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Science 20 > Unit C: The Changing Earth > Flashcards

Unit C: The Changing Earth Flashcards

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1
Q

Precambrian Era

A

The first major section of geological time, lasting from the origin of Earth 4.5 billion years ago up to 590 million years ago.

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2
Q

Outcrop

A

A part of rock formation that appears above the surface of the surrounding land.

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3
Q

Mantle

A

The layer of earth between the crust and the core.

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4
Q

Plastic

A

A substance with the properties of a solid that can flow under pressure.

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5
Q

Asthenosphere

A

The upper most layer of the mantle.

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6
Q

Core

A

The innermost layer of the consists of a solid inner core and a liquid outer core.

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7
Q

Mesosphere

A

The part of the mantle beneath the asthenosphere.

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8
Q

Crustal Plate

A

A large piece of continental crust or oceanic crust that floats and slowly moves atop the asthenosphere.

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9
Q

Paleomagnetism

A

The study of the magnetic properties of rock formed in a past geological era.

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10
Q

Plate tectonics

A

The theory that the lithosphere consists of crustal plates that slowly moves across Earth’s mantle and interact at their boundaries.

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11
Q

Sedimentary

A

Rock formed from compressed layers of pre existing rock or organic matter.

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12
Q

Fossil

A

The evidence or remains of ancient life preserved in Earth’s crust.

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13
Q

Trace fossil

A

Indirect fossilized evidence left by ancient organisms rather than the organisms themselves.

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14
Q

Strata

A

The layered bands within sedimentary rock.

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15
Q

Law of superposition

A

A law stating that higher strata in a sequence of rock layers are younger than lower strata.

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16
Q

Relative dating

A

The process of placing rocks and geological structures in the correct chronological order.

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17
Q

Stratigraphic sequence

A

A sequence of rocks that provides a chronological record of region’s geological history.

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18
Q

Intrusion

A

A body of rock that forms from the invasion of magma into pre-existing rock formation.

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19
Q

Absolute age

A

The number of years that have elapsed since an event occurred.

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20
Q

Index fossil

A

A fossil used to determine the relative age of a layer in a stratigraphic sequences from different locations.

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21
Q

Uniformitarianism

A

The principle that the geological processes in action today have always fundamentally operated in the same way throughout Earth’s history.

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22
Q

Unconformity

A

A surface in a rock sequence that represents a break in the pattern due to erosion or lack of deposition.

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23
Q

Rock cycle

A

A concept that relates the continual change of rocks from one type to another.

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24
Q

Radioactivity

A

The emission of energy from the nuclei of unstable atoms as they change to become more stable atoms.

25
Q

Radioactive decay

A

The disintegration of an unstable atom, which results in the release of energy in the form of radiation.

26
Q

Half-life

A

The time taken for half of a radioactive sample to decay, a half life is a constant increment of the time that depends on the particular isotope.

27
Q

Isotope

A

A particular variety of an element as defined by its atomic mass.

28
Q

Fossilization

A

The process by which any trace of the existence of ancient life is preserved within rocks.

29
Q

Cyanobacteria

A

Microscopic, photosynthetic, single-celled bacteria.

30
Q

Stromatolite

A

A layered structure built by cyanobacteria.

31
Q

Burgess Shale

A

A Cambrian-age rock unit found on the side of Mount Wapta in the Canadian Rockies known for its well-preserved fossils.

32
Q

Seismogram

A

A record of seismic waves provided by a seismograph.

33
Q

Seismograph

A

An instrument that records seismic waves.

34
Q

Petroleum Trap

A

A large quantity of petroleum confined between layers of impermeable rock.

35
Q

Petroleum

A

Liquid hydrocarbons formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient microscopic marine organisms.

36
Q

Seismic Wave

A

Waves that travel through Earth as a result of explosions or earthquakes.

37
Q

Fault

A

A crack in the Earth’s crust due to the motion of one tectonic plate relative to another.

38
Q

Subduction

A

The down turning of oceanic crust under another crustal plate.

39
Q

Focus

A

The region that first breaks along a fault during an earthquake.

40
Q

Epicenter

A

The point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

41
Q

Primary wave or P-Wave

A

A seismic wave that travels through rock as a series of compression and expansions of particles- A P-Wave is able to pass through solids, liquids and gases.

42
Q

Secondary wave or S-Wave

A

A seismic wave that travels through rock as a series of crests and troughs- A S-wave can travel through solids only.

43
Q

Amplitude

A

The maximum displacement of a wave from the rest position.

44
Q

Longitudinal Wave

A

A wave in which the vibration of the particles is parallel to the direction the wave is travelling.

45
Q

Transverse wave

A

A wave in which the vibration of the particles is perpendicular to the direction the wave is travelling.

46
Q

Richter Magnitude

A

A number assigned to an earthquake based upon the amount of vertical ground motion as its epicenter.

47
Q

Tsunami

A

a seismic sea wave set off by an earthquake in or near an ocean basin.

48
Q

Pangaea

A

A single super continent that formed in the late Paleozoic Era.

49
Q

Cordillera

A

An extensive chain of mountain ranges that formed the principal range of a continent.

50
Q

Cenozoic Era

A

The last 65 million years of Earth’s History.

51
Q

Glacier

A

A large river of ice that forms on land and moves under the influence of gravity.

52
Q

Continental Ice sheet

A

A very large glacier, often more than 1 km in depth that forms in polar regions.

53
Q

Mountain glacier

A

A glacier that forms in mountainous regions at high elevations.

54
Q

Ice Age

A

A period during which ice sheets cover parts of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres

55
Q

Glaciation

A

A period during which polar ice sheets advance to cover large regions of North American and northern Europe.

56
Q

Weather

A

The state of the atmosphere in terms of variables such as temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, and humidity for a particular place at a particular time.

57
Q

Climate

A

The average of daily and seasonal weather events that occur in a region over a long period of time.

58
Q

Hydrosphere

A

All the water at or near Earth’s surface.

Science 20 (4 decks)

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