Study Guide for Module 6: Science: Geology

What is unconformity?

a surface of erosion that separates one layer of rock from another

A paleontologist discovers a fossil that is preserved 3-dimensionally and is completely made of rock. Which fossilization process formed it? a. mold and cast b. petrification c. carbonization d. amber formation

b) Petrification

Name the parts of Earth, in order. (*crust, inner core....*)

crust, inner core, outer core, mantle

The idea of a broken sheet of Styrofoam floating on the surface of water, each piece moving, depending on how the water moves is an illustration of _______

how scientists BELIEVE Earth's rocky plates move under the plastic rock.

What rock type is the most common in the Grand Canyon?

sedimentary rock

What is humus?

the decayed remains of once-living creatures

What are fossils?

the preserved remains of a once-living organism

What is erosion?

the process of wearing or grinding something down by wind, water, or other natural agents

What is geology?

the study of Earth's physical structure, its history, the processes acting on it, and the rocks of which it is composed

What is the major carrier of sediments that make them settle out in layers?

water

Scientists tested a pile of sand and rubble that was found below a large rock formation. They compared the rubble's makeup to the rock formation's makeup and discovered they were made of the same chemical composition. Was the sand and rubble a likely result of a) physical weathering or b) chemical weathering?

A) Physical weathering

What are minerals?

Inorganic crystalline substances found naturally in the Earth

Choose the correct word for this statement: (Rocks/Minerals) often form crystalline shapes, and (rocks/minerals) do not.

Minerals, Rocks

Choose the correct words for this statement: Most of Earth's (sediments/mountains) are laid down by water, and most of Earth's (sediments/mountains) are created by actions of Earth's crust.

Sediments, Mountains

What are these 4 features describing? 1. Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock. 2. The vast majority of all fossils on this planet are of hard shelled organisms, like clams. 3. It contains the remains of some organisms still living today. 4. Fossils found in one layer of stratified rock can be considerably different from the fossils found in another layer of stratified rock.

The fossil record

Choose the correct answer to complete these sentences. (Uniformitarians, Catastrophists) believe sedimentary rock formed through slow processes, much the same way we see it forming today, and (uniformitarians, catastrophists) believe much of the geology we see today is the result of processes that occurred once in Earth's past and will not be repeated.

1. Uniformitarians 2. Catastrophists.