Comprehensive Geology and Earth Science Quizlet: Rocks, Plate Tectonics, and Mineralogy

Science

Deals with the mainstream ideas and concepts must be falsifiable.

Pseudoscience

Does not deal with mainstream ideas and does not require falsifiable concepts.

Scientific Method

A process that includes steps such as observation, hypothesis development, experimentation, and peer review.

Peer Review

The step in the scientific method that normally follows experimentation and sharing of results.

Crystallization

The process by which igneous rocks form.

Outer Core

The layer of the Earth that is liquid.

Hypothesis Development

The step in the scientific method that normally follows observation.

Evidence for Continental Drift

Includes matching fossils and rocks, matching coastlines, warm places glaciated, and cooler places with tropical fossils.

Evidence for Plate Tectonics

Includes GPS measurements, mid-ocean ridges, ocean trenches, lined-up earthquakes, and paleomagnetism showing moving rocks.

Earthquake Waves

Mapped the liquid interior of Earth and showed movement, helping scientists understand plate sinking.

Isostasy

States that as mountains move upwards, land must also sink elsewhere.

Continental Drift

The idea constructed by Wegener based on evidence such as matching fossils and mountain belts.

Lithosphere

The layer of the Earth that plates are made from.

Asthenosphere

The layer of the Earth that can move internally or flow to allow the plates to move around on it.

Crust

The lowest density layer of the Earth.

Inner Core

The highest density layer of the Earth.

Mantle

The largest layer by volume of the Earth.

Wegener's Evidence

Included matching fossils, mountain belts, and climate shifts, but not earthquake locations lined up with crustal features.

GPS Measurements

Showed ocean basins closing rapidly, contributing to the understanding of plate tectonics.

Paleomagnetism

Shows moving rocks and provides evidence for plate tectonics.

Matching Coastlines

Evidence supporting the theory of continental drift.

Matching Fossils

Evidence for continental drift showing similar species across continents.

Oceanic plates

Oceanic plates are more permanent.

Continental plates

Continental plates have more volcanoes.

Ocean plates

Ocean plates are thin and brittle, continents are thick and ductile.

Passive boundary

A boundary between a continent and an ocean basin without relative motion between them.

High mountains formation

High mountains like the Alps and Himalayas form when continents collide because the materials of continental plates are similar in density and don't subduct beneath one another.

Crustal divergence feature

Mid-ocean ridge is associated with crustal divergence.

Continents and subduction

Continents generally do not subduct because they are too low in density to subduct.

Rift zones features

Grabens and Faults and rifts at 120° angles are features found at rift zones.

Oceanic crust movement

As newly formed oceanic crust moves away from the mid-ocean ridge, the crust gets colder.

Current rifting example

East Africa is the best example of current (active) rifting other than mid-ocean ridges.

Magma generation at divergent boundaries

Magma is generated at divergent boundaries due to decreased pressure.

Rift formation outcome

As a rift forms on a continent, an ocean basin can form next.

San Andreas fault

The San Andreas fault is known for being the boundary between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate in California.

Transform boundary motion

At a transform boundary, plates move side to side.

Transform boundaries

Transform boundaries are different than other boundaries.

Piercing points

They track movement

Transform faults movement

Left (sinistral) and right (dextral)

Wilson Cycle after supercontinent formation

Rifting

Common features in hot spots

Volcanism

Shallow earthquakes with little volcanism

Transform

Plate boundary with largest earthquakes

Subduction

Wegener's continental drift support

He could not provide a mechanism for how continents moved

Direct source of information about Earth's interior

Seismic waves

Boundary producing new liquid magma

Subduction

Crust behavior towards mid-ocean ridge

The crust gets younger

Least dangerous plate boundary

Rift

Tectonic setting with asthenosphere farthest from surface

Continental collisions

Hot spots have age trends

Correct Answer: C) Hot spots have age trends

Minerals have a crystalline structure

What does this mean? Answer Choices: A) That the atoms are arranged in an orderly, repetitive manner. ✅

Ionic bonding

When a positively-charged sodium ion is chemically bonded with a negatively-charged chlorine ion to make sodium chloride (i.e. the mineral halite), this is an example of _____. Correct Answer: A) ionic bonding

Heating a fluid

Which of the following does not cause an increase in mineral precipitation? Correct Answer: B) Heating a fluid

Calcite

What is the most common mineral formed by life? Correct Answer: C) Calcite

Crystallizes into a crystal

When a mineral precipitates from solution, it ____________. Correct Answer: A) crystallizes into a crystal

Made by marine life

What is the most common origin of carbonate minerals in nature? Correct Answer: A) Made by marine life

Minerals can only be made naturally

Which of the following is true about minerals? Correct Answer: E) Minerals can only be made naturally

Freezing of water

Select one process by which minerals are NOT made? Correct Answer: C) Freezing of water

Elements present

What controls a mineral's color? Correct Answer: A) Elements present

Apatite in your collar bone

Which of these is actually a mineral? Correct Answer: C) apatite in your collar bone

Coarse-grained (phaneritic) texture

Where do igneous rocks with a coarse-grained (phaneritic) texture form? Correct Answer: C) deep under the surface

Higher silica

Makes the magma more viscous

Mafic rock composition

Has the most amount of iron and magnesium

Fine-grained (aphanitic) texture

Develops from fast cooling

Basaltic intrusion cutting across layers

Called a dike

Decompression melting at divergent plate boundaries

Produces magma by reduction of pressure at constant temperature

Crystallization process incorporating country rock

Called assimilation

Unmelted pieces of country rock in igneous rock

Called xenoliths

Crystal settling

Another name for fractional crystallization

Partially melting ultramafic rock

Produces magma with a felsic composition

Explosive silica-rich volcanoes location

Mostly at convergent plate boundaries with subduction zones

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents location

Most commonly at divergent boundaries of the mid-ocean ridge

Largest type of volcano

Called a shield volcano

Volcanic hazard from collapsing eruption column

Runs downhill at high speeds (>100 mph) and is associated with explosive eruptions

pyroclastic flow

A fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter.

stratovolcano (or composite volcano)

A volcano with steep flanks, symmetrical cone shapes, distinct crater at the top, and silica-rich magma that results in an explosive eruption style.

caldera

A large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses.

shield volcano

A type of volcano characterized by broad, gentle slopes and primarily composed of low-viscosity basaltic lava.

basaltic magma

Magma that is low in silica and tends to erupt quietly.

partial melting

The process that occurs when some minerals melt at lower temperatures than others.

flux melting

Melting that occurs when water or other volatiles lower the melting point of rocks.

Bowen Reaction Series

A series that shows the order in which minerals crystallize from cooling magma based on temperature.

aphanitic texture

A texture of igneous rocks characterized by crystals that are too small to be seen without a microscope.

pegmatite

An igneous rock characterized by very large crystals of felsic composition formed from very slow cooling of residual material expelled from cooling magma.

porphyritic igneous rock

An igneous rock that has larger crystals in a finer grained groundmass.

phaneritic texture

A texture of igneous rocks where crystals are large enough to be seen with the naked eye.

viscosity of magma

The measure of a fluid's resistance to flow, which is affected by silica content.

ultramafic composition

A rock composition that has the most amount of iron and magnesium.

lava domes

Mound-shaped protrusions formed by the slow extrusion of highly viscous lava.

cinder cones

Small, steep-sided volcanoes formed from the accumulation of volcanic debris.

mafic composition

A rock composition that is rich in magnesium and iron.

felsic composition

A rock composition that is rich in silica and aluminum.

decompression melting

Melting that occurs when pressure decreases on hot rock, allowing it to melt.

explosive eruption

An eruption characterized by the violent expulsion of magma and gases.

quiet eruption

An eruption where lava flows easily and does not explode.