Geology Flashcards
What is geomorphology
The study of the shape of the earth/ rocks
When was the Cambrian explosion
550 mya
what is special about the Cambrian explosion?
Sudden appearance of multicellular organisms in fossil records
when were the first land animals and plants?
~450-350 mya
when did O2 levels start to rise?
~2 billion years ago
What was the main cause of rise in O2 levels 2 bya?
cyanobacteria photosynthesising CO2
What ended the Paleozoic era?
The Permian Mass extinction
Which era was the age of the dinosaurs?
Mesozoic era (250-65 mya)
When did Pangea fragmentation occur?
mesozoic era
When was the Permian Mass Extinction?
225 mya
What is the Permian-Triassic extinction event also known as?
The great dying
Which was the age of bacteria?
Archean era
When did the dinosaurs go extinct?
Cretaceous mass extinction ~65 mya
What are the 6 layers of the Earth
inner core (innermost centre of earth) outer core lower mantle upper mantle lithosphere crust (outermost layer)
What mineral is the inner core made most of?
90% iron
What is the innermost layer of the earth
Inner core
Is the Earth’s inner core solid or liquid
solid
Where is the Asthenosphere found?
Upper mantle
Where are tectonic plates found?
lithosphere
Where are volcanoes located
Where tectonic plates meet/ move apart - the boundaries
What kind of current moves plates apart?
Convection current
When does a magma chamber form?
When convection currents move tectonic plates apart
Why do some ecosystems rely on hydrothermal vents (in oceans)
because they release hot sulphur laden gases - contains energy for bacteria to use
When vent closes, bacteria cannot access energy and ecosystem collapses
What are the 3 types of tectonic plate boundaries
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
