Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

How is the geologic time scale broken up into [Earth’s Calendar]

A

Eons(greatest Expanse of time) Eras Periods Epochs (smallest expanse of time)

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2
Q

What are the two major divisions in the geologic time scale?

A

———–present——- Phanerozoic Eon (eon of visible life) (15% of earth’s history) ———-543 million years ago——- precambrian (85% of earths history) ———4.6 billion years ago——-

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3
Q

What are the tree eras of Phanerozoic Eon

A

Cenozoic Era (recent life) [includes the present], age of mammals (starts 65m.y.a w/ K/T extinction) Mezozoic Era “Middle life” [Age of dinos] (starts 252 m.y.a. w/ permian extinction) Paleozoic Era “Ancient life”(begins 543m.y.a.) [explosion of life]

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4
Q

Moon was closer to earth when?

A

early precambrian (EON)

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5
Q

The moon formed in the

A

The Precambrian (Eon)

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6
Q

The most efficient organism that dominated in early paleozoic Era

A

Trilobite 500 different genera

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7
Q

Life on land is

A

recent in geologic sense

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8
Q

Greatest mass extinction

A

it was the Permian Extinction (almost complete annihilation) 95% of life were extinct

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9
Q

group of animals that dominated earth for 200 million years

A

Dinosaurs

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10
Q

What extinction event wiped out the dinosaurs?

A

K/T extinction event 70% of all life died

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11
Q

How many mass extinction events are in the phanerozoic (Eon)

A

five (sixth is going on today by humans)

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12
Q

two largest mass extinction events in Phanerozoic

A

K/T extinction Permian extinction

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13
Q

Two people who found evidence for the cause of K/T extinction?

A

Walter (son) and Luis Alverez They Found a thin layer of clay

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14
Q

What did they find the clay contained?

A
  1. Iridium (high concentration) [orginal found by the Alvers] 2. Micro-tektites (Small glass spheres) 3. Shocked- Quartz 4.Soot (from global wildfires)
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15
Q

Where is the impact crater for K/T extinction

A

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

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16
Q

Scenario of events from K/T impact meteor

A

Tsunami Heat Wave (forest bursting in flames) Blackout (dust and smoke blocked out the sun’s energy) Deep Freeze (slowly filtered out) Acid Rain and global warming (this is prolonged)

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17
Q

opposing hypothesis for the K/T extinction

A

The massive eruption of lava occurred in India Deccan flood basalt province

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18
Q

Deccan flood basalt province resulted in

A
  1. SO2 emissions- contributed to cooling and acid rain 2. CO2- increase in the green house effect 3. CI - depletes the world’s ozone layer
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19
Q

Antipodal Hypothesis is

A

The chicxulub impact may have generated a shock wave that travel through the earth and cracked the lithosphere and produced outpouring of basalt lava.

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20
Q

What is the prevailing idea for the Permian Extinction?

A

Plate tectonics and Siberian Flood basalts (occured roughly 252 MYA) (making the climate change)

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21
Q

Types of bodies that are possible to hit earth

A

Comets Stony meteorites Iron Meterorites

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22
Q

What are in complex craters?

A

central uplift impact melt (between uplift and rim) Ejecta blanket (has tektites, broken rock, and shocked quartz)

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23
Q

Simple crater contain

A

May not have impact melt, smaller in diameter no central uplift has ejecta blanket

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24
Q

events for impact crater formation

A

Meteorite impact then compressional wave with heat blow material out central upwave created by rebound leaves a fractured blanket

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25
Q

Meteor Crater, Arizona

A

youngest and best preserve crater (about 50000 years old) Recognized as impact crater by Gene Shoemaker

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26
Q

Tunguska Event (1908)

A

meteorite impact in Russia First expedition to check it out was in 1921 (FAILED) Second expedition was in 1927 No crater found b/c it was a stony Meteorite

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27
Q

program to catalog objects with orbits that cross earth’s orbit

A

Spacewatch Program (Still in operation @ Uof A)

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28
Q

What did it take to get the Spacewatch program to be funded?

A

The Shoemaker-levy Comet crashing into Jupiter

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29
Q

WHat are they two belts of comets

A

Oort Cloud Kuiper Belt (Both are beyond neptune)

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30
Q

Surface of Mercury Venus Saturn’s icy moon (enceladus) Mars Moon

A

Mercury-very heavy with impact craters Venus-numerous impact crater Enceladus-Dynamic body (resurfaces its body) Frozen water Mars-it has craters Moon- lots of craters

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31
Q

What is the magma chamber

A

reservoir of molten rock beneath volcano(feeds the volcanic eruption)

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32
Q

what happens when magma cools in the magma chamber or on the surface?

A

it produces into intrusive igneous rock (crystallizes) or feeds an eruption where it cools on surface and becomes extrusive igneous rock

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33
Q

Intrusive igneous rock

A

cools inside the magma chamber (large crystals) [more time to cool] course-grained crystalline structure (magma)

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34
Q

Extrusive igneous rock

A

cools more rapidly and produces a fine grain igneous rock (lava)

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35
Q

Differenced between magma and lava

A

magma is interior of earth lava is not lava is degassed rock (less pressure) soda example

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36
Q

Glassy texture

A

rock with no crystals from rapid cooling or quenching of lava ex. obsidian (entering water)

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37
Q

Vesicular texture is

A

rock with open spaces (gas bubbles that are trapped within the rock) example of this is pumice

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38
Q

Pyroclastic texture is

A

texture that is fragmented by explosive eruptions (associated with more explosive eruption)

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39
Q

Extrusive rock: Basalt Andesite Rhyolite

A

Dark (less Silica) lighter (more silica) light (has the most silica)

40
Q

What controls the nature of the eruption

A

Viscosity amount of dissolved gases

41
Q

What is viscosity and what are its controls

A

ability to resist flow (think of honey example) A) temperature (hotter the lower the viscosity and vice-versa) B)Magma composition- the higher the the silica the higher viscosity

42
Q

Describing the nature of eruption amount of dissolved gases

A

this provides the driving force of the eruption (think of soda analogy) mgma contains dissolved gases b/c it is under pressure

43
Q

what determines whether the eruption is explosive or not

A

the viscosity (the higher the viscosity the bigger the explosion) (analogy of spaghetti sauce blowing up)

44
Q

WHat are the products of eruptions?

A
  1. Lava flows (nonexplosive) 2. Volcanic gases (drives the eruption) 3. Pyroclastic material (more explosive)
45
Q

Lava flows are and what are the two types? Which one has higher viscosity?

A

low viscosity Pahoehoe- fluid lava with a smooth surface A’a - thicker lava flow with a rough spiny surface A’a has a higher viscosity

46
Q

How are lava tubes created

A

as lava begins to cool along the sides a hot rind is created that insulates the lava flow (it allows the lava to continue down the slope once the eruption ceases the basalt lava will drain out leaving an open tube

47
Q

What happens when lava hits the water?

A

Pillow basalts are formed

48
Q

What are the main volcanic gases

A

H2O CO2-contributes to global warming SO2-contributes to global cooling

49
Q

What is Tephra?

A

Pyroclastic material (it is the eruption column) separated into three sizes 1. ash less than 2mm 2. Lapilli 3. Blocks and bombs greater than 64mm All are liquid when they erupt except block

50
Q

what is a block

A

they were never liquid but same size of a bomb

51
Q

How are volcanoes distributed (how do we have volcanos)

A
  1. Spreading center volcanism 2.Subduction Zone volcanism 3. Intraplate Volcanism
52
Q

What is created in spreading center volcanism?

A

basalt magma

53
Q

The pacific rim were volcanoes are active is called

A

the ring of fire

54
Q

what is the average composition that can erupt in a subduction zone volcano is

A

andesite (dangerous b/c very explosive)

55
Q

Intraplate volcanism

A

the type of melt generated is basalt

56
Q

Features of a generic volcano

A

fed by magma chamber summit crater is on the top central vent connects magma chamber and summit crater

57
Q

What are parasitic cones and fuma role

A

they volcanoes erupting off the side of a volcano fumarole are where gases erupt on the side (stinky)

58
Q

WHat are the three main volcano types

A

Shield volcano-low profile (calm gentle eruptions) 100% basalt Scoria volcano- very steep slopes w/ large summit crater (smallest of the three) Composed of basaltic tephra more explosive Stratovolcano-small summit crater (most explosive) Avg composition is andesite

59
Q

Shield volcano

A

-low profile (calm gentle eruptions) 100% basalt lava flows

60
Q

Scoria volcano

A

very steep slopes w/ large summit crater (smallest of the three) Composed of basaltic tephra more explosive

61
Q

Stratovolcano

A

small summit crater (most explosive) Avg composition is andesite ( has both tephra and lava flows)

62
Q

Example of shield volcanos

A

Mauna Loa Hawaii (largest volcano) [Tallest volcano is Mauna Kea] (tallest mountain)

63
Q

Example of Scoria Cone

A

Paricutin, Mexico (1943-52) the eruption covered the entire village

64
Q

Stratovolcano is associated with

A

subduction zones

65
Q

What are Plinian eruptions?

