WJEC Eduqas GCE A Level Geology Specification Flashcards

A set of 100 flashcards covering the entire WJEC Eduqas GCE A Level Geology specification, including fundamentals, interpreting the geological record, and geological themes.

What is the duration and weighting of Component 1: Geological Investigations?

Written examination of $2\text{ hours } 15\text{ minutes}$ accounting for 35\text{\textpercent} of the qualification.

What is the duration and weighting of Component 2: Geological Principles and Processes?

Written examination of $1\text{ hour } 45\text{ minutes}$ accounting for 30\text{\textpercent} of the qualification.

What is the duration and weighting of Component 3: Geological Applications?

Written examination of $2\text{ hours}$ accounting for 35\text{\textpercent} of the qualification.

How is the Practical Endorsement reported in the A Level Geology qualification?

Reported separately as a pass/fail grade and does not contribute to the final grade.

What are the four classifications of the Goldschmidt system used to categorize Earth's elements?

Lithophile, siderophile, chalcophile, and atmophile.

The bulk composition of the Earth is comparable to which type of undifferentiated meteorites?

Chondrites.

Identify the eight main elements that compose the Earth's crust.

$O$, $Si$, $Al$, $Fe$, $Ca$, $Na$, $K$, and $Mg$.

What are the four types of silicate structures built from silicon-oxygen tetrahedra?

Single, chain, sheet, and framework silicates.

Which diagnostic properties are investigated in SP1 to identify minerals?

Colour, crystal shape, cleavage, fracture, hardness, relative density, streak, lustre, and reaction with cold dilute hydrochloric acid.

What is the specific concentration of hydrochloric acid used in SP1 and SP5 for mineral tests?

$0.5\text{ mol } dm^{-3}$.

Identify two examples of micas as specified on the mineral data sheet.

Biotite and muscovite.

Identify two types of feldspars recognized for mineral identification.

Orthoclase and plagioclase.

What is the magnification formula provided in the geological techniques section?

$$\text{magnification} = \frac{\text{size of image}}{\text{size of real object}}$$

What are the two specific types of physical weathering mentioned in the rock cycle?

Insolation and freeze/thaw.

What are the four types of chemical weathering listed for silicate and carbonate rocks?

Hydrolysis, carbonation, solution, and oxidation.

Name the two types of erosion processes defined in the rock cycle.

Abrasion and attrition.

What are the four mechanisms of sediment transport?

Traction, saltation, suspension, and solution.

Which sedimentary grain size is considered coarse according to the comparator used in SP5?

$>2\text{ mm}$.

How is a fine grain size classified for sedimentary rocks in description?

$<1/16\text{ mm}$.

Which two minerals dominate the coarse fraction of concentrated depositional products?

Quartz and muscovite.

Identify three types of sandstones based on composition.

Orthoquartzite, arkose, and greywacke.

Identify three types of limestones specified in the syllabus.

Shelly, oolitic, and chalk.

What distinguishes 'mature' sedimentary rocks from 'immature' ones?

Mature rocks have restricted mineralogies dominated by resistant species, while immature rocks have a wide range of mineral compositions or lithic clasts.

What are the four types of igneous cooling structures or joints?

Pillow structure, aa/pahoehoe surfaces, and columnar joints.

How is a coarse crystal size defined for igneous rocks?

$>3\text{ mm}$.

What is the size range for medium-grained igneous crystals?

$1-3\text{ mm}$.

What is the size threshold for fine-grained igneous crystals?

$<1\text{ mm}$.

Define the crystal shape term 'euhedral'.

Crystals that are well-formed with sharp, easily recognized faces.

What igneous rock is the silicic representative used for density measurement in SP18?

Granite.

Identify the mafic igneous rocks listed in the specification.

Gabbro, dolerite, and basalt.

Identify the ultramafic igneous rock specified for identification.

Peridotite.

In the rock cycle, what transferred energy sources drive internal geological processes?

Radiogenic and primordial heat sources.

Where does the partial melting of mantle rocks generate basaltic magma?

Beneath divergent plate margins and in mantle plumes (hotspots).

Where does the partial melting of subducted oceanic lithosphere generate andesitic magma?

Near to convergent plate margins.

What specific volcanic hazard refers to ash falls and pyroclastic flows?

Nuées ardentes.

What are the volcanic debris flows and mudflows called?

Lahars.

What type of metamorphism produces non-foliated textures?

Contact (thermal) metamorphism.

Identify three examples of foliation resulting from regional metamorphism.

Slaty cleavage, schistosity, and gneissose banding.

Identify the seven metamorphic rocks listed for identification in hand specimens.

Marble, metaquartzite, spotted rock, hornfels, slate, schist, and gneiss.

Which law is referenced to interpret rock deformation in terms of stress and strain?

Hooke's Law.

What are the fold elements recognized in Topic F2?

Limb, hinge, axis, axial plane trace, fold symmetry, antiform, synform, anticline, and syncline.

What is the difference between a normal fault and a reverse fault?

Both are dip-slip faults; in a normal fault the hanging wall moves down, while in a reverse fault it moves up.

What is a 'thrust' fault?

A low-angle reverse fault.

What is the difference between sinistral and dextral strike-slip faults?

Sinistral is left-lateral and dextral is right-lateral.

What does an unconformity represent in the geological record?

A hiatus resulting from Earth movements, erosion, and sea level changes.

Define the Principle of Uniformitarianism.

The concept that 'the present is the key to the past'.

Who were the two key contributors to the development of uniformitarianism and the rock cycle model?

James Hutton and William Smith.

What is a 'facies' in sedimentary geology?

The basic unit reflecting the depositional environment, divided into lithofacies and biofacies.

What are the two valves of a brachiopod?

Pedicle and brachial valves.

List the main body parts of a trilobite.

Cephalon, glabella, genal spines, eyes, thorax, and pygidium.

What are the two structural components of a graptolite?

Stipes and thecae.

Identify the suture line types for Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic cephalopods.

Goniatite, ceratite, and ammonite.

What factors contribute to the 'biased' nature of the fossil record?

Favoring marine organisms with body parts resistant to decay that suffered rapid burial in low energy environments.

What criteria define a 'good' zone fossil for relative dating?

Wide and plentiful distribution, ready preservation, rapid evolutionary change, high facies independence, and easy identification.

Identify the radioactive series used for radiometric dating as exemplars.

Potassium–Argon ($40K–40Ar$) and Samarium–Neodymium ($147Sm–143Nd$).

What is the Mohorovićić discontinuity (Moho)?

The boundary at the base of the crust separating it from the mantle.

What evidence supports the existence of the asthenosphere?

The seismological low velocity zone ($LVZ$).

What are the three recognized types of plate boundaries?

Divergent, convergent, and conservative.

What are the primary slab-driving forces currently debated in plate tectonics?

Thermal convection, slab pull, and ridge push.

What term describes the record of the direction of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks?

Remanent magnetism.

Which research ship is cited for 2016 ocean survey data on mid-ocean ridges?

RRS James Cook.

In magma evolution, what are 'enclaves'?

Rock material resulting from magma mixing during rise and emplacement.

State the equation for for radionuclide decay used to calculate the age of a sample.

$$N = N_0e^{ − λ t}$$

Identify the three metamorphic polymorphs used in phase diagram analysis.

Kyanite, sillimanite, and andalusite.

Identify the three specific metamorphic textures to be studied in diagrams.

Granoblastic, porphyroblastic, and mylonitic.

State Walther's Law.

The distribution of environments represented by rocks in a vertical column is related to the distribution of those environments laterally.

What determines fault type according to principal stresses?

The orientation of the principal stress components ($σ\text{ max}$, $σ\text{ int}$, $σ\text{ min}$).

What are 'slickensides'?

A technical term describing fault elements consisting of polished, striated surfaces.

What does the Ediacaran fauna represent?

The oldest diverse set of multicellular, soft-bodied organisms ($565\text{ Ma}$).

What led to the wide variety of marine invertebrates during the 'Cambrian Explosion'?

The development of mineralised skeletons.

What are Sepkoski's curves used to interpret?

Simple diversity curves of marine fauna.

Identify the two mass extinctions that exemplify Phanerozoic declines.

The end-Permian ($P-T$) and Cretaceous-Paleogene ($K-Pg$) events.

Who proposed the asteroid impact hypothesis for mass extinction?

Alvarez.

What is the 'Anthropocene'?

A proposed epoch beginning when human activities changed Earth's surface on a geological scale.

In climate studies, what does the oxygen isotope ratio ($^{18}O/^{16}O$) indicate?

The temperature of ancient ocean waters.

What is the 'Snowball Earth' hypothesis?

The proposal that Earth's surface became entirely frozen at least once, earlier than $650\text{ Ma}$.

What are the three sedimentary associations for metalliferous ores?

Placer deposits, residual deposits, and precipitated deposits.

List the levels of coal rank from lowest to highest.

Peat, lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite.

State the formula for Darcy’s Law used in fluid flow modeling.

$$Q = kA (\frac{h_1 - h_2}{L})$$

Define an 'aquiclude'.

A subsurface geological unit that prevents the flow of groundwater.

What is 'Bouguer' in the context of mineral prospecting?

A type of gravity geophysical surveying.

What scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake event?

Transitioning from the Richter scale, the specification uses the Moment Magnitude scale ($MW$).

What scale measures the intensity of earthquake damage?

Modified Mercalli scale.

What gas emission is monitored as an attempt to predict earthquakes?

Radon gas.

What are 'Milankovitch cycles' in the context of Quaternary Geology?

A contributory cause of climatic fluctuations during the Quaternary.

How many days of fieldwork are required for this qualification?

A minimum of four days.

What is the deadline for centres to submit the fieldwork statement to WJEC?

$15\text{ May}$ of the year of the award.

Name the three orogenic events that affected the British area.

Caledonian, Variscan, and Alpine.

Which ocean separated northern and southern Britain during the Early Palaeozoic?

The Iapetus Ocean.

Around what time did the super-continent Rodinia break up?

Around $700\text{ Ma}$.

The Palaeogene Igneous Province of NW Britain provides evidence for the opening of which ocean?

The North Atlantic Ocean.

What is the base of the lithosphere defined as in terms of temperature?

The $1300\text{ } ^∘C$ isotherm.

What are 'LIPs' in the study of the Lithosphere?

Large igneous provinces.

In terms of ocean crust structure, what do seismic layers $1$, $2$, and $3$ represent?

Sediments (Layer $1$), pillow lavas and sheeted dykes (Layer $2$), and gabbro (Layer $3$).

Identify two major supercontinents mentioned in Topic T5.

Rodinia and Pangea.

What is the hardness of a steel pin on Mohs' Scale?

$$5.5$$

What is the SI base unit for amount of substance?

Mole ($mol$).

What is the SI derived unit for frequency?

Hertz ($Hz$).

What is the non-standard unit 'a' used for in geology?

Annum (year).

Identify the SI derived unit for force.

Newton ($N$).