Earth's Interior, Plates, and Landforms - Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering Earth's interior structure (layers, boundaries, composition, and major properties) and major landform types (Aeolian, Erosional, Mountainous/Glacial, Fluvial/Coastal) with example features and key concepts.

What are the three main structural parts of the Earth?

Crust, Mantle, and Core.

What are the five mechanical layers of the Earth?

Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere, Outer Core, Inner Core.

Which crust type is more dense and thinner, oceanic or continental crust?

Oceanic crust is more dense and thinner than continental crust.

Which layer makes up about 67% of Earth's mass and is about 2,900 km thick?

The Mantle.

Which layer is the outermost, thinnest layer of the Earth?

The Crust.

What boundary marks the interface between the crust and the mantle?

Mohorovicic Discontinuity (Moho).

What boundary separates the mantle from the outer core?

Gutenberg Discontinuity.

What boundary lies between the outer core and the inner core?

Lehmann Discontinuity.

What is the lithosphere?

The outer solid part of the planet, including the crust and the rigid upper mantle, about 70-100 km thick.

What is the asthenosphere?

A highly viscous, ductile region of the upper mantle about 180 km thick that can deform and flow.

What is the mesosphere?

Lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core.

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

Outer Core (liquid) and Inner Core (solid).

What is the composition of the Outer Core?

Liquid nickel-iron.

How thick is the Outer Core approximately?

About 2,270 km.

What is the approximate diameter of the Inner Core?

About 1,220 km.

What drives the movement of tectonic plates according to the notes?

Convection currents in the mantle caused by heat from the core.

What percent of Earth's mass does the mantle account for, and how does that compare to the crust and core?

Mantle ~67% of mass; Crust <1%; Core ~33%.

What are tectonic plates?

Pieces of the lithosphere that move and interact.

What is the top temperature range of the mantle (at its top) according to the notes?

Approximately 900°C to 3700°C.

What is the mantle's chemical makeup?

Ferro-magnesium silicate rocks.

What is a major structural difference between oceanic and continental crust besides density and thickness?

Oceanic crust is thinner and more dense; continental crust is thicker and less dense.

What are the two main landform categories formed by wind as described in the notes?

Aeolian landforms and related features like dunes and loess.

What is a Dune?

A mound or hill made of sand formed by wind; shapes can be dome, crescent, star, linear, or parabolic.

What is Loess?

Predominantly silt-sized windblown dust sediment forming yellowish-brown deposits.

What is a Mushroom rock?

A rock pedestal formed by earthquakes or glacial action, resembling a mushroom.

What are erosional landforms?

Landforms created by erosion and weathering.

What is a Mesa?

Elevated land with a flat top and steep sides, capped by resistant rock.

What is a Butte?

Flat-topped hill with steep sides, formed by erosion; capped rock overlying less resistant rock.

What is a Canyon?

A deep ravine carved by a river, wind, or glacier.

What are Mountainous landforms?

Landforms higher than surrounding areas with slopes and summits.

What is a Volcano?

A landform formed by geological processes that can be active or inactive.

What are Hills?

Elevated portions formed by geologic activities such as faulting.

What are Valleys?

Low-lying areas between hills and mountains.

What are Glacial landforms?

Landforms formed by the movement of glaciers during glaciations.

What is a Delta?

A low-lying triangular area at the river mouth where it meets the sea or ocean.

What is a Peninsula?

A piece of land projecting into water, connected to the mainland.

What is a Meander?

A bend in a river; has concave inner bank and convex outer bank.

What are Sea cliffs?

Highly rocky coastlines that plunge into the sea and resist weathering.

What is a Plain?

Flat, broad land area with little elevation change.

What is a Plateau?

Table lands or flat-topped mountains; elevated above surroundings, often formed by volcanic activity.

What is the Tibetan Plateau known as?

The Roof of the World; the world's largest and highest plateau.

What does the term lithosphere literally mean and what does it include?

Lithos means 'rock'; it includes the crust and the uppermost mantle (outer rigid layer).

What is the depth range of the Lithosphere?

About 70-100 km.

Where is the asthenosphere located in relation to the lithosphere?

Directly beneath the lithosphere in the upper mantle.

What is the Mohorovicic Discontinuity (Moho)?

The boundary between the crust and the mantle.

What is the Gutenberg Discontinuity?

The boundary between the mantle and the outer core.

What is the Lehman Discontinuity?

The boundary between the outer core and the inner core.

What is Geomorphology?

The scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.

What is Topography?

The study or graphic representation of current terrain features on a map.

What is the difference between the Lithosphere and the Asthenosphere?

The Lithosphere is the outer rigid shell (crust + upper mantle); the Asthenosphere is a ductile region beneath it in the upper mantle.

What are the five mechanical layers of the Earth listed on the notes?

Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere, Outer Core, Inner Core.