Geology - Chapter 1

transportation

Moving pieces of rock by wind, ice, or water

deposition

Occurs when the energy of the transported materials decreases

Horizontal lines can be followed around the cliff

Bedding of sedimentary rock layers can be seen in the cliff.

weathering

Breaking down of rocks either mechanically or chemically

What type of crust is thicker?

Continental

Continental ice sheets were more common 28,000 years ago than they are today because

Earth was cooler then than now

T or F: Geology is not important to our modern way of life in the United States

False

True or false: Geologists exclusively study rocks.

False

Which of the following is the primary control on the location of mineral resources?

Geology

lithification

Process of sediment turning into rock

Edges of some rock layers form cliffs, whereas others form slopes.

Rock layers have different resistances to weathering processes

Choose the answer that best explains why a rock might not go through the complete rock cycle

Rock may be involved in a variety of processes in different sequences.

When infrared energy from the Sun is radiated back from Earth and trapped by Earth's atmosphere, resulting in warming conditions, we call this the ___ effect

greenhouse

Radioactive decay in Earth, especially in Earth's crust, creates a tremendous amount of

heat

The decay of radioactive elements such as uranium creates ______, especially in Earth's crust, where these elements are abundant.

heat

Earth's orbit around the Sun is almost circular, which explains why Earth receives about the same amount of ______ year-round.

heat and light

On the Sun, ______ atoms are joined together in a process called nuclear fusion

hydrogen

the water sphere of earth is called the ___

hydrosphere

Besides liquid water, the other two transportation agents of sediments are ___ and ___. Gravity also plays a role in moving sediments

ice/glaciers and wind/air

By looking at the image of this landscape, geologists can tell these rocks are formed by an explosive volcanic eruption. They are therefore classified as ______.

igneous

Rock that has solidified from magma is a(n) ____ rock

igneous, plutonic or intrusive

The greenhouse effect is the result of ______ that becomes trapped by Earth's atmosphere, causing Earth to be much warmer than it otherwise would be

infrared energy

core has a composition of

iron and nickel

Molten rock (magma) on Earth's surface is called

lava

the solid sphere of earth is called the ___

lithosphere or geosphere

Molten rock underground, usually rich in silica and containing dissolved gases, is called

magma

Earth's three major concentric zones are the crust, the ____ , and the _____

mantle, core

The rigid portion of Earth composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the ___ is the ___ . (Use just one word for each blank.)

mantle, lithosphere

Which of the following rock cycle processes usually occurs at great depth, in the lower crust or the mantle?

melting

A(n) ______ rock type is formed when heat and pressure are applied to a preexisting metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary rock, without causing melting

metamorphic

Changing a rock by heat, pressure, or deformation is called

metamorphism

The gravity of the ___ and ___ the causes the tides in the oceans of Earth

moon, sun

The two types of crust found on Earth are continental crust and ___

oceanic

There are two main types of crust on Earth; they are ______ and ______.

oceanic, continental

The rock cycle was conceived by James Hutton in an attempt to explain how

older rocks become new sediments

mantle has a composition of

olivine

Lava is molten rock that cools ______.

on the surface

Geology gives us an idea of the Blank______ of a given landscape

past, present, and future

The object that is next in line after Neptune in our solar system but is not classified as a planet is ___

pluto

The process in which a rock may move from one place to another or be converted into a new rock type is the ___ cycle

rock

Loose materials formed when large rocks in the landscape are broken down and worn away are called

sediments or clasts

The feature shown in this image (Australia) surrounding the land is called the continental

shelf

Glaciers are huge flowing fields of compressed ___ and ___ that carry large amounts of rock and sediment

snow, ice

The Sun, the planets and their moons, and smaller objects such as asteroids and comets, are all part of the ____ _____

solar system

What system is comprised of the Sun, planets and their moons, and other bodies that orbit the Sun?

solar system

In sedimentary rocks, rock layers are deposited and ______ remain in horizontal layers.

sometimes

The lithosphere is ______

the rigid portion of Earth (crust and upper mantle)

With respect to thickness, the oceanic crust is ___ than the continental crust

thinner

The three agents of sediment ______, which result in deposition as energy decreases, are ice, wind, and water

transport

Besides the movement of the atmosphere around Earth, two other factors that directly shape Earth's surface are the presence and movement of ___ and the impact of diverse biological life-forms

water

Besides the movement of the atmosphere around Earth, two other factors that directly shape Earth's surface are the presence and movement of ____ and the impact of diverse biological life-forms.

water

The snow covering the mountains in the distance is an important source of ____ for the grazing horses and cows in the grassy pasture below.

water

The three primary forces that deposit sediments, which may become sedimentary rocks, are water, ____ and ____

wind/air, ice/glaciers

The purpose of a(n) ___ sketch is to show the spatial relationships between different aspects of a system

concept

Twenty-eight thousand years ago, Earth was than it is today, and continental ice sheets covered large areas of land as a result. (Use just one word for your answer.)

