EES 120-Sustainable Planet - Exam 1 Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes up to 9/8, including standard of living, critical minerals, plate tectonics (boundaries and processes), crust types, oceanic crust formation, Earth's layers and lithosphere, core evidence, and limestone formation.

Standard of living vs energy consumption per capita relationship

Higher standard of living generally requires more energy per person; energy use per capita tends to increase with development.

Critical mineral

A mineral or element essential to an economy or national security and subject to supply risk; designated as critical by policy.

Presidential Order 13817

Executive directive that designates critical minerals and emphasizes securing reliable U.S. supply chains.

Plate boundaries

Locations where tectonic plates interact (divergent, convergent, and transform).

Divergent boundary

A boundary where plates move apart; forms mid-ocean ridges or rift valleys and creates new crust; earthquakes are typically shallow.

Convergent boundary

A boundary where plates collide; can cause subduction or mountain building; includes oceanic-continental, oceanic-oceanic, and continental-continental types.

Oceanic-continental convergence

Subduction of an oceanic plate beneath a continental plate; produces deep earthquakes and volcanic arcs.

Oceanic-oceanic convergence

Subduction of one oceanic plate beneath another; forms volcanic island arcs and deep earthquakes.

Continental-continental convergence

Collision of two continental plates; forms tall mountain ranges and complex seismic zones; typically no subduction.

Crust types

Continental crust (less dense, granitic) and oceanic crust (more dense, basaltic).

Which crust subducts?

Oceanic crust subducts beneath another plate due to higher density.

Where is new oceanic crust formed?

At mid-ocean ridges along divergent boundaries where magma rises and creates new crust during seafloor spreading.

Lithosphere

Rigid outer layer of the Earth comprising the crust and upper mantle; tectonic plates are part of the lithosphere.

Layers of the Earth (structure)

Crust, mantle, and core; the lithosphere includes the crust and upper mantle.

Evidence that Earth's core is iron

Seismic data show a dense, metallic core; S-waves do not travel through the outer core; Earth's magnetic field supports a iron–nickel core.

Mechanisms driving plate tectonics

Mantle convection, slab pull, and ridge push (driving plate motions).

Limestone composition

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), often formed from marine organisms.

Limestone depositional setting

Forms in warm, shallow marine environments with abundant carbonate sediments.