Geo 1 Flashcards
Material geology
materials composing Earth and seeks to understand the many processes that operate beneath and upon its surface
Historical geology
the origin of Earth and its development through time.
Catastrophism
Thinking the Earth’s landscapes were shaped primarily by great catastrophes to affirm the belief that the Earth was only a few thousand years old
Uniformitarianism
Jame Hutton saying the physical, chemical, and biological laws that operate today have also operated in the geologic past
What are Earth’s spheres?
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Solid Earth
Atmosphere
What % of our water is freshwater?
2.5 % 0.75 of this is groundwater
What “powers” Earth?
The sun and it’s internal heat
How long ago was the big bang?
13.7 million years
How did the Earth’s layers form?
Metals sank to the center and molten rock rose to create our first, primitive crust. Chemical differentiation created the basic layers. (1.5)
Describe the crust
thin, outer shell
Oceanic is made of basalt (ig)
Continental is made of lots of different rocks, and is much thicker than the oceanic crust.
Describe the mantle
A rocky shell that makes up 82% of the Earth’s volume. Split into upper & lower
What are the parts of the upper mantle?
Lithosphere-the entire crust plus the uppermost mantle
Asthenosphere- weak layer w little melting
Transition zone- lowest part
Describe the core
Made of iron–nickel alloy, with a liquid outer layer and a solid inner layer (solid due to immense pressure)
Simple rundown of the rock cycle
Magma/lava cools and solidifies into igneous rock which weathers and erodes into sediments, which lithify, compact, and cement into sedimentary rock which is buried and exposed to high heat and pressure which turns it into metamorphic rock, which then melts into magma
What is a mineral?
- Naturally Occurring
- Solid
3.Inorganic - Orderly Crystalline Structure
- Definite Chemical Composition
Rate the bonding types by order of strength
- Covalent
2.Ionic
3.Hydrogen
Metallic is weak as well
What is diaphaneity?
The mineral’s ability to transmit light, translucent, transparent, etc.
What is a crystal habit?
The common or characteristic shape of individual crystals or aggregates of crystals, like fibrous, banded, cubed etc.
Which elements are most abundant in the continental crust?
Oxygen, silicon, and aluminum
Describe the light silicates
Generally 2.7 specific gravity
lacks iron and magnesium
Describe the dark silicates
From 3.2 and 3.6 in specific gravity with iron and magnesium
What is a silicate?
A mineral with silicon and oxygen, , made of the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron
Name some common silicate minerals
Olivine, Micas (biotite, muscovite), Feldspars (potassium, plagioclase), Quartz, Pyroxene (Augite) etc.
What is the most abundant silicate group in the Earth’s crust?
Feldspar! because they can form under a wide range of pressures and temperatures. Quartz is second btw.
Name some important nonsilicates
Gypsum, calcite, and halite
What is the difference between lava and magma?
Lava is at the Earth’s surface, Magma is underneath the Earth
How does an igneous rock form?
Magma rises to the surface
What are volatiles?
Components of magma, they vaporize (form a gas) at surface pressures
What are the 3 parts of magma?
Liquid- melt
Gaseous- volatiles
Solid- crystalized silicate minerals
What is the difference between extrusive and intrusive igneous rock?
Extrusive is formed by lava at the surface, Intrusive is formed by magma at depth (aka plutonic)