cooler or colder

Geology is the study of

earth

The Moon is the closest object to planet ___

earth

Due to its proximity to Rapid Creek, which is surrounded by steep canyons and mountains, Rapid City, South Dakota is susceptible to flash ___

flooding or floods

The most important agent for sculpting the landscape is ___

flowing water

The dinosaur ___ (bones) shown in this photo help us determine the size of the creatures they came from, what they looked like, and how they moved. The surrounding ____ give us clues to the environment and climate they lived in.

fossil, rock

The Sun creates heat and light through the process of joining together hydrogen atoms in nuclear ___

fusion

Huge flowing fields or tongues of compressed snow and ice are ___

glaciers

Geologists attempting to locate metallic mineral resources such as copper and iron will first consider the ____ of the rock and how it formed.

age

The presidents' faces at Mount Rushmore are carved from which type of rock?

granite

continental crust has a composition of

granite

The rock cycle is a set of possibilities that rock material may go through over geologic time, and there ______.

are many rocks that don't complete the entire cycle

The rocky fragments located between Mars and Jupiter and left over from the formation of the solar system are called ______

asteroids

The ______ of both the Moon and Sun causes the tides in Earth's oceans

gravity

Which of these approaches would be helpful strategies for observing landscapes?

- Draw a sketch to capture main features. - Compare different parts of the landscape to each other. - Focus on one part of the landscape at a time. - Focus on one geologic feature at a time.

Select all that apply: __ are geologic considerations when identifying physically safe places for human habitation

- Faults in Earth's crust that can potentially cause earthquakes - the steepness of hillsides - the strength of underlying geology

Prairie dogs digging den systems in soft surface sediments, which in turn improve the recharge of groundwater systems, directly involves all of Earth spheres except the ______

atmosphere

The gaseous sphere of earth is called the ____

atmosphere

Select the different types of information a geologist can infer from studying fossils and the rocks containing fossils.

- How large the particular life-form was - Past local and global environments - How the life-form lived and died - How long ago the particular life-form lived on Earth

Which of the following are correct descriptions of the compositions of Earth's different internal layers?

- The higher density materials are concentrated in the core. - The oceanic crust is basaltic. - Olivine is representative of the mantle.

______ are geologic considerations when identifying physically safe places for human habitation

- The strength of underlying geology - Faults in Earth's crust that can potentially cause earthquakes - The steepness of hillsides

Moss growing on a granite boulder directly involves which two Earth spheres?

- biosphere - lithosphere

What are the three primary agents that act to deposit sediments, which may eventually become sedimentary rocks?

- ice - water - wind

List the outer planets from top to bottom, from the Sun outward.

- jupiter - saturn - uranus - neptune

______ are examples of natural hazards present in the Rapid City area as a result of its location in a low area along Rapid Creek.

- landslides - floods

Besides Earth, the other three terrestrial planets are ______

- mars - venus - mercury

Which of the following are true regarding the color of rock, sediment, and soils?

- may be due to a natural stain on the outside surface of the rock - depends on the composition of the materials - varies due to different environmental conditions

Metamorphism involves which three of the processes included in the list below?

- pressure - deformation - heat

The four outer planets are ______

- uranus - saturn - jupiter - neptune

The granite that forms the faces of Mt. Rushmore ______.

- was uplifted to the surface 60 million years ago - is 1.7 billion years old

Select the three factors that directly shape the surface of Earth by creating diverse landscapes.

- water and its movement - atmosphere and its movement - impact if diverse life-forms

Understanding geology is important to everyday life because ______

- we rely on it for energy resources - it helps us make decisions regarding the environment - we rely on it to locate raw materials for industry

oceanic crust has a composition of

basalt

Earth has ______ major concentric zones of material

3

What is the continental shelf?

A fringe of shallow seafloor surrounding the land

Decide what to sketch

How general or detailed the sketch should been to explain your key ideas

Which of these does not describe the purpose of a concept sketch?

It reports the results of detailed sampling and studies.

Annotate your sketch.

Label important features and write sentences describing the relationships between features and processes

Includes life and all the places life can be found on Earth

biosphere

A slope at the base of the cliff is composed of loose pieces of rock.

The main cliff has weathered, causing loose rock to fall to the bottom and accumulate

Vertical cracks extend back into the rock.

The rock has fractured and these breaks in the rock are cutting across layers

Humans are able to pasture cattle and horses in the valley shown in this region because

The snow in the mountains in the background provide water

True or False: Most astronomers no longer consider Pluto a planet

True

True or false: When deciding whether a place is safe to live, proximity to geologic conditions such as steep hillsides, rivers, volcanoes, and faults needs to be considered

True

uplift

Upward movement of underground rocks to the surface

Make a list of what to discuss

What observations, interpretations, and other aspects should be included