Geology
_____ igneous rocks are those that cool below the surface.
Intrusive
How is the thickness of the lithosphere going to change as it moves away from a divergent plate boundary?
Lithosphere will thicken as more mantle is added.
What is the difference between magma and lava?
Magma is molten rock located below the surface; lava is molten rock erupted above ground.
The Jurassic Period lies in the _____ Era, which was dominated by large terrestrial vertebrates, or _____.
Mesozoic, Dinosaurs
An igneous rock becomes buried, is subject to high heat and pressure, and recrystallizes. This rock then is eroded, transported, deposited and subsequently lithified. Which rock types—in order—did the original igneous rock develop into?
Metamorphic and sedimentary
The Colorado River has carved the Grand Canyon to a depth of __________ and length of __________.
1 Mile, 277 Miles
What is a Mineral?
A naturally occurring, inorganic element or compound having orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition.
What is the D" layer?
A partially molten layer above the outer core at the base of the mantle.
What main characteristics are used to distinguish the two types of mountain belts?
Age and degree of erosion
The __________ is an example of an old mountain belt, while the Himalayas represent a(n) __________.
Appalachian Mountains; young mountain belt
Which of the following is a layer of the Earth that is classified NOT by composition, but by physical properties?
Asthenosphere
Which of the following correctly states the order in which major features of North America were formed? Appalachians, stable platform, Canadian Shield Appalachians, Greenland Shield, Canadian Shield Stable platform, Canadian Shield, Appalachians Canadian Shield, North American Cordillera, Appalachians Canadian Shield, Appalachians, North American Cordillera
Canadian Shield, Appalachians, North American Cordillera
What are the two important processes involved in lithification of sedimentary rocks?
Cementation and compaction
The layers of Earth are based on what two sets of characteristics?
Chemical composition and physical properties
What is the category name for the largest division of time used on the geologic time scale?
Eon
What are the two types of crust?
Oceanic and continental
What is the main material being subducted at an ocean-continent convergent boundary?
Oceanic lithosphere
Why is the geologic time scale more detailed in the Phanerozoic than in previous eons?
The Phanerozoic Eon is more detailed because of the presence of organisms with hard parts and the rapid increase in biodiversity.
The upper mantle can be divided into the asthenosphere and lithosphere based on what physical properties?
The asthenosphere is solid, but mobile, while the lithosphere is solid and relatively rigid.
What happens to the atmosphere as you move away from Earth's surface?
The atmosphere thins.
What are two differences between oceanic crust and continental crust?
The continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.
Using a calendar year as an analogy to the geologic time scale, when do the oldest anatomically modern humans appear on Earth?
The oldest human fossils show up at about eleven minutes to midnight on December 31st.
If stable platforms represent sedimentary rocks that cover continental shields, then what statement must be true?
The sedimentary rock atop the stable platforms must be younger than continental shields.
Why do scientists collect data?
To prove or disprove a hypothesis
Accurately describe continental shields.
Very old, stable regions composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks
Name the epoch, period, era and eon in which we currently live.
We live in the Holocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period, which is part of the Cenzoic Era and Phanerozoic Eon.
What is a Rock?
an aggregate of one or more minerals; in this case there are four minerals present.
Oceanic lithosphere contains oceanic crust and the __________.
outermost part of mantle beneath the oceanic crust
What kind of geologist studies fossils?
paleontologist
What does the great unconformity represent?
the billion years of Earth history from which there are no evidential rocks at the Grand Canyon