Study Guide

Question 1

Geology-

Answer 1

the study of Earth.

Question 2

rock-

Answer 2

a hard substance that makes up Earth’s crust.

Question 3

constructive forces-

Answer 3

Constructive forces are processes that help build up the Earth, either by depositing soil or silt in a river, or by volcanoes and lava flows that generates new land.

Question 4

destructive forces-

Answer 4

Destructive forces are processes that break down the Earth, either through the violent actions of volcanoes and earthquakes or by the steady flow of a river.

Question 5

continent-

Answer 5

a large landmass.

Question 6

oceanic crust-

Answer 6

the crust under oceans that is made up of basalt.

Question 7

continental crust-

Answer 7

Underneath continents and mountains. Made up of granite.

Question 8

basalt-

Answer 8

a type of rock that makes up the oceanic crust. It is a dark and dense rock with small crystals and is made up of iron and magnesium.

Question 9

granite-

Answer 9

A type of rock that makes up the continental crust that is made up of quartz and less dense and thick and has large crystals.

Question 10

mantle-

Answer 10

a layer of the earth that is semi-liquid.

Question 11

lithosphere-

Answer 11

a part of the mantle where the plates are located.

Question 12

asthenosphere-

Answer 12

a part of the mantle that has convection currents that causes the continents to move.

Question 13

outer core-

Answer 13

the semi-liquid of the Earth’s core. It is made up of nickel and iron.

Question 14

inner core-

Answer 14

solid because of pressure, the hottest of Earth’s layers, center of Earth.

Question 15

Continental drift hypothesis-

Answer 15

Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis is called continental drift. It states that millions of years ago, the continents once formed a super continent called Pangea. They slowly drifted to their current position.

Question 16

fossil-

Answer 16

any trace of an ancient organism preserved in rock.

Question 17

Wegener-

Answer 17

the young scientist who, in 1910, formed the hypothesis that became known as continental drift.

Question 18

Pangea-

Answer 18

a single landmass the continents once formed.

Question 19

theory-

Answer 19

a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.

Question 20

plates-

Answer 20

sections of the lithosphere.

Question 21

plate boundaries-

Answer 21

areas where the plates meet. There are three types: transform, divergent, convergent.

Question 22

transform boundary-

Answer 22

a place where two plates slip past each other.

Question 23

divergent boundary-

Answer 23

the place where two plates move apart.

Question 24

convergent boundary-

Answer 24

the place where two plates come together.

Question 25

rift valley-

Answer 25

a deep valley that has formed along a divergent boundary.

Question 26

trench-

Answer 26

the area formed when two plates meet and one subducts under the other.

Question 27

Subduction-

Answer 27

when one plate folds under another.

Question 28

magma-

Answer 28

molten rock under the Earth’s surface/

Question 29

lava-

Answer 29

molten rock above/on the earth’s surface.

Question 30

convection-

Answer 30

the process in which heat transferred by the movement of currents within a fluid.

Question 31

convection currents-

Answer 31

a circular flow of warmer fluid and cooler fluid.

Question 32

What was the evidence behind Wegener’s hypothesis?(give specific examples)

Answer 32

Wegener gathered information from:

• Climate (ex. fossils of tropical plants found on Scandanavian island of Spitsbergen. ex. Glacier scrapings and debri [eradics])
• Landforms (ex. Argentina folded mountains match up with south African ones. ex. coal fields in North America match up with european ones.)
• Fossils (ex. Glossopteris)

Question 33

heat transfer

Answer 33

Heat transfer describes the exchange of thermal energy, between physical systems depending on the temperature and pressure. three types of radiation, convection and conduction

Question 34

conduction

Answer 34

transfer of thermal energy through matter like when a spoon heats up in a pot of boiling water

Question 35

Special regions of earth’s layers

Answer 35

lithosphere and asthenosphere are parts of the mantle. The lithosphere carries the plates and is directly under the crusts. The asthenosphere is directly below the lithosphere and has convection currents that cause the continents to move.

Question 36

describe basic plate movements

Answer 36

convergent and divergent and transform

Question 37

convergent example

Answer 37

trench like in the Ocean. Mariana Trench

Question 38

Divergent

Answer 38

Rift valley

Question 39

convection

Answer 39

transfer of heat through fluid

Question 40

how temperature density and gravity interact in a fluid

Answer 40

heat affects the density (makes it less dense), rises to the top, where it cools and then gravity pulls it down again and the cycle starts over.

Question 41

how convection currents answer the question that Wegener could not answer

Answer 41

wasn’t sure how continents were able to move, but didn’t know that the asthenosphere is like a liquid (fluid) and moving convection currents that cause the continents to move (they formed Pangea, and then to move to their current places across the globe).