(TEST 1) Earth Science, Lecture pt 1 (ch 1 and 2)

Question 1

What is Geology?

Answer 1

Geology is the study of the solid Earth, but it consists
of more than just studying rocks

Question 2

What are some ways geologists study the Earth?

Answer 2

• Formation and composition of the planet
• Monitoring how the Earth evolves through time
• Locating and extracting mineral resources
• Causes/effects of natural disasters (i.e.
  earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.)
• Evolution of life
• Changing of Earth’s climate through time
• Groundwater flow through the subsurface

Question 3

Historically, what are the two two main branches of geology?

Answer 3

• Physical geology
• Historical geology

Question 4

What is the new third branch of geology?

Answer 4

Environmental geology

Question 5

What is environmental geology?

Answer 5

The application of geologic information to the entire spectrum of interactions between people and their physical environment

Question 6

What are the two main categories of environmental problems:

Answer 6

• Geologic hazards
• Earth (or natural) resources

Question 7

What are some renewable resources?

Answer 7

• Soils
• Water

Question 8

What are some non-renewable resources?

Answer 8

• Mineral and rock
• Energy

Question 9

What is tragedy of the commons?

Answer 9

Where the self-interest of individuals can result in the destruction of a common, or shared, resource

Question 10

What are the steps of the scientific method?

Answer 10

1. Gather data from observations or experiments
2. Formulate a question
3. Develop a hypothesis to explain the data/observations
4. Gather new data to test hypothesis
5. Analyze results to validate (or falsify) original hypothesis

Question 11

When does a theory become a theory?

Answer 11

If a hypothesis is validated through repeated testing, then we can propose the hypothesis become a theory.

Question 12

What is the geocentric theory?

Answer 12

Where the planets revolve around the Earth

Question 13

What is the heliocentric theory?

Answer 13

Where the planets revolve around the Sun

Question 14

When did the heliocentric theory get adopted?

Answer 14

15th century

Question 15

What is a scientific law?

Answer 15

A statement that completely describes a specific phenomenon, with a mathematical equation

Question 16

In what 2 ways can geologic time be described?

Answer 16

• Relative age dating
• Absolute age dating

Question 17

What is the law of superposition?

Answer 17

In undisturbed sediments, the oldest rocks are found at the bottom and the youngest at the top.

Question 18

How much of the Earth’s history does humans occupy?

Answer 18

0.05%

Question 19

How is human population growing?

Answer 19

In a non-linear exponential behavior

Question 20

What is the carrying capacity?

Answer 20

A population that a system can support indefinitely

Question 21

What is the ecological footprint?

Answer 21

The supply of biologically productive land/sea area needed to support the lifestyle of humans

Question 22

What is the ecological footprint of the US?

Answer 22

24 acres per person

Question 23

What is sustainability?

Answer 23

Where a system or process can be maintained for an indefinite period of time

Question 24

What hypothesis best explains the formation of the solar system?

Answer 24

Nebular hypothesis

Question 25

What is the nuclear fusion of the Sun?

Answer 25

Hydrogen and Helium

Question 26

What energy does the Sun release?

Answer 26

Electromagnetic radiation

Question 27

What are the terrestrial planets?

Answer 27

Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Mars

Question 28

What are the gas planets?

Answer 28

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

Question 29

How big are comets?

Answer 29

1 - 10 km in diameter

Question 30

What theory explains how the universe was formed?

Answer 30

Big Bang Theory

Question 31

How old is Earth?

Answer 31

4.5 billion years old

Question 32

What is Jupiter’s moon?

Answer 32

Europa

Question 33

What is Saturn’s moon?

Answer 33

Enceladus

Question 34

What is the Earth’s composition?

Answer 34

Crust, Mantle, Outer Core (Liquid), Inner Core (Solid)

Question 35

What following 5 conditions must be met in order to be classified as a mineral?

Answer 35

1. Be naturally occurring
2. Generally Inorganic (i.e. non-biologically produced)
3. Solid
4. Have a definable chemical composition composed of one or more elements
5. The individual atoms have an orderly arrangement in a crystalline structure

Question 36

What is color in a mineral?

Answer 36

Part of visible light that is reflected by a mineral

Question 37

What is streak in a mineral?

Answer 37

Color of the mineral when powdered

Question 38

What is luster in a mineral?

Answer 38

The way a mineral surface scatters light

Question 39

What is hardness in a mineral?

Answer 39

The ability of a mineral to resist scratching.

Question 40

What is crystal habit in a mineral?

Answer 40

The ideal shape of minerals

Question 41

What is specific gravity in a mineral?

Answer 41

How heavy the mineral feels

Question 42

What does fracture look like?

Answer 42

Has no cleavage, bonding is the same in all directions

Question 43

What does cleavage look like?

Answer 43

Mineral breaks with specific orientations in relation to the
crystal structure; various directions (3D)

Question 44

Currently there are over ____ minerals on Earth

Answer 44

5,000

Question 45

What are the most common group of minerals referred to?

Answer 45

Rock-forming minerals

Question 46

What is the most common group of rock-forming minerals?

Answer 46

Silicates (contains Si and O)

Question 47

What is a rock?

Answer 47

An aggregate or assemblage of one or more types of minerals

Question 48

What are the two ways that a rock can be held together?

Answer 48

1. Clastic texture
2. Crystalline texture

Question 49

What is clastic texture?

Answer 49

Grains are stuck together by natural cement

Question 50

What is crystalline texture?

Answer 50

Crystals interlock with one another like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle