GEOL Exam 1 Review

What was the evidence for continental drift

1. The shape of the continents 2. Fossil remains on other continents 3. Climate changes from fossils 4. Rock formation

Gas composition of the atmosphere

78% nitrogen 21% oxygen 0.9%

What is a subduction zone?

A region of the Earth's crust where tectonic plates meet.

convergent plate boundaries

Convergent boundaries: where two plates are colliding. Subduction zones occur when one or both of the tectonic plates are composed of oceanic crust. The denser plate is subducted underneath the less dense plate. The plate being forced under is eventually melted and destroyed. i. Where oceanic crust meets ocean crust: Island arcs and oceanic trenches occur when both of the plates are made of oceanic crust. Zones of active seafloor spreading can also occur behind the island arc, known as back-arc basins. These are often associated with submarine volcanoes. ii. Where oceanic crust meets continental crust: The denser oceanic plate is subducted, often forming a mountain range on the continent. The Andes is an example of this type of collision. iii. Where continental crust meets continental crust: Both continental crusts are too light to subduct so a continent-continent collision occurs, creating especially large mountain ranges. The most spectacular example of this is the Himalayas.

Know different types of tectonic plates and how they are formed

Convergent, Divergent, and Transform

divergent plate boundary

Divergent boundaries - where two plates are moving apart. The space created can also fill with new crustal material sourced from molten magma that forms below. Divergent boundaries can form within continents but will eventually open up and become ocean basins. i. On land Divergent boundaries within continents initially produce rifts, which produce rift valleys. ii. Under the sea The most active divergent plate boundaries are between oceanic plates and are often called mid-oceanic ridges.

minerals that form igneous rock (composition, mafic or felsic, intrusive or extrusive, etc.)

Hornblende - Mafic Olivine - Mafic Biotite Mica - Mafic Muscovite Mica - Felsic Quartz - Felsic Augite - Felsic Plagioclase Feldspar - Felsic Potassium Feldspar - Felsic

Know how to draw the rock cycle

Know how to draw the rock cycle

Know the difference between light and heavy elements

More energy, and thus higher temperature, is needed to form heavier elements. Nucleuosynthesis formed light elements, whereas fusion in stars formed elements with an atomic mass that is within the range of beryllium and iron.

Know the different kinds of volcanoes

Shield, cinder cone, stratovolcanoes

transform plate boundary

Transform boundaries - where plates slide passed each other. The relative motion of the plates is horizontal. They can occur underwater or on land, and crust is neither destroyed nor created. Because of friction, the plates cannot simply glide past each other. Rather, stress builds up in both plates and when it exceeds the threshold of the rocks, the energy is released - causing earthquakes.

be able to draw and label a volcano/magma chamber

be able to draw and label a volcano/magma chamber

What are the types of sedimentary rocks

clastic, chemical, organic

How do minerals form?

how and where magma cools

How silica effects a lava flow (how explosive, viscosity, why)

low viscosity: runny with a low gas and silica content (fast) high viscosity: thick and pasty with a high gas and silica content (slow)

Know how to define a mineral

naturaly accuring, solid, mostly inorganic, unique chemical formula

How to classify igneous rocks; by their _ and their_

texture and grain size