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Q2 EARTH SCI > History of the Earth > Flashcards

History of the Earth Flashcards

1
Q

_______ deals with the study of any layered (stratified) rock

A

Stratigraphy

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2
Q

Stratigraphy deals with the study of any layered (stratified) rock, but primarily with sedimentary rocks and their

A

composition, origin, age relationships, geographic extent

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3
Q

Many igneous rocks such as a ______ of lava flows, or ash beds

A

succession

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4
Q

Many igneous rocks such as a succession of lava flows, or ash beds are _____ and obey the principles of stratigraphy

A

stratified

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5
Q

Many metamorphic rocks are _______

A

stratified

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6
Q

Used to determine whether an object or event is older or younger than other objects or events

A

relative dating

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7
Q

What type of rock is used in relative dating?

A

sedimentary rocks

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8
Q

Sedimentary rocks are used in relative dating because:

A
  • Formed from fragments of other type of rocks
  • New rock layers are almost always flat
  • Fossils are deposited in these layer of rocks
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9
Q

To deduce the geological history of the Earth, there are ideas or laws that need to be considered

A

law of original horizontality, law of superposition, principle of cross-cutting relations, unconformities

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10
Q

Principle of Original _____ states that layers of sediments deposited horizontally under action of gravity.

A

horizontality

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11
Q

(super = _____; positum = _____)

A

above; to place

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12
Q

simply states that in an undeformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, each bed is older than the one above and younger than the one below.

A

law of superposition

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13
Q

Layering of rocks from oldest to youngest described by principle of _________.

A

superposition

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14
Q

The principle of _________ states that geologic features that cut across rocks must form after the rocks they cut through.

A

cross-cutting relations

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15
Q

The ____ is a tabular mass of igneous rock that cuts through the surrounding rocks

A

dike

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16
Q

The dike is a tabular mass of igneous rock that cuts through the surrounding rocks. The magmatic heat from igneous intrusions often creates a narrow “_____” zone of contact metamorphism on the adjacent rock, also indicating that the intrusion occurred after the surrounding rocks were in place.

A

baked

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17
Q

an igneous intrusion is younger than the rocks that are included

A

Cross-cutting dike

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18
Q

It shows a mass of rock that is offset by a fault, a fracture in rock along which displacement occurs. It is clear that the rocks must be ____ than the fault that broke them.

A

older

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19
Q

the rocks are older than the fault that displaced them

A

cross-cutting fault

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20
Q

Throughout Earth history, the deposition of sediment has been interrupted over and over again. All such breaks in the rock record are termed ______.

A

unconformities

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21
Q

An _______ represents a long period during which deposition ceased, erosion removed previously formed rocks, and then deposition resumed.

A

unconformity

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22
Q

There are three basic types of unconformities: __________________________________

A

angular unconformities, disconformities, and nonconformities.

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23
Q

the layers on either side of this gap in the rock record are essentially parallel

A

disconformity

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24
Q

younger sedimentary rocks rest atop older metamorphic or igneous rock

A

nonconformity

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25
Q

An _____ unconformity represents an extended period during which deformation and erosion occurred.

A

angular

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26
Q

Any method of measuring the age of an event or object in years.

A

absolute dating

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27
Q

Determining the actual age of an event or object in years.

A

absolute dating

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28
Q

To determine the absolute ages of fossils and rocks, scientists analyze ______ of radioactive elements.

A

isotopes

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29
Q

By adding together the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, the mass number of the atom is determined. The number of neutrons in the nucleus can vary. These variants, called _____, have different mass numbers.

A

isotopes

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30
Q

:forms of elements with different atomic mass.

A

Isotopes

31
Q

For a given element the atomic number remains the ______, therefore the _____ of neutrons is different.

A

same; number

32
Q

The forces that bind protons and neutrons together in the nucleus are usually ____.

A

strong

33
Q

As a result, the nuclei spontaneously break apart (decay) in a process called ______.

A

radioactivity

34
Q

_________: isotopes of elements that change spontaneously by losing or gaining subatomic particles.

A

Radioactive isotopes

35
Q

For many isotopes the change from ____ element to stable _____ product does so through many steps.

A

parent; daughter

36
Q

The path from parent element to stable daughter produce is termed the _______ for the parent.

A

Radioactive Series

37
Q

Radioactive decay takes place at a ____ rate and has done so over all of geologic time

A

constant

38
Q

Parent is ____ in amount.

Daughter product ____ iin amount.

At a ___ rate

A

reduced
increase
constant

39
Q

Half-life of an isotope: the time taken for the amount of parent to be reduced by ___

A

½

40
Q

Over successive half lives the parent is constantly ___ in amount and the daughter ____ in amount.

A

reduced; increases

41
Q

Certainly among the most important properties of radioactivity is that it provides a reliable method of calculating the ages of rocks and minerals that contain particular radioactive isotopes. The procedure is called _________

A

radiometric(radioactive) dating.

42
Q

The time required for one-half of the nuclei in a sample to decay is called the ___ of the isotope

A

half-life

43
Q

_____ is a common way of expressing the rate of radioactive disintegration.

A

Half-life

44
Q

In _________, an unstable radioactive isotope of one element breaks down into a stable isotope.

A

radioactive decay

45
Q

,______ radioactive isotope is the parent isotope.

A

Unstable

46
Q

Stable radioactive isotope produced by the radioactive decay of the parent isotope is called the ________.

A

daughter isotope

47
Q

To date very recent events, ______ i used

A

carbon-14

48
Q

Carbon-14 is the ________ of carbon. The process is often called ,_________.

A

radioactive isotope; radiocarbon dating

49
Q

Because the half-life of carbon-14 is only ___ years, it can be used for dating events
from the historic past as well as those from very recent geologic history.

A

5730

50
Q

In some cases, ____ can be used to date events as far back as _______

A

carbon-14; 70,000 years.

51
Q

It is the remnant of any ancient animal or plant that has been preserved in rocks.

A

fossil

52
Q

It is often the remains of the shell or bones in which minerals have crystallized.

A

fossil

53
Q

The age of the fossil is ____ to the age of the rock on which it is found

A

equal

54
Q

_____ provide clues to the prehistoric Earth and the organisms that existed.

A

Fossils

55
Q

However, all fossils cannot be used as ______ fossil.

A

index

56
Q

An index fossil must have the following properties:

A

• It must have had hard parts, like a shell.
• It must have lived over a short period on time, before it evolved into different creature.
• It must have lived all over the planet

57
Q

types of fossil

A

Permineralization, Molds and Casts, Carbonization, Impression, Amber, Trace Fossils, Tracks, Burrows, Gastroliths

58
Q

When mineral-rich groundwater permeates porous tissue such as bone or wood, minerals precipitate out of solution and fill pores and empty spaces

A

permineralization

59
Q

The wood is gradually transformed into chert, sometimes with colorful bands from impurities such as iron or carbon.

A

permineralization

60
Q

The word petrified literally means “turned into stone.”

A

permineralization

61
Q

The word petrified literally means “_________.”

A

turned into stone

62
Q

When a shell or another structure is buried in sediment and then dissolved by underground water, a mold is created. The mold faithfully reflects only the shape and surface marking of the organism; it does not reveal any information concerning its internal structure.

A

molds and casts

63
Q

If these hollow spaces are subsequently filled with mineral matter, _____ are created.

A

casts

64
Q

type of fossilization called _______ is particularly effective in preserving leaves and delicate animal forms.

A

carbonization

65
Q

It occurs when fine sediment encases the remains of an organism. As time passes, pressure squeezes out the liquid and gaseous components and leaves behind a thin residue of carbon.

A

carbonization

66
Q

f the film of carbon is lost from a fossil preserved in finegrained sediment, a replica of the surface, called an _______, may still show considerable detail.

A

impression

67
Q

Delicate organisms, such as insects, are difficult to preserve, and consequently they are relatively rare in the ____________.

A

fossil record

68
Q

Delicate organisms, such as insects, are difficult to preserve, and consequently they are relatively rare in the fossil record.

A

amber

69
Q

Not only must they be protected from decay but they must not be subjected to any pressure that would crush them. One way in which some insects have been preserved is in ________, the hardened resin of ancient trees.

A

amber

70
Q

different kinds of trace fossils

A

coprolites, tracks, burrows, gastroliths

71
Q

animal footprints made in soft sediment that later turned into sedimentary rock

A

tracks

72
Q

fossil dung and stomach contents that can provide useful Information pertaining to the size and food habits of organisms.

A

coprolites

73
Q

ubes in sediment, wood, or rock made by an animal. These holes may later become filled with mineral matter and preserved. Some of the oldest-known fossils are believed to be worm _____.

A

burrows

74
Q

highly polished stomach stones that were used in the grinding of food by some extinct reptiles.

A

gastroliths

Q2 EARTH SCI (5 decks)

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