GEOL Flashcards
What do geologists do?
STUDY ROCKS STUDY EARTHQUAKES STUDY VOLCANOES STUDY FOSSILS STUDY TOPOGRAPHY—CONTINENTS - OCEANS, MOUNTAIN BELTS, RIVERS, GLACIERS
CLIMATE
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOPHYSICS
STUDY PLANETS, MOONS, ASTEROIDS, AND METEORITES
what are the careers in geology
- ECONOMIC GEOLOGY SEARCH FOR PETROLEUM AND MINERAL DEPOSITS
2.HYDROLOGY SEARCH FOR GROUNDWATER REDUCE POLLUTION AND MISUSE of GROUNDWATER
- GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING = WORK OUT HOW BEST TO SITUATE AND BUILD THINGS (E.G., TOPOGRAPHY and ROCK STRENGTH) = OILFIELD ENGINEERING
- ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE DUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OILFIELDS AND MINES, AND OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES
- OTHER (PARTLY GEO.ENGINEERING, PARTLY ENVIRONMENTAL GEOL.) TRY TO PREDICT AND REDUCE THE DAMAGE DONE BY EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANOES, AND LANDSLIDES TRY TO PREDICT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECTS.
degree programs for geology at the u of s
GEOLOGY *
GEOPHYSICS *
PALEOBIOLOGY (IN CONJUNCTION WITH BIOLOGY DEPT.) *
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCE
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY -IS TAUGHT IN THE DEPT. OF CIVIL, GEOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, IN THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
what are TYPES OF TIME AND HOW IT IS MEASURED
- NUMERICAL TIME(deep time)
… When an event occurred … its age measured from the present. This is done mainly by measuring the relative amounts of certain radioactive elements in a rock and their stable radiogenic daughter elements.
- RELATIVE TIME
… Pertains to the sequence of events, regardless of knowing the actual age. … Based on such things as:
- Stratigraphic succession (Superposition)
- Fossil succession.
- Cross-cutting structures.
- Deformation.
TERMINOLOGY OF NUMERICAL TIME
A. YEARS AGO (From the present – taken to be 1960) e.g.1. … EARTH formed between about 4.54 and 4.57 billion years ago.
B. LENGTH OF TIME FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, regardless of the actual age.
C. THE NOTATION OF DEEP TIME We use several different ways of writing time information, most of it in varieties of shorthand.
how to write Time Before The Present
=1 kilo-annas Before Present
(1kaBP)
how to write Age of Rock or Event
This rock has an age of 3ka
how to write Passage of Time
kilo-anna (2ka) of misery = 2X10^3years (y) or anna (a) of misery
whats another way of writing millions of years
mega-anna (Ma); or mega-years (My)
whats another way of writing billions of years
giga-anna (Ga) or giga-years (Gy)
when was the earth formed
Earth formed at about 4,570 Ma(millions).” or: “Earth formed at about 4,570X106years ago (ya)”.
or using billions
Earth formed at about 4.57 Ga.” Or: “Earth formed at about 4.57X109ya.”
3 ways to measure space/distance
1.METRIC MEASUREMENT (SI) International System of Units)
Some common portions used when describing rocks: 1/100 m = 1 centimeter (cm) = 0.01m = 10-2 m 1/1,000 m =1 millimetre (mm)
The common multiple used for describing distances: 1000 m = 1X103 m = 1X106 mm = 1 kilometre (km)
- ASTRONOMICAL UNIT (SYMBOL AU) THE AVERAGE DISTANCE FROM EARTH TO THE SUN IS CALLED AN ASTRONOMICAL UNIT; 1AU = 150x106 KM
- LIGHT YEAR (ly) THE DISTANCE TRAVELED BY LIGHT IN ONE EARTH YEAR (365.25 DAYS) IN A VACUUM. = 9.46 TRILLION KM (9.46X1012 KM) ~ 10X10^12KM … (Or 1X1013KM) … OR 1 LIGHT YEAR
The number of ———–defines the element
protons
AN ATOMIC NUCLEUS CONTAINS TWO TYPES OF ATOMIC PARTICLES what are they
PROTONS WITH A POSITIVE (+) ELECTROMAGNETIC CHARGE; AND
NEUTRONS WITH NO ELECTROMAGNETIC CHARGe
EACH DIFFERENT TYPE OF ELEMENT HAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF _________ IN ITS NUCLEUS
protons
THE NUMBER OF PROTONS IN THE ATOM OF AN ELEMENT IS CALLED
THE__________
atomic number
PROTONS AND NEUTRONS HAVE EQUAL MASS (THE MASS OF ELECTRONS IS INSIGNIFICANT). THE SUM OF THESE IS CALLED THE___________
atomic mass
atoms are very big or very small?
small
define isotopes
ALL ISOTOPES OF A GIVEN ELEMENT HAVE THE SAME NUMBER
OF PROTONS (THUS CHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR) BUT DIFFERING
NUMBERS OF NEUTRONS IN EACH ATOM
define MASS PARTITIONING.
ALTHOUGH THE DIFFERENT ISOTOPES OF AN ELEMENT BEHAVE THE SAME CHEMICALLY, THEY DO NOT BEHAVE EXACTLY THE SAME PHYSICALLY
what could happen in the RESULT OF PARTITIONING
1) ICE IN GLACIERS … FROZEN H20
2) MARINE SHELLS (and FOSSILS) MADE OF SiO2 (Silicon dioxide) (Silica),
3) MARINE SHELLS (and FOSSILS) MADE OF CaCO3 (Calcium carbonate),
4) THESE RATIOS CAN ALSO BE USED TO HELP STUDY OTHER KINDS OF
GEOLOGICAL PROCESS INVOLVING TEMPERATURE, SUCH AS METAMORPHISM (THERMAL ALTERATION OF ROCKS).
WE CAN DATE THE volanco ASH (_________ ); ANALYSE THE AIR BUBBLES TO GET THE ____________ (N, O, AND CO2); ANALYSE THE STABLE ISOTOPES OF OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN TO DETERMINE THE _________________ WHILE IT WAS SNOWING.
1.time of eruption
- composition of the atmosphere
- TEMPERATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE
whats nuclear fission
THE NUCLEUS OF A
RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE AUTOMATICALLY RELEASES OR ABSORBS
PARTICLES SUCH THAT THE ISOTOPE CONVERTS TO A DIFFERENT
ISOTOPE, ALSO WITH THE RELEASE OF ENERGY.
whats the original isotope called and whats the new resulting isotope called from the orginal
the original is called the parent
tHE RESULTING NEW ISOTOPE IS A RADIOGENIC DAUGHTER. *[THE DAUGHTER MAY BE EITHER RADIOACTIVE OR STABLE.] IF A RADIOGENIC DAUGHTER IS RADIOACTIVE THE PROCESS CONTINUES UNTIL FINALLY A STABLE RADIOGENIC DAUGHTER IS PRODUCED.
what is the term geologists use to “date” rocks
GEOCHRONOLOGY
what are ions
AN ION IS AN ATOM OR MOLECULE THAT HAS A NET ELECTROMAGNETIC CHARGE AS A RESULT OF EITHER LOOSING OR GAINING ONE OR MORE ELECTRONS, WITH NO CHANGES TO THE NUCLEUS.
whats CHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR (BONDING)
ATOMS COMBINE WITH OTHER ATOMS TO FORM SOLID, LIQUID, OR GASESOUS COMPOUNDS. IN SOME CASES, THEY BOND WITH LIKE ATOMS TO FORM SINGLE-ELEMENT MATERIALS (SUCH AS GOLD [Au], COPPER [Cu], IRON [Fe]). ANY SUCH COMBINATIONS OF ATOMS INVOLVE THE ELECTRONS IN THEIR OUTER SHELLS (ONLY), AND IN WAYS THAT DEPEND ON THE ATOMIC RADII OF THE COMBINING ATOMS.
whats THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS
ARRANGES THE ELEMENTS ACCORDING TO ATOMIC NUMBER AND CHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR
whats the big view
WHAT WE AS ASTRONOMERS CAN SEE
whats nebula
giant cloud of dust and gas in space
what does the universe include
galxies
stars
intersteller dust(gas)
nubulae
dark matter
whats supernovae
a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass.
HERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF NEBULAE, ONE OF WHICH IS THE RESULT OF ____________ (THE EXPLOSION OF GIANT STARS)
supernovae
THE AVERAGE GALAXY SEEMS TO CONTAIN ABOUT___________BILLION STARS
300
MANY GALAXIES HAVE MASSIVE__________AT THE CENTER.
BLACK holes
OUR SUN (SOL) IS ONE OF ABOUT 300 BILLION STARS IN A GALAXY CALLED THE___________, A MODEST SIZED________
milky way galaxy
barred spiral galaxy
OUR SUN HAS A SYSTEM OF ______, _______, and _______ WHICH ORBIT AROUND IT CALLED THE SOLAR SYSTEM
planets, asteroids, comets
what are EXOPLANETS
An exoplanet is any planet beyond our solar system.
whats is OBSERVABLE MATTER (MAINLY STARS) made up of
MOSTLY HYDROGEN (~75%), FOLLOWED BY HELIUM (23%), THEN LITHIUM (~2%). OTHER ELEMENTS COMBINED MAKE UP LESS THAN (1%)
what are stars
lARGE (MOSTLY) LUMINOUS BODIES THAT COMPRISE GALAXIES AND FORM THE FUNDAMENT UNITS OF THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE.
THEY NOT ONLY ACT AS THE CENTERS OF SOLAR SYSTEMS … THEY ALSO ARE THERMO-NUCLEAR FACTORIES THAT MANUFACTURE ELEMENTS.
HOW THEY DO THIS DEPENDS ON THEIR SIZE (MASS). THEY HAVE LIFE SPANS … THEIR BIRTHS AND DEATHS ARE ESSENTIAL PROCESSES TO THE EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE.
what are the two ways of considering size of stars
DIAMETER AND MASS
solar mass written
(1M)
how is SOLAR DIAMETER (AND VOLUME) of stars measured
HE DIAMETER OF SOL IS ~1.4 MILLION KM (1.4X106 KM) RANGE OF DIAMETERS (FOR COMPARISON SOL DIA.=* 1D)*
STARS CHANGE _________ DURING THEIR LIFE SPAN.
diameter
HOW STARS WORK (and DIE)
GRAVITY AND NUCLEAR FUSION
whats is NUCLEAR FUSION
STARS AS ELEMENT FACTORIES UNDER HIGH PRESSURE AND TEMPERTURE THE NUCLEI OF LIGHT ATOMS CAN BE FUSED TOGETHER TO FORM NEW HEAVIER ELEMENTS
- IN A HYDROGEN BOMB, FOR EXAMPLE, HYDROGEN NUCLEI ARE CAUSED TO FUSE TOGETHER, FORMING HELIUM NUCLEI. SOME MASS IS EXPLOSIVELY CONVERTED TO ENERGY IN THE PROCESS. ALSO, HEAT IS PRODUCED.
why do stars not blow apart
THEIR IMMENSE GRAVITY HOLDS BACK THE EXPLODING PARTICLES AND THE STAR REMAINS INTACT…FOR A TIME…AND THEN, EVENTUALLY THEY BLOW APART.
whats NUCLEO-SYNTHESIS
THE PRODUCTION OF ELEMENTS BY ATOMIC FUSION IN STARS, STARTING WITH HYDROGEN ATOMS FUSING TO FORM HELIUM
how are red giants created
ONCE THE ENERGY RELEASED BY FUSION IS HIGH ENOUGH IT WILL UPSET THE STAR’S STABILITY SUCH THAT THE HYGROGEN AND HELIUM SHELLS SURROUNDING THE CARBON CORE WILL BE PUSHED OUTWARDS, AND THE STAR WILL EXPAND INTO A RED GIANT, COOLING AS IT EXPANDS.
whats a HUGE FLASH-FUSION EXPLOSION.
FUSION OF HYDROGEN TO HELIUM SURROUNDING THE CARBON CORe
What’s a planetary nebula?
a region of cosmic gas and dust formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star
whats a WHITE DWARF STAR
what stars like the Sun become after they have exhausted their nuclear fuel. Near the end of its nuclear burning stage, this type of star expels most of its outer material, creating a planetary nebula. Only the hot core of the star remains.
what are black dwarf stars
WHITE DWARFS ARE DEAD, NO FURTHER FUSION OCCURS. THEY EVENTUALLY COOL AND AFTER BILLIONS OF YEARS WILL EMIT NO LIGHT, BECOMING BLACK DWARF STARS.
FOR STARS ORIGINALLY OF 10M-30M THIS WILL BE A _____ star
neutron
FOR THOSE ORIGINALLY GREATER THAN ‘30M’ THIS REMNANT WILL BE A SMALL __________
black hole
THEY ARE THE RESULT OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH COMPRESSIVE FORCES THAT WERE PRODUCED BY THE STARS FINAL COLLAPSE AND SUPERNOVAL EXPLOSION.
O A GEOLOGIST STUDYING THE EARTH (AND OTHER PLANETS AND MOONS) PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF ALL THIS IS THAT_______________
stars are element factories
whats does the NEBULAE AND SUPER-NEBULAE THE STARS PRODUCE WHEN THEY EXPLODe
CONTAINS THE RAW MATERIAL FROM WHICH NEW SOLAR SYSTEMS ARE FORMED
IT IS WITHIN THESE _____________________ THAT NEW STARS AND THEIR PLANETS ARE BORN.
interstellar nebulae
IT IS WITHIN THESE _____________________ THAT NEW STARS AND THEIR PLANETS ARE BORN.
interstellar nebulae
what are the TWO MAIN OPERATING FORCES of the ORIGIN OF A STAR AND ITS SOLAR SYSTEM FROM A NEBULA
GRAVITY AND CENTRIFIGUAL FORCE
What are galaxies?
A collection of stars, dust, and gas bound together by gravity
OUR OWN MILKY WAY GALAXY IS IN THE ___________WHICH IS A SUBCLUSTER WITHIN THE VIRGO CLUSTER.
local group
What is the Milky Way galaxy?
OUR HOME GALAXY IS A BARRED SPIRAL ABOUT 100,000 LIGHT YEARS IN DIAMETER, AND ABOUT 1,000 ly THICK IN THE ARMS.
THE ENTIRE GALAXY IS ROTATING __________
clock wise
what is are solar system made from
PLANETS, MOONS, ASTEROIDS, AND COMETS ARE LEFT-OVER DEBRIS THAT ‘MISSED’ GETTING ACCRETED TO THEIR STAR WHEN IT FORMED.
what are the 3 zones our solar system consists of
PLANET ZONE 30 AU
KUIPER BELT DWARF PLANETS COMETS 55 AU
OORT CLOUD DWARF PLANETS COMETS
50,000 AU
What are the rocky planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
what are the giant planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
what is the order of planets from the sun
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, asteroid belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What are the gas giants?
Jupiter and Saturn
What are the ice giants?
Uranus and Neptune
What are the terrestrial planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INNER PLANETS
suns radiation
THE POTENTIAL HABITABLE ZONE FOR A SOLAR SYSTEM IS WITHIN THE DISTANCE AT WHICH LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST is what
GOLDILOCKS ZONE
whats an example of a dwarf planet
Pluto
What is a dwarf planet?
A dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is large enough to be round but not one of the 8 planets.
what are (NEOs)
NEAR EARTH OBJECTS
objects coming near earth
what is the most recent asteroid that entered earth
THE CHELYABINSK ASTEROID (20 METRE DIAMETER AND OVER 10,000 TONNES).
THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPACT CRATER IS IN where and what is it called
MEXICO.
THE CHICXULUB CRATER
IN THE YUCATAN PENNINSULA IS ~150 KM WIDE AND WAS CREATED 66 MYA BY AN IMPACTOR ABOUT 10 KM DIAMETER.
Why did dinosaurs go extinct?
Giant asteroid hit earth causing big climate changes
producing acid rain
what is the nicest impact crater in sask
DEEP BAY IMPACT CRATER NEAR THE SOUTH END OF REINDEER LAKE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE PROVINCE.
what happens when comets and meteors come close to the sun
WHEN THESE OBJECTS ENTER THE PLANET ZONE, THEY ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SUN TO BE AFFECTED BY HEAT AND THE SOLAR WIND WHICH PRODUCE A GLOWING
*‘COMA’ *
AROUND THE OBJECT AND CREATES A LONG TAIL
STRUNG OUT OPPOSITE TO THE SUN.
whats COMET NUCLEI
THE NUCLEI OF COMETS SEEM TO BE ASTEROIDAL-LIKE OBJECTS, BUT MADE OF ROCK, DUST, AND ICES OF WATER (H2O) AND CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2).
THESE NUCLEI AND THE CORES OF SHOOTING STARS MUST BE THE PRIMORDIAL STUFF OF WHICH OUR ROCKY PLANETS WERE MADE.
What’s absolute zero?
IF THERE IS NO HEAT THERE WILL BE NO VIBRATION AND IF THERE IS NO VIBRATION THERE WILL BE NO HEAT.
What’s the Big Bang theory?
the universe has not always existed. It states that the early universe was hot and dense. As time passed the universe expanded, cooled, and became less dense. The Big Bang theory can explain why the universe looks the way it does.is the leading explanation about how the universe began. At its simplest, it says the universe as we know it started with a small singularity, then inflated over the next 13.8 billion years to the cosmos that we know today.
what are the 6 major layers
a) Magnetosphere
c) Atmosphere (100 km)
d) Hydrosphere (including ground water)
b) Crust
e) Mantle SOLID EARTH
f) Core
What’s the magnetosphere
Huge region around Earth protecting Earth from Solar Wind (and Flares) and Cosmic Rays
whats PLANETARY DIFFERENTIATION (OR IRON EVENT OR “IRON CATASTROPHE”
IN A MOLTEN PLANET, THE DENSEST ELEMENTS WILL SINK AND THE LESS DENSE WILL FLOAT, SUBJECT TO FORMING CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS (MINERALS) THAT TRAPPED MANY DENSE ELEMENTS INTO A LOWER DENSITY MINERAL THAT FLOATS (IRON HAS DONE BOTH, THOUGH MOST HAS SUNK TO THE CENTER OF PLANETS).
ON EARTH, DIFFERENTIATION CONTROLS THE COMPOSITIONS OF THE ________,and____, AND PRESUMABLY A PRIMATIVE CRUST THAT WE NO LONGER SEE. THE PRESENT CRUST IS THE RESULT OF OVER 4 BILLION YEARS OF GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES.
core and mantle
what are the 2 types of layers
a. COMPOSITIONAL (types of rocks and minerals present); AND
b. MECHANICAL (physical characteristics: such as solid vs liquid; and strength of the material; such as rigidity vs elastic vs ductile.)
What are silicates?
ROCKS OR MINERALS CONTAINING SILICON (Si) BONDED WITH OXYGEN (O) IN A FORM CALLED SILICA (SiO2).
whats core iron (Fe)
NICKEL (Ni) IS ALSO PRESENT (ABOUT 6%)