GEOL 120 - Midterm 1 Flashcards
Exponential growth
A type of growth where a constant percentage of the population is added each year, mathematically represented as 𝑁 = 𝑁 0𝑒 𝑘𝑡 where k is the growth rate, N is the original population, and t is the time in years. Doubling time: 70/k
Covalent Bonds
shared electron pair, strongest bond (e.g diamonds)
ionic bonds
opositely charged atoms, dissolve in water (e.g salt)
Metalic Bonds
electrons are shared by all atoms of the solid, joins bulk of metal atoms (e.g aluminium foil)
Van der Waals
weak attraction between chains of ions (e.g graphite)
Minerals
inorganic, normally solid, crystaline, formed as the result of a geological process
Isotopes
atoms of the same element w/ different number of neutrons
Magnetic Stripes
prove the creation of new seafloor. Earth’s magnetic feild reverses every few thousand years.
Subduction Zones
areas where one plate sinks under another and oceanic crust is destroyed
Mid-oceanic ridges
where divergent plates move away from each other and oceanic crust is created
Sustainability
The development or use of resources that are economically viable, do not harm the environment, are socially just, and ensure equal access to resources for future generations.
Freshwater Salinization
The process where freshwater sources become saline due to causes like road de-icing runoff, leading to implications such as compromised drinking water and supply depletion.
Residence Times
The average time a substance spends in a system, calculated as T= S/F where S is the size of the stock and F is the rate of transfer, providing insights into system dynamics.
Earth System Science
The study of the entire planet as a system, considering its various components and interactions.
Uniformitarianism
The concept that present processes can help interpret past geological events, suggesting that current processes operated similarly in the past.
5 Spheres
Geosphere (lithosphere), atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere
Denitrification and Water Quality
Nitrogen compound is released back into the atmosphere by bacteria converting nitrate into gaseous N. Occurs in wetlands! Treats water to reduce its nitrate-nitrogen.
Nitrogen Pollution
causes the production of algae which consumes the oxygen, sinks to the bottom, and causes “dead zones”
Mass Balance Approach
Considering the inputs, output, and distribution of a substance. Pools: the given stock of materials. Fluxes: the amount of inflow or outflow. Steady-state (inputs = outputs) no net change
Catastrophism
Earth’s landscape has been changed rapidly by violent, short-lived, large-sacale events
Nitrogen Cycle
The cycle altered by human activities like fertilizer use, leading to consequences such as climate change, acid rain, and ozone layer depletion.
Organic Matter
help with bacterial decompostiion (so bacteria doesn’t absorb too much oxygen, killing other organisms)
Phosphorus and Nitrogen
cause growth of algal blooms in lakes (fertilizer runoff)
What happened to Kissimmee and Florida Everglades
floodplanes were drained to make room for infrastructure
Stratification in lakes is caused by
density varaitions (heat and salinity)
Envrionmnetal estrogens
synthetic chemical that may act like estrogen hormones, can cause hormone imbalances
Ocean Acidification
The rising acidity level of the ocean caused by carbon dioxide dissolved into water and turning into carbonic acid. Harful to coral reefs and shelled organisms. “the other CO2 problem”
Scientific Method
A logical pathway involving observation, hypothesis development, testing, and theory formation through repeated testing.
Population Growth
The rapid increase in the human population causing environmental issues like overconsumption and resource depletion.
Volcanism
The process of magma rising to the Earth’s surface and producing igneous rocks.
Tectonics
The movement and deformation of the Earth’s crust leading to the formation of different types of rocks.
Wegener’s Theory
Pangea/Continental Drift. Rejected b/c there was no mechanism (until Hess proved seafloor spreading). Evidence: fossil, glacial, and rock
Seafloor Spreading
Plate tectonic concept that new crust is continuously added to the edges of lithospheric plates at divergent plate boundaries b/c of upwelling magma along mid-oceanic ridges. Evidence: marine magnetic anomalies.
Using seismology to learn about the internal structure of the Earth
S-waves can’t move through liquid —> there is a liquid (outer) core
What moves tectonic plates
Mantle convection
Internal Structure of Earth
Crust - continental (thickest in mountains) and oceanic (thinest)
Mantle - Lithosphere: more rigid (forms continents and plates) and Asthenosphere: hotter, slow-flowing
Liquid outer core
Solid inner core
Types of plate boundaries
Convergent (together)
Transform (slide past)
Divergent (away)
Isotasy
Equilibrium between Earth’s crust and the mantle.
Subduction
The process where one tectonic plate moves under another, leading to the recycling of rocks into the mantle.
Sedimentary Rock
Rocks formed from weathered pre-existing rocks or organic materials that accumulate on the Earth’s surface.
Igenous Rock
Rocks formed from the cooling and solidifcation of magma
Metamorphic Rock
Rocks formed from the alteration of existing rocks due to high temperatures and pressures.
Acidic Mine Drainage
The formation of highly acidic water rich in heavy metals due to the oxidation of sulfide minerals in coal-bearing rocks.
Rock Laws
Law of Original Horizontality: sediments are basically horizontal when deposited
Law of Superposition: if not overturned, oldest on the bottom, youngest on top
Law of Crosscutting Relationships: rock is younger than anything it cuts
Halides
Minerals with weak ionic bonds formed from a cation and a halogen ion.
Carbonates
Minerals formed from marine shells, easily weathered, and react with acids.
Silicates
The most abundant group of rock-forming minerals made of oxygen and silicon.
Oxides
Minerals like hematite and bauxite formed from oxygen and metal ions.
Sulfides
Minerals like pyrite associated with environmental degradation and acid mine drainage.
Types of Igneous rock
intrusive: crystalized beneath the surface, slow coolin, and large grain
extrusive: cystalized at/near surface, rapid cooling, shiny, often black exterior
Rock
an agregate of a mineral or minerals
Kissimmee River (FL)
most succuesful ecosystem restoration, re-connected the floodplain of the river to replicate its natural paths.
Ecological Niches
How a species makes a living
Wetlands
swamps, marshes, bogs that are frequently or continously inuated by water. They filter/detoxify (nature’s kidneys). Often red or black soil, adapted vegetation, presence of water at surface/root zone
Why and how are streams restored
riparian reconnection to increase denitrifiation and improve water quality
Native elements
Minerals like silver, copper, and gold found in small deposits and concentrated by hydrothermal processes.
Weathering
The breakdown of rocks through physical, chemical, or biological processes.
Stable Isotopes
Isotopes that do not decay, used in determining ages and sources of materials.
Radioisotopes
Isotopes that undergo nuclear decay, used in radiometric dating.
Ecosystem
a community of organisms and their nonliving envrionment in which chemical elements cycle and energy flows
Keystone Species
Species with a disproportionate impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance.
Climax Communities
Stable ecological communities in balance with their environment.
Biodiversity
The variety of life forms in an ecosystem, essential for ecosystem health.
Riparian Zone
Vegetated land along rivers critical for water quality and ecosystem health.
Catastrophes
Damages to people, property, or society that require a long-involved recovery or rehabilitation process, caused by natural disasters in vulnerable areas.
