Midterm Geology Flashcards
Define density
Density is the amount of mass in a given volume of a substance. Measures an object’s compactness
Density Formula
Density = Mass / Volume (D = m/v)
g/mL
g/cm3
What are the 4 main layers of the Earth?
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core
What are the other 3 layers of the Earth?
Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere
Describe Earth’s Crust
The outermost layer of the earth.
Solid, coolest, lowest pressure.
Describe Earth’s Mantle
The thick layer between the crust and the core.
Semi-solid, hotter, more pressure than the crust.
Describe Earth’s Outer Core
A liquid layer of iron and nickel generates Earth’s magnetic field.
Liquid, very hot, high pressure
Describe Earth’s Inner Core
The solid, innermost part of the Earth, is primarily made of iron and nickel.
Solid due to extreme pressure, hottest, highest pressure.
Describe the other layers of the Earth
Lithosphere: the crust and upper solid part of the mantle.
Asthenosphere: A partially molten layer of the upper mantle, located just below the lithosphere.
Mesosphere: the lower mantle, the part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core
Describe the changes in the layers of Earth as the depth changes
The deeper you get in the Earth, it’s hotter and higher pressure
Describe the lithosphere
The lithosphere is the outermost part of the Earth (where we live). It is broken into several moving plates that shape the ocean basins and carry the continents.
Describe plate tectonics
The Earth’s crust is broken into tectonic plates that float on the asthenosphere, a layer of molten rock in the mantle.
The plates move at different rates, sometimes colliding, separating, or sliding past each other. The type of boundary between plates determines the geologic processes and landforms that occur.
Divergent Boundary
Plates move apart (mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys). New oceanic crust forms.
Convergent Boundary
Plates move together and collide (mountains, trenches, volcanoes). Can create a subduction zone.
Transform Boundary
Plates slide past each other (can trigger earthquakes).