GEO 102 SBU TEST 1 STUDY GUIDE & PRACTICE QUESTIONS
2026/2027
Geologic Time - ANS✔✔ scale used by paleontologists to represent evolutionary time. Very
large range of time
Catastrophism - ANS✔✔ A principle that states that geologic change occurs suddenly
The Earth's landscapes were shaped primarily by catastrophes
Uniformitarianism - ANS✔✔ Charles Lyell's idea that geologic processes have not changed
throughout Earth's history.
Age of Earth - ANS✔✔ 4.6 billion years
Nebular Theory for formation of solar system - ANS✔✔ proposes that the bodies of our solar
system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the solar nebula
Giant rotating gas made of hydrogen and helium
A disturbance caused the solar nebula to slowly contract and rotate
The Solar nebula assumed a flat, disk shape with the proto-sun at the center
Inner planets began to form from metallic and rocky substances
, Larger outer planets began forming from fragments of ices
Gravity reshapes planets into spheres
Protoplanet hits earth creating moon from debris
Earth continues to from via differentiation
Oceanic crust - ANS✔✔ Earth's thin, rocky outer skin.
About 7 kilometers thick and composed of basalt
Continental crust - ANS✔✔ Earth's thin, rocky outer skin.
About 35-70 kilometers thick
Mantle - ANS✔✔ About 2900 kilometers thick and composed or periodite.
Outer core - ANS✔✔ Composed of an iron-nickel alloy.
Liquid outer layer of the core
Inner core - ANS✔✔ Composed of an iron-nickel alloy.
Solid inner layer of the core
Lithosphere - ANS✔✔ A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.
Asthenosphere - ANS✔✔ The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats.
2026/2027
Geologic Time - ANS✔✔ scale used by paleontologists to represent evolutionary time. Very
large range of time
Catastrophism - ANS✔✔ A principle that states that geologic change occurs suddenly
The Earth's landscapes were shaped primarily by catastrophes
Uniformitarianism - ANS✔✔ Charles Lyell's idea that geologic processes have not changed
throughout Earth's history.
Age of Earth - ANS✔✔ 4.6 billion years
Nebular Theory for formation of solar system - ANS✔✔ proposes that the bodies of our solar
system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the solar nebula
Giant rotating gas made of hydrogen and helium
A disturbance caused the solar nebula to slowly contract and rotate
The Solar nebula assumed a flat, disk shape with the proto-sun at the center
Inner planets began to form from metallic and rocky substances
, Larger outer planets began forming from fragments of ices
Gravity reshapes planets into spheres
Protoplanet hits earth creating moon from debris
Earth continues to from via differentiation
Oceanic crust - ANS✔✔ Earth's thin, rocky outer skin.
About 7 kilometers thick and composed of basalt
Continental crust - ANS✔✔ Earth's thin, rocky outer skin.
About 35-70 kilometers thick
Mantle - ANS✔✔ About 2900 kilometers thick and composed or periodite.
Outer core - ANS✔✔ Composed of an iron-nickel alloy.
Liquid outer layer of the core
Inner core - ANS✔✔ Composed of an iron-nickel alloy.
Solid inner layer of the core
Lithosphere - ANS✔✔ A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.
Asthenosphere - ANS✔✔ The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats.
