LSU Geography 2051, Namikas, Final Exam

What are the 4 spheres of the Earth?

- Lithosphere

- Hydrosphere

- Atmosphere

- Biosphere

What is the solid portion of the globe?

Lithosphere

What is the water portion of the globe?

Hydrosphere

What is the gases that surround the globe?

Atmosphere

What are the living organisms that occupy the globe?

Biosphere

A method for producing new knowledge

Scientific method

A body of existing knowledge

Theory

A provisional explanation

Hypothesis

A set of objects and their attributes that are linked together by a flow of matter and energy

System

Matter and energy can leave the system

Open system

The system is self-contained; matter and energy are preserved

Closed system

Whatever is inputted in to the system will either be used as storage or will be outputted

Budgets

Inputs are larger than outputs and storage increases

Positive budget

Outputs are larger than inputs and storage decreases

Negative budget

Inputs are equal to outputs and storage is constant

Balanced budget (equilibrium)

A fixed balance that is rarely changing

Static equilibrium

A balance that is constantly changing

Dynamic equilibrium

System response to a change in conditions or inputs that acts to influence that initial change

Feedbacks

System responses that result in positive increases

Positive feedbacks

System responses that act to reduce environmental conditions and helps the system maintain and preserve itself

Negative feedbacks

Parallels that use the equator as reference

Latitude

Meridians that use Greenwich as a reference

Longitude

The innermost portion of the earth

Core

The part of the earth that is very hot, under a lot of pressure, and contains solid iron

Inner core

The part of the earth that is hot, liquid iron

Outer core

The middle portion of the earth

Mantle

The plastic layer of the mantle

Asthenosphere

The rigid layer of the mantle

Uppermost mantle

The outermost portion of the earth

Crust

The mantle and crust makes up the ________

Lithosphere

A type of rock formed from cooling magma and is broken down by weathering processes

Igneous rock

A type of rock formed by lithification and sediments

Sedimentary rock

A rock that is formed by a molecular change due to intense heat and pressure

Metamorphic rock

Large scale movements of the earth's crust

Isostasy

The last supercontinent

Pangea

Plate boundaries that move away from each other

Divergent boundaries

What do divergent boundaries result in?

Sea floor spreading zone

Plate boundaries that move toward one another

Convergent boundaries

Plate boundaries where the plates slide past each other

Transform boundaries

What do transform boundaries result in?

Subduction zone

Areas where volcanic activity is abundant

Hot spots

A gentle eruption created by magic magma that produces flood basalts and shield volcanoes

Effusive eruption

A powerful eruption created by felsic magma that produces calderas and neuss ardente

Explosive eruption

Occurs near plate boundaries and is a shaking of the earth's crust

Earthquakes

The idea that when forces act on a rock, the pressure builds

Elastic Rebound Theory

Place in the ground where seismic waves are released

Focal point

Center location of any major disaster

Epicenter

A scale that measures how much energy is released during an earthquake

Richter scale

Another name for the Richter scale

Moment magnitude scale

A force that results in pulling apart

Tension

What force causes faulting?

Tension

A force that results in squeezing together

Compression

What force causes folding?

Compression

Forces that act in opposite directions and cause horizontal bending in rocks

Shear

A crack in a rock

Joint

A particular type of joint

Fault

Faults that are created by tensional forces

Normal fault

Faults that are created by compressional forces

Reverse / thrust fault

Faults created by shear forces

Strike-slip fault

Mountain formation that occurs along collisional plate boundaries

Orogenesis

The formation of volcanoes in the ocean is what type of orogenesis?

Oceanic-Oceanic

What is an example of Oceanic-Oceanic orogenesis?

Japan

The formation of mountains along the edge of a continent is what type of orogenesis?

Oceanic-Continental

What is an example of Oceanic-Continental orogenesis?

Andes Mountains

The formation of mountains when 2 low density plates crash in to one another is what type of orogenesis?

Continent-Continent

What is an example of Continent-Continent orogenesis?

Himalayas

A large stable block of earth's crust, forming the nucleus of a continent

Craton

A fault-bounded area or region with a distinctive stratigraphy, structure, and history

Terrane

Difference in elevation of 2 areas

Relief

What are the 3 topographic regions?

Mountains, Hills and low tablelands, and plains

Areas with relief of more than 600 m

Mountains

Flattish topography with some elevation and relief less than 600 m but greater than 100 m

Hills and low tablelands

Areas where total relief is less than 100 m

Plains

Refers to a wide range of different processes that break down earth materials over time

Weathering

Weathering processes that involve mechanical forces

Physical weathering

Weathering processes that involve processes that attack materials at the molecular level

Chemical weathering

What are the 5 controls of weathering?

- Rock characteristics

- Climate

- Hydrology

- Topography

- Vegetation

What are 3 examples of physical weathering processes?

Root wedging, crystallization, and frost action (freeze thaw)

When water gets in to the cracks of rocks, and then freezes, cracking the rock

Frost action (freeze thaw)

The formation of crystals in the crack of rocks

Crystallization

When roots or trees grow out of the crevices of rocks

Root wedging

What are 3 examples of chemical weathering processes?

Oxidation, hydrolysis, and carbonation

What chemical process results in rust?

Oxidation

What chemical process strips hydrogen molecules from a substance?

Hydrolysis

An inclined or curved surface that represents the boundary of the land

Slope

The force that holds a particle down

Gravity

The force acting opposite to a moving object

Friction

The force that holds particles together

Cohesion

The maximum critical steepness of a slope is known as __________

Equilibrium

The equilibrium of a slope is also known as the _______________

Angle of repose

What are the 3 uses for water?

Cohesion between particles, lubricant to reduce friction, and buoyancy

The zone where inputs are created; the top of the slope

Waxing slope

Zone of accumulation (debris slope)

Waning slope

Steepest portion of the slope

Free face

What is the fastest type of mass movement and does not require any water?

Avalanches and rock falls

What is a relatively fast type of mass movement with lots of water involved?

Flows

A type of mass movement where water carries mud

Mudflow

A type of mass movement where water carries bigger material such as rocks along with mud

Debris flows

A type of mass movement that can be either fast or slow

Slide

A type of mass movement when a big piece of ill detaches itself from the hill and moves as a unit

Landslide