are cinder cones not taller

A

Their eruptions are often so violent that they blow the whole top part of the mountain apart

60
Q

What volcano is not explosive but rather thick magma oozes out and generally moves slowly

A

Dome volcano

61
Q

What does a dome volcano look like

A

Wide base but low, gently sloping sides

62
Q

What kind of volcano Steep sides when it erupts violently and a wide base when it erupts gently

A

Composite cone

63
Q

What Are destructive affects of volcanos

A
  • explosions, lava flows
  • Tsunamis
  • nuees Ardents (large dark clouds of hot steam and poison gas)
  • earthquakes
  • mudslides (mixture of ash and water)
64
Q

What are benefits of volcanos

A
  • Soils from mineral rich volcanic rock are great for farming after erosion has occurred
  • Builds new land
65
Q

What is a dike

A

Magma cools in a vertical crack

66
Q

What is a sill

A

Magma flows between strata of sedimentary rock forms a thin but extensive sheet

67
Q

What is a laccolith

A

A sill that is large enough to raise a dome shape on the surface of the earth

68
Q

What is a batholith

A

Mass of magma that has intruded into a wide area and has no depth

69
Q

What happens when the plates are put under stress

A

A fracture often occurs in the rocks

70
Q

What is the line of fracture called

A

A fault

71
Q

Does this fault look like

A

And on one side of the fall will go up and the other side will go down

72
Q

What is the Cliffs called that the fault mountains create

A

Escarpment

73
Q

What Is compression

A

When the plate is being pushed together

74
Q

What is tension

A

When the plate is being stretched

75
Q

What is shearing

A

When two plates slide past each other

76
Q

When two plates push together, the lighter plate will slide upward and the heavier plate will slide down, what is this movement called

A

Reverse or thrust fault

77
Q

What causes landslides

A

The cliff (the hanging wall) is heavier on the top, it will collapse, causing landslides

78
Q

When two plates pull away from each other, one side will slide downward, what is this called

A

A normal fault

79
Q

If the movement along the fault line is horizontal, no changes in elevation usually occur, what type of fault is this called?

A

Strike-slip fault

80
Q

When tectonic plates are compressed, instead of breaking what else could happen

A

They can bend and warp

81
Q

Can folding and faulting occur at the same time?

A

Yes

82
Q

What is the upward part of the fold called?

A

Anticline

83
Q

What is the downward part of the fold called

A

Sincline

84
Q

Sometimes the fold becomes so big that it flops over, what is this called

A

Overturned anticline

85
Q

What is weathering

A

The process by which rock breaks down into smaller pieces

86
Q

What are the two types of weathering

A

Mechanical and chemical

87
Q

What is mechanical weathering

A

The breakup of rock into increasingly smaller pieces, with no change to the chemical structure of the rock

88
Q

What is chemical weathering

A

The disintegration or dissolution of rock. The chemical structure of the rock is changed

89
Q

What is erosion

A

The process by which rock disintegrates, dissolves, or are broken down and the particles are carried away

90
Q

What are three methods of erosion

A

Wind, water, glaciers

91
Q

What are the four main causes of mechanical weathering

A

Temperature changes
Frost action
Root action
Animal and insect activity

92
Q

How does temperature change weathering work?

A

During the heat of the day the rocks expand, but at night they contract. This process happens over and over again causing a huge stain on the rock. The strain will crack and break the rock

93
Q

What speeds up temperature change weathering

A

The greater the temperature variation

94
Q

How does frost action weathering work

A

Water get into crack and freeze, the freezing water expands and pushes against the sides of the crack making the crack a little bit bigger every time this happens. The crack will become so large that the rock will split apart

95
Q

How does root action weathering work

A

As a root grows in the cracks of a rock it forces the sides of the crack to widen. After a while the crack becomes so big that the rock spilts apart

96
Q

How does animal and insect activity weathering work

A

Animals and insects burrow or dig in the ground and let’s water into the ground. The water weather the rocks either by drag action or by chemical erosion

97
Q

_________________ can cause rocks to dissolve

A

Chemical interactions

98
Q

What takes longer chemical weathering or mechanical weathering

A

Chemical

99
Q

Chemical weather happens faster where

A

In hot climates

100
Q

Most chemical weathering is caused by what 3 ways

A

Oxygen
Rain water
Carbon dioxide

101
Q

how does oxygen weathering work?

A

air links up with some elements of other rocks, an oxide is formed, the oxide is brittle and causes the rock to crumble.

102
Q

How does rain water weathering work? (1st way)

A

Rain water can dissolve some minerals. The minerals wash out of the rock with the water, making the rock weak and crumble

103
Q

How does rain water weathering work? (2nd way)

A

Rain water links up wth minerals in the rock and forms new substances, the new substances break away from the rock and the rock crumbles

104
Q

Rain water weathering will faster weather___ _______________

A

On rocks which it lands on

105
Q

What is creep

A

The sand particles are too large to be picked up so it rolls on the ground

106
Q

What percentage of soil is moved by creep

A

25%

107
Q

What is saltation

A

The soil particles get picked up and bounce off the ground

108
Q

What percentage of soil is moved by saltation

A

50%

109
Q

What is suspension

A

When soil particles are kept in the air by the wind

110
Q

What percentage of soil is moved by suspension

A

25%

111
Q

What is a u-shaped valley

A

V-shaped called frowned by rivers will fill with glacial ice which erodes the sides leaving a U-shaped valley

112
Q

What is a cirque

A

A scooped out basin at the head of an alpine glacier valley

113
Q

What is a tarn

A

A small mountain lake, that forms in a cirque basin

114
Q

What is a horn

A

A sharp, jagged peak that forms when several cirques surround a mountain

115
Q

What is an arête

A

A sharp ridge that divides two cirque basins

116
Q

What is a col

A

Is created on the second advance of the glacier

117
Q

What is a striation

A

When glaciers move debris across the surface of the earth, scratches, called straitions, are left on the ground, indicating the direction of the retreat of the glacier

118
Q

What is a spillway

A

As water from a melting Glasgow flows over the land, it cuts deep valleys into the earth.

119
Q

What is a till plain

A

Is a flat area of land where a glacier has deposited the till

120
Q

What is till

A

Rocks after materials left behind for the retreat of the glacier

121
Q

What is a terminal moraine

A

Material deposited by a glacier at the farthest point the glacier reached

122
Q

What is a lateral moraine

A

Debris transported by a glacier that collects along the sides of the glacier

123
Q

What is a drumlin

A
  • a glacial landform that is made of till and is shaped like a tear drop
  • it forms in the direction of the ice movement
  • scientists don’t know how these are formed
124
Q

What is an erratic

A

A dropped of rock from the melting of the glacier that carried it, these rocks are dropped off anywhere and look very out of place

125
Q

What is a lacustrine plain

A

Fertile bottom of an ancient glacial lake that is now used for agriculture

geography (7 decks)

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