DE Intro to Geo and Tectomic Plates

Dual Enrollment Geology intro unit and Plate Tectonics unit

Nebular Theory

4.6 b years ago, an ancient star exploded, and at the center of the nebular cloud the sun formed while the planets formed at the outskirts

The amount of tectonic plates ____ over time

change

Name the eons

Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic

Phanerozoic

current Eon we are in

3 eras in the Phanerozoic

Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic

Igneus

formed from the cooling and solidification of molten lava or magma

Sedimentary

formed through the accumulation and compression of mineral and organic particles over time. These rocks often contain distinct layers

Metamorphic

formed from the alteration of existing rocks due to changes in temperature, pressure, or mineral composition. This transformation occurs within the Earth's crust.

Plastic behavior

The ability of a material to undergo permanent deformation without breaking.

Continental shelf

part of a continent that is underwater in between the landmass and continental slope.

Abyssal plain

vast, flat areas on the ocean floor found at great depths

Seamount

an underwater mountain or volcanic peak that rises from the ocean floor but does not reach the water's surface

the Mid oceanic ridge is

gentle slope formed by divergent plates

Oceanic ridges

mountains (sometimes volcanic) formed by divergent plates

The first material the mantle makes

basalt

On convergent margins, the asthenosphere is

sinking

When 2 asthenosphere areas merge rising upward they create

divergent margins

Transform fault movement is called

shear motion

Upwelling

where heat from the earth's core pushes the mantle upwards causing ridges (diverting plates) on the crust.

MOR

Mid-oceanic Ridge

Trenches form on

the oceanic crust where the lithosphere is being subducted

The MOR is made of

Basalt

Wagner

believed continents are moving but had no ev

Harry Hess

believed the ocean floor was growing thus moving the continents, he used a mechacanism to support his hypothesis.

Accretion

the process by which material is added to a tectonic plate at a subduction zone, frequently on the edge of existing continental landmasses, scraping off the tectonic plate being pushed under.

Apparent polar wandering

the appearance that the poles "wandered" across the world even though that's not physically possible for it to move like it looks like it did or to have 2 north poles simultaneously.

Black on magnetic time scales refer to

"normal" magnetic direction (current day magnetic direction)

___ rocks store info on the earth's previous magnetic directions over time

Igneous

Mafic rocks

rocks with a lot of metal and magnesium

Magnetic North is in

the south pole

What contains most of the matter in our solar system?

The sun

The lithosphere is thickest at

Continents

Volcano distribution patterns are ___ to earthquakes around the world

similar

Most transform faults are

connected to mid-ocean ridge segments

Divergent

move apart

Convergent

merge

Transform

move side by side

eight most abundant elements in the earth's crust

When the Lithosphere is diverging the asthenosphere

rises

Lithosphere

Earth's fragile outer shell, made of the crust and upper mantle

Asthenosphere

Middle mantle

studied the shapes of continents to reveal that a supercontinent existed in the past

Wegener

Vine and Matthews

proved plate tectonics

Earth layers

Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core

"The present is the key to the past."

Hutton's famous quote

A very long time (all the time in the universe)

Deep Time

Jovian planets

Gas giants

Terrestrial planets

Inner planets

Glossopteris fossil

implies tropical climate

Earth's magnetism comes from

The core

What caused the dif in US and EU magnetic records

Polar wandering (according to the right answer)

Magnetic Dip

how much the mineral’s magnetic angle points downwards

Magnetic dip angle range

0-90

Magnetic dip at the north pole

90 deg

Coal deposits are found

In every continent

Hypothesis

an educated guess

Scientific Theory

proposed expl based on limited ev as a starting point for further investigation

The study of Geology started in

the British Isles

Theories are held as ____ by the scientific community

true

James Hutton

founder of Modern Geology

RRTF

ridge-to-ridge transform fault

What do transform, divergent, and convergent boundaries have in common?

they can cause earthquakes

Mantel plumes

areas where heat/rocks from the mantle rise to the surface, called hot spots

Hot spots occur along

divergent boundaries and the mid-regions of every plate

5% of volcanos are near

hotspots

95% of volcanos are near

tectonic plate boundaries

What creates fracture zones?

Transform faults

The older side of a fracture zone is usually lower

Used the rock record in the British Isles to determine the age of Earth

Hutton

Hutton believed the Earth was millions of years old based on geo ev

Physical Geology

Study of the physical processes that shape the earth

Historical geology

Study of the history of how physical processes have changed Earth

James Ussher

ArchBishop who believed the earth started in 4004 BC using the bible

How old is the earth

4.5

Solar system age

4.6 B (same as Earth)

Universe age

13.7 B (thought 13-15 B y old)

Catastrophism

belief Earth was formed through major catastrophes

Uniformitarian

The belief that what shaped the world now shaped it in the past

Expression theory

a theory relating to the legal and philosophical aspects of freedom of expression without necessarily being subject to scientific testing.

The core

liquid magnesium and iron, generates the earth's gravity

The mantle is made of

iron, magnesium, and silicon, solid but with plastic behavior

Continental Crust

solid and brittle, made of granite and other materials

Oceanic crust

thinner denser basalt layer

As you get deeper into the earth,

Temperature, pressure, and density increase

Eight Most Abundant Elements in Earth's Crust

Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, Calcium Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium.