Earth’s Structure Study Guide

6th Honors

Answer the following questions as thoroughly as you can by using your NOTES! **Do not google the answers.

1. What is a geosphere?

   any of the almost spherical concentric regions of matter that make up the earth and its atmosphere, as the lithosphere and hydrosphere.

2. Describe the Earth’s major systems. lithosphere" (land), "hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air).

3. Explain convection currents in the mantle. Heated mantle material is shown rising from deep inside the mantle, while cooler mantle material sinks, creating a convection current.

4. What do scientists use to understand the composition of Earth’s interior?So scientists rely on seismic waves What do the different seismic waves explain the interior? Earth's interior consists of a series of concentric shells, with a thin outer crust, a mantle, a liquid outer core, and a solid inner core.

5. Describe the layers of the Earth’s interior. (density, composition, etc) Differences in density resulted in materials within Earth, forming layers​ Each layer has a different¿ composition​The core has the most dense​ Temperature and pressure increase ith depth​At the bottom of the Kola Well is hot enough to bake cookies!!!! (374°F) 190°C

6. The differences between oceanic and continental crust - density and thickness. Continental crust is about 4 times thicker than oceanic crust Crust will be thicker under Mountie s and thinner under oceans

7. What causes Earth’s magnetic field and what does it protect us from? Earth has opposit poles like a bar magnet As Earth’s inner core spins faster than its outer core, streams of flowing molten iron help to produce the magnetic field that surrounds Earth.A compass works by pointing to Earth’s northern magnetic pole and allows you to always know where north and south are​

8. Explain the elevation and relief for mountains, plain and plateaus. A plain is a flat landform with low elevation(low elevation;low relief)​ A plateau s a flat landform with high elevation (low relief; high elevation) A mountain is high elevation and high relief​

9. What are the three clues of Pangaea? Explain them. Climat clues ;Glaciers form in a climate that is below freezing most of the time grooves can show that neighboring continents were once part of Pangae How do you suppose the ice of glaciers could cause deep scratches and grooves in bedrock that is harder than ice? Fossils clues;Fossils of similar organisms have been found on several continents separated by ocean Glossopteris has been discovered in rocks from South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica - these areas today are far apart and evidence shows these plants grew in swampy environments Wegener used the Appalachians and the Caledonians to support his theory Also, volcanic rocks in Africa and South America suggest that these two continents were also joined

10. What could Wegener not explain about seafloor spreading? How the continents moved

11. How is seafloor spreading like a grocery conveyor belt? It moves ina rotating fashion churning the new one down and lifting the new one up like sea floor spreading

12. What is evidence to support the theory of seafloor spreading? Mountains form two ways - from lava erupting and building up along the ridge or from rocks sliding up and down along the cracks (faults)in the seafloor

13. What are earthquakes? Earthquake are vibrations in the ground that result from movement along breaks in Earth’s lithosphere.

14. Explain the three boundaries we discussed in class with the fault type and stress. Divergent boundary is when two plates go apart from each other and example of this is the mid ocean ridge. Convergent boundaries are when two plates move together. An example of this is the Nazca plate. It also created the Andes.

15. Where do earthquakes occur? Most earthquakes occur along active plate plate boundaries. These are areas generally in the middle of oceans or along

16. What is a fault? A fault is a break in Earth’s lithosphere where one block of rock moves toward, away from, or past another block.

17. What is the epicenter and focus of an earthquake? The epicenter of an earthquake is the location on Earth’s surface directly above the focus.

18. What are the three types of seismic waves? Describe. The energy released during an earthquake is strongest near the epicenter An earthquake’s energy travels in three kinds of seismic waves. Primary waves (p waves ) cause particles in the ground to move in a push-pull motion similar to a coiled spring. Secondary waves (s waves _) move rock particles side to side and up and down at right angles to the direction that the wave travels.

19. What are scientists that study earthquakes called? Seismologists

20. What is a volcano? A volcano is a vent in Earth’s crust through which molten rock flows.

21. What do you call molten rock above the surface? Below the surface? Molten rock below Earth’s surface is called magma.

22. What are hot spots? Give an example. Geologists theorize that hotspots form over plunes, which are places where hot magma rises due to convection currents in the mantle.

23. Where is the Ring of Fire? It surrounds the Pacific Ocean.

24. Describe the three types of volcanoes we discussed in class. cinder cones