Geology: Earth's Structure, Plate Tectonics, and Landforms

A set of QUESTION_AND_ANSWER geology flashcards covering Earth's structure, mantles, core, plate tectonics, faults, folds, mountain types, maps, GIS, and basic geoscience terms.

What is the Moho?

The boundary between Earth's crust and mantle.

What is the Gutenberg discontinuity?

The core–mantle boundary.

What is the mantle?

The middle layer of the Earth between the crust and the core.

Where does the upper mantle extend from and to?

From the Moho to the transition zone.

Where does the lower mantle extend from and to?

From the transition zone to the core–mantle boundary.

What is the transition zone?

The region between the upper and lower mantle.

What lies beneath the mantle?

The core.

What is the outer core made of?

A liquid iron–nickel alloy that generates Earth's magnetic field.

What is the inner core made of?

A solid iron–nickel sphere at Earth's center.

What is plate tectonics?

The theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move and interact, causing geological features and processes.

What is a fault?

A fracture in rocks along which movement has occurred due to stress.

What is a normal fault?

A fault where rocks on one side sink vertically; cliffs often form.

What is a strike-slip fault?

A fault where rocks on opposite sides move horizontally past one another.

What is a thrust fault?

A low-angle reverse fault where rocks on one side are pushed over the other.

What is a syncline?

A trough-like fold where rocks bend downward.

What is an anticline?

An arch-like fold where rocks buckle upward.

What are fault-block mountains?

Mountains formed by crustal blocks breaking and being uplifted along faults.

What are volcanic mountains?

Mountains formed when molten rock erupts from a vent in the crust.

What are domed mountains?

Mountains formed when molten rock is forced beneath rocks, lifting them without breaking through to the surface.

How are folded mountains formed?

By the collision and compression of two tectonic plates that buckle and wrinkle rock layers.

What is a topographic map?

A map showing elevation and natural and man-made features, depicted by contour lines.

What are contour lines?

Lines on a map that connect points of equal elevation, outlining terrain.

What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?

A computer-based system for capturing, storing, analyzing, and presenting geographic data, used to make topographic maps.

What are seismic waves?

Earthquake vibrations that travel through the Earth.

What is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust?

Oxygen.