Geology exam questions and answers 2024

asthenosphere plastic, subdivision of the mantle below the lithosphere. rock is easily deformed atmosphere gaseous shell, planet's envelope of air biosphere life on earth near surface catastrophism earth shaped by catastrophes: canyons, mountains, etc. convergent boundary plates come together core located beneath the mantle, it is the Earth's innermost layer. Inner and Outer crust the very thin, outermost layer of earth divergent boundary plates move apart principle of fossil succession fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite, determinable order, and any period can be recognized by its fossil content geology study of the earth, visual science, want to know the history of the earth geosphere surface to center of earth hydrosphere water portion of our planet hypothesis tentative explanation that is tested to determine if it is valid igneous rock molten material inner core solid, innermost layer of earth lithosphere solid, outer, includes crust lithospheric plate a coherent unit of Earth's rigid outer layer that includes the crust and upper mantle lower mantle the part of the mantle that extends from the mantle to the top of the core magma a body of molten rock found at depth, including any dissolved gases and crystals mantle thick layer of the Earth located below the crust metamorphic rock buried, heated, and pressure nebular hypothesis matter spinning around protosun became part of Earth/moon oceanic ridge continuous mountain ridge on the floor of all the major ocean basins and varying in width. The rifts represent divergent plate boundaries outer core layer beneath the mantle, liquid physical geology a major division of geology that examines the materials of Earth and seeks to understand the processes and forces acting upon Earth's surface from below theory of plate tectonics lithosphere is floating on the asthenosphere and moving relative dating placing of events in their sequence without knowing absolute age in years rock cycle model that illustrates the origin of the 3 basic rock types and the interrelatedness of Earth's materials and processes. sediment unconsolidated particles created by the weathering and erosion of rock, by chemical precipitations from solution in water, or from the secretions of organisms, and transported by water, wind, or glaciers sedimentary rock rock formed from the weathered products of preexisting rocks that have been transported, deposited, and lithified subduction zone a long, narrow zone where one lithospheric plate descends beneath another law of superposition in any underformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, each bed is older than the one above and younger than the one below theory a well-tested and widely accepted view that explains certain observable facts transform fault boundary plates slide past one another uniformitarianism present is the key to the past, geologic processes happen over long periods of time atom smallest particle of matter that retains the essential characteristics of an element atomic number # of protons in the nucleus of an atom cleavage tendency for a mineral to break along panes of weaker bonding covalent bond shared electrons electron negative charge element a substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical or physical means fracture chemical bonds that are equally strong in all directions hardness a measure of the resistance of a mineral to abrasion or scratching