Planet Earth Flashcards
What are the 7 ways to identify a Mineral
Lustre Colour Streak Cleavage Fracture Transparency Hardness
Identify each 7 ways
Lustre is if the mineral is shiny or dull
Colour is the colour of it
Streak is to rub it against the streak plate and see what colour shows up
Cleavage is if it breaks smooth
Fracture is if it breaks jagged and rough
Transparency is if it is clear or not
Hardness is how hard the mineral is
3 types of rocks
Igneous
Metamorphic
Sedimentary
What is an Igenous rock
It is a rock that is cooled magma
What is a metamorphic rock
a rock that was compressed to turning into a flat rock and you can see each of its layers
What is a sedimentary rock
a rock that was in the Earth and was mixed with sediment in the Earth
What is Humus
Humus is decaying matter mixed with nutrient under ground
What is erosion
The movement of a rock from one place to another
What is weathering
breaking down and wears away rocks
3 types of weathering
Chemical
Biological
Mechanical
What is mechanical weathering
the physical break up or disintegration of rocks
Four ways
a) gravity causes the rock to fall and break apart
b) fast moving stream water causing smoothing
c) temp. changes – freezing/ thawing causes cracks
the water in the cracks freezes, then the crack enlarges
called Frost Wedging
d) wind and water wear away surfaces of the rock
What is Chemical Weathering
breaks down minerals through chemical reactions
Rocks react with water and gasses in the air
Ex. Acid rain reacts with limestone
What is biological weathering
it is the break down caused by plants, animals, bacteria and fungi
***** Biological weathering can be either mechanical or chemical
Ex. Mechanical – roots wedges into a rock crack
Chemical – acidic fluids produced by plant roots, bacteria, fungi, insects and small animals cause
chemical reactions that causes a rock to slowly dissolve
4 Layers of the Earth
Crust
Mantle
Inner Core
Outer Core
What is Continental Drift
Over millions of years the continents drifted away from each other.
3 pieces of evidence of Continental Drift
- Found different fossils in different parts of the Earth
- The rocks show that they used to be connected
- There are the same plant all over the world
What is the theory of tectonic plates
The plates are always moving on the Earth’s matle
What do Scientists use to measure Earth Quakes
Seismograph
What are Aftershocks
Small Earth Quakes that happen after the major big one.
3 types of Earth Quake waves
Primary Waves - fastest and can push through solid, liquid, and gas
Secondary Waves - travel more slowly and can only pass through solid
Surface Waves - Slowest of all but do the most damage
3 types of faults
Regular Fault - pulling the rocks apart
Reverse Fault - squeezing the rocks to where they crack and break
Strike slip Fault - Shearing which causes the edges to break off
Other things caused by an earthquake
Tsunami
avalanche
What is a volcano
An opening in the Earth’s crust that allows magma to escape
What is a volcano called when its not in use
Dormant
What are mountains
When tectonic plates are pushed together it causes them to create a peak ( mountain )
What are the 3 ways a mountain is formed
Thrust Faulting - a regular mountain
Folding - the mountain has waves
Complex - when the mountain is created using a mix of Thrust faulting and folding
How to tell a mountains age
If the peaks on the mountain are round and dull it is old
If the peaks on the mountain are sharp and pointy it is young
5 types of Fossils
Petrified - preserved using silica
Carbonaceous film - a thin film covers the entire fossil
Original Remains - preserved in tar, amber, or peat bogs
Trace Fossils - foot prints saved
Mould and Cast - The animal has a cast of mould of it saved and preserved
What was the super continent called
Pangea
Are fossil Fuels renewable
No they can run out
What is petroleum
naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbons, such as
bitumen, coal, oil and gas
What is Bitumen
a heavy almost solid form of Petroleum
