midterm Flashcards
hypothesis
an idea on how something might work
theory
explains everything seen with no contradictions
declination
offset of magnetic birth from geographic north
external heat sources
climate and weather
internal heat sources
driven by radioactive decay and original heat from the nebular cloud, drives plates
theory of uniformitarianism
present is the key to the past. can look at present geological processes and extrapolate the past
age of earth
4.56 bya
pangea
supercontinent that broke up about 225mya
convection
movement of rock in mantle
lithosphere
crust and upper mantle
asthenosphere
part of the mantle that is partially molten where convection occurs
isotherm
boundary between solid and partially molten rock
divergent plate boundaries
two plates move apart from each other. create rift valleys, small volcanoes, and small, shallow earthquakes. Often associated with seafloor spreading
convergent ocean-ocean
oceanic trench, volcanic island arcs, deep earthquakes (asymmetrical)
convergent ocean-continent
volcanic mountain chain, folded mountains, deep earthquakes. oceanic plates subducts because it’s denser
convergent continent-continent
crystal thickening, folded mountains, earthquakes
transform boundaries
strike-slip faults, small earthquakes, no volcanoes, linear feature on terrain
electrostatic attraction
two types of particles have opposite charges, creating a mutual attraction
metallic bond
not very strong, atoms bonded by a “sea of electrons. allows atoms to pack closely, soft and malleable
crystal lattice
regular 3D repeated arrangement of atoms. creates cleavage in minerals
mineral
naturally occurring inorganic compound that doesn’t contain C-H-O. crystalline solid
how to identify minerals
color, hardness, cleavage, density, reaction to HCL, magnetism, luster, diapgenity
sulfur mineral group
yellow, no cleavage
silicate mineral group
most common mineral class
SiO