A

they are the most explosive type of eruption ex. a “plinian event”

66
Q

Important volcanic features (mostly associated with stratovolcanoes)

A
  1. lava domes 2. Calderas
67
Q

What are lava domes

A

bulbous mass of viscous material rising from the throat of the volcano (they mark the end of plinian eruptions)

68
Q

What are calderas?

A

large circular depressions produced when weight of the volcano causes it to collapse into its own magma chamber (associated with the largest plinian eruptions)

69
Q

example of a calderas

A

Crater lake Oregon (formed from Mt. Mazama)

70
Q

WIzard Island is

A

a small volcano formed on crater lake

71
Q

WHat happened at Lake Nyos, Cameroon

A

12000 people died b/c landslide occurred at the lake and all the CO2 bubbled out as the water rose and suffocated everything

72
Q

What are catastrophic phenomenons associated with planian eruptions

A
  1. pyroclastic Falls 2. Pyroclastic flows 3. Lahars (volcanic mudflows)
73
Q

What are pyroclastic falls?

A

Volcanic material rising high in the sky and eventually falling down ex. wet ash accumulating on roofs causing it to collapse ex. respiratory problems affects airliners

74
Q

Volcano that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum

A

Mt. Vesuvius killed about 3000 people ash cover Pompeii and pyroclastic flow covered Herculaneum

75
Q

WHat are pyroclastic flows?

A

fluidized mixture of solid to semi-solid fragments and hot that contains toxic gases (this flows down the flanks of a volcano and towards valleys)

76
Q

WHo are Maurice and Katia Kraft?

A

Volcanologists that photographed eruptions Died from a pyroclastic flow

77
Q

Mt. Pelee in Martinique

A

It erupted in 1901 and a pyroclastic flow destroyed the Village St. Pierre

78
Q

WHat was unique about the lava dome at mt. Pelee?

A

it grew at 50 ft per day (500 ft thick) it collapsed because it was too large

79
Q

What are Lahars?

A

Volcanic mudflows (pyroclastic material mixed with water)

80
Q

WHere does the water come from for pyroclastic flows?

A
  1. rainfall 2. ice and snow melt 3.disruption of crater lakes
81
Q

Example of a deadly Lahar?

A

Nevado del ruiz Columbia (people thought they could get an early warning if a lahar were occur)

82
Q

Mt. Rainier’s previous Lahars are?

A
  1. Oseola Lahar 5700 years ago 2. Elecrton Lahar occurred 500 years ago (major concern b/c there are about 300000 people)
83
Q

What are super-Eruptions?

A

The eruption of voluminous pyroclastic sheet flows from giant resurgent calderas (sheet flow as in covering up and filling up the valley)

84
Q

What are the most recent super-eruptions?

A

Taupo, New Zealand(26000 years ago) Toba, Indonesia(74000 years ago)

85
Q

Areas in the U.S. with super-eruptions (less than 1 million years ago)

A

1.YellowStone National Park (caldera of 85 KM) 2 Long Valley, California (USGS vs locals incident)

86
Q

where doe the pyroclastic material come out from for super eruptions?

A

large fracture around the ring of the caldera

87
Q

the volume amount of pyroclastic material

A

is related to how explosive the eruption is.

88
Q

USGS new alert system

A

it is for monitoring future eruptions and keeps the public informed through four levels Helped saved lives on Mt. Pinatubo

89
Q

THe Pu’u O’o eruption is an example of what kind of eruption?

A

calm eruption with the outflowing of basaltic lava

90
Q

What is the Hawaiian hotspot track?

A

A chain of hawaiian islands that extends north west (age of all the islands and volcanoes get older as you go north west)

91
Q

WHat has been creating the hawaiian islands?

A

a mantle plume and a plate with constant motion (mantle plume doesn’t move but as the plate moves a new volcano forms)

92
Q

How many shield volcanoes are on the big island of Hawaii?

A

5

93
Q

name the caldera on the kilauea shield volcano

A

Halemaumau

94
Q

WHat are the two types of eruptions in Hawaii

A
  1. summit crater eruptions “fire fountaining” 2. Fissure eruptions “curtain of fire”
95
Q

The cascad Mountains are strato volcanos because of

A

subduction zone of the Juan de Fuca plate

96
Q

Who was Harry Truman and David Johnston

A

Harry Truman- owned the Mt St Helens lodge (didn’t want to leave and died at the eruption)

David Johnston- died while he was on watch (body was never found)

97
Q

Series of events for the climatic eruption of mt st Helens

A
  1. 5.0 M eathquake
  2. Earthquake triggered a giant lanslide
  3. then producing a super heated water directly North (lateral blast)
  4. the removal of the material released pressure off the magma and produced a plinian eruption (rising form summit area)