Untitled Flashcards Set

What theory explains the origin of the universe?

Big Bang Theory.

What phenomenon is used to measure how fast galaxies are moving away from us?

Redshift.

What process refers to the formation of new atomic nuclei in the early universe?

Nucleosynthesis.

What is the initial gas and dust cloud that can lead to star formation called?

Nebula.

What disk forms around a young star where planets can develop?

Protoplanetary disk.

What are the small building blocks of planets that form from dust and gas?

Planetessimals.

What type of meteorite shows evidence of primitive solar system materials?

Chondrite meteorites.

What process describes the accumulation of material to form a planet?

Planetary accretion.

What geological process generates the Earth's magnetic field?

Geomagnetic dynamo.

What type of meteorite is primarily composed of iron?

Iron meteorites.

What geological term describes the separation of layers based on density?

Differentiation.

What is the innermost layer of the Earth called?

Core.

What are the two parts of the Earth's core?

Inner core and outer core.

What is the term for the bending of waves during their passage from one medium to another?

Refraction.

What type of seismic wave is the fastest and can travel through solids and liquids?

P-wave.

What type of seismic wave can only travel through solid materials?

S-wave.

What is the area where no S-waves can be detected called?

S-wave shadow.

What geological feature is formed by the movement of tectonic plates?

Plate tectonics.

What type of rock is primarily composed of silicate minerals?

Igneous rock.

What process leads to the creation of new oceanic crust?

Sea-floor spreading.

What is the term for a zone where one plate sinks beneath another?

Subduction zone.

What evidence supports the theory of plate tectonics?

Paleomagnetism.

What is the uppermost layer of the Earth that includes the crust and the uppermost mantle?

Lithosphere.

What layer of the Earth lies beneath the lithosphere and is semi-fluid?

Asthenosphere.

What is a geological feature formed from volcanic activity on the ocean floor?

Mid-ocean ridge.

What feature is created by the collision of tectonic plates?

Trench.

What term refers to the different types of plate boundaries?

Plate boundary.

What type of boundary occurs when two plates slide past each other?

Strike-slip boundary.

What is a geological feature formed by the accumulation of sediments?

Passive margin.

What hypothesis suggests that continents were once joined together?

Wegener's hypothesis.

What ancient plant fossil is used as evidence for continental drift?

Glossopterus.

What is defined as a combination of rock layers and their history?

Geosyncline.

What is the basic structural unit of silicate minerals?

Silica tetrahedron.

What term describes the regular arrangement of atoms in a mineral?

Crystal lattice.

What is defined as a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition?

Mineral.

What type of igneous rock forms from slowly cooled magma beneath the Earth’s surface?

Intrusive igneous rock.

What type of igneous rock forms from rapidly cooled lava at the surface?

Extrusive igneous rock.

What type of igneous rock is rich in silica and typically light in color?

Felsic.

What mineral is commonly found in granite?

Quartz.

What type of sediment is formed from the chemical precipitation of minerals?

Chemical sediment.

What is the process by which sediments compact under pressure?

Lithification.

What term describes the breakdown of rocks and minerals at the Earth’s surface?

Weathering.

What process describes the movement of sediment downhill?

Mass wasting.

What igneous rock is formed from the cooling of magma?

Pluton.

What process occurs when rocks change due to extreme pressure and temperature?

Metamorphism.

What term describes the arrangement of mineral grains in a metamorphic rock?

Foliation.

What type of metamorphic rock is characterized by thin, parallel layers?

Slate.

What geological feature indicates a history of mountain building and deformation?

Folding.

What natural event occurs when accumulated stresses in the Earth's crust are released?

Earthquake.

What is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the earthquake's origin?

Epicenter.

What is measured on the Moment Magnitude Scale?

Magnitude of an earthquake.

What part of a wave is a P-wave shadow zone associated with?

S-waves.

What is the main mechanism driving the movement of tectonic plates?

Mantle convection.

What is the geological feature created by the erosion of valleys and waster?

Delta.

What process refers to the movement of water, typically due to gravity?

Fluvial erosion.

What term refers to sediments that contain biological material?

Biochemical sediment.

What type of rock forms from the accumulation of sediments?

Sedimentary rock.

What geological feature represents a change in rock layers due to erosion?

Unconformity.

What type of unconformity occurs when younger rocks overlie older rocks?

Angular unconformity.

What term describes the process that allows geologists to put events in chronological order?

Relative dating.

What common name is given to the periods of extreme cold in Earth’s history?

Ice ages.

What defines the boundary around the Earth's crust, lithosphere, and upper mantle?

Geologic Timescale.

What words define the processes that shape Earth’s surface?

Geomorphology.