geology 101 ch.1
where are the active mountain belts most likely to be found
along the margins of continents
which of the following best describes the fundamental concept of superposition
any sedimentary deposit accumulates on top of older rock or sediment layers
which ancient, highly influential Greek philosopher wrote about nature and the workings of earth
aristotle
where in the ocean basin would we find the continental shelf?
between the continent and the continental slope
the ____ refers to the sum total of all life on earth?
biosphere
what popular doctrine in the 17th and 18th centuries proposed that earth was created through a series of profound worldwide disasters?
catastrophism
which word describes a system in which energy moves freely in and out, but no matter enters or leaves?
closed
what two processes occur during lithification of sedimentary rocks
compaction and cementation
which term describes a relatively stable interior portion of a continent
craton
the ____ is the thinnest layer of earth?
crust
what is the currently accepted age of earth?
4.6 billion years
what are the most prominent features on the ocean floor?
mid-ocean ridges
what theory proposes that the boduies of the solar system formed at essentially the same time from a rotating cloud of gases and dust
nebular theory
the ____ is thought to be a liquid, metallic region in earths interior
outer core
what material is thought to form the core of earth
solid iron-nickel alloy
what are the basic differences between the disciplines of physical and historical geology?
-physical geology includes the study of how rocks form and of hpw erosion shapes the land surface -historical geology involves the study of rock strata, fossils, and geologic events, utilizing the geologuc time scale as a reference
sedimentary rocks may weather to form igneous rocks (t/f)
false
the publication of conclusions without prior experimentation or observation(t/f)
false
what type of rocks form by crystallization and consolidation of molten magma
igneos
where in earth is the asthenosphere?
in the mantle under the lithosphere
which list below identifies the layers of the earth in the correct order from the center outward?
inner core, outer core, mantle crust
which 18th century English geologist proposed uniformitarianism?
james hutton
which layer forms the relatively cool, brittle plates of earths crust?
the top of the lithosphere
a ______ is a well tested and widely accepted view that best explains certain scientific observations
theory
compared to the age of earth accepted as correct today, how did 17th and 18th century proponents of catastrophism envision earths age?
they believed earth to be much younger than current estimates
what geological theory is often paraphrased as "the present is the key to the past"
uniformitarianism
_____ is the process by which rocks breakdown in place to produce soils
weathering