Exam 1 Flashcards
What is a Hypothesis?
A tentative explanation.
What is a Theory?
An explanation backed by substantial evidence.
Backed by neumerous tests.
Explanation of Uniformitarianism
“The present is the key to the past”
-Dramatic and Less Dramatic
Example of Less Dramatic Uniformitarianism
Rivers and Oceans eroding and depositing sediment
List the 8 planets in order
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Formation of Earth’s moon.
Impacter, impacted a liquid-like Earth. The impact sent materials into Earth’s orbit, spin created clumping of materials into the moon.
Solar System Formation
4.6 Bill yrs ago
1.Contraction and rotation of matter, flat disk w/ proto-sun
2.Disk of gas and grain collide and form planettesimals.
3.Plantes form by gravitational attraction.
4.Earth starts to differentate into layers (heavier elements are sinking and lighter rising)
5.Earth hit by impactor (moon forms)
6.Earth starts to solidify, plate tectonics.
Evidence for Earth’s shape/composition
Earth’s density
Metorite composition
Earthquakes
Mohorovicic Discontinuity “Moho”
Climate System components
-Cryosphere
-Hydrosphere
-Lithosphere
Plate Tectonic System
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Deep Mantle
Gyodynamo system
Magnatism
Inner core
Outer core
Physical layer of Earth
The Lithosphere
Upper mantle and crust
Continental Drift
-Global Movement of continents
Rock assemblages
Structural trends
Fossils
Climatological data
Plate Tectonic theory
Explains how the continents move throughout time
-Movement of continents
-Placement of volcanoes and earthquakes
Seafloor Spreading
-Earthquakes
-Ridges in oceans
-Electromagnetic changes in sediments
Convergent boundaries
destructive boundaries
Plates collide, ususally continetial crust
Creates mtn ranges
Divergent Boundary
Constructive boundary
Usually occurs in the ocean at ridges
Plates pull apart
New lithosphere
Transform-fault boundary
Plates slide past eachother
Plate movement calculated through
Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Move an inch or so a year
Criteria to be considered a mineral
-Inorganic
-Naturally Occuring
-Solid/Crystilline structure
-Specific Chemical Comp
Composition of an atom
-Proton:Positive (in the nucleus)
-Neutron:Neutral (in the nucleus)
-Electron:Negative (in the orbital)
Atomic number
number of protons
The top number
Atomic mass
Protons + neutrons
Anion is an ion that has what charge and does what with its electron
Negative, and gains an electron
Cation is an ion that has what charge and does what with electron
Positive, and loses its electron
Properties used to identify minerals
-Hardness
-Luster (metallic, non-metallic)
-Streak
-Reaction with HCl
-Fracture
-Cleavage
Minerals that are composed of Oxygen and Hydroxyl ions are
oxides and hydroxides
Fe2O2
Mg[OH]2
Halides are composed of what elements
Chloride (Cl), flouride (F), bromide (Br), and Iodide (I)
Halite (NaCl)
The Carbonate ion (CO3) makes up which group
The Carbonates
The sulfate group is made up of which ions
Sulfates (SO4)
SiO4 makes up which group
The Silicates group
Which group makes up the most minerals on earth
The Silicates
-Most abundant
-Negative, attracts more ions
Rock Cycle
Two components of igneous rock classification
-Texture
-Minerology
Texture: size of grains
Minerology: Chemical comp
Two texture types
-Coarse-grained:visable crystals, smoother
-Fine-grained:Non-visable crystals, rougher
Extrusive rocks
-Cooled on surface
-Volcanics
-Fine-grained
Intrusive rocks
-Cooled below surface
-Coarse-grained
Mafic Rocks
-Dark-colored
-Magnesium and Iron
-Higher melting point
Felsic Rocks
-Feldspar and Silica
-Lighter-colored
Three ways to melt the mantle
-Increase Temp
-Decrease pressure
-Add water
Partial melting theory
As magma cools, the heavier, mafic, elements cool and sink out of the magma. The magma eventually turns felsic.
Magma sills
Magma that sits in parallel formations along the rock layers.
Magma Dikes
Magma that flows perpendicular (up and down) to the rock layers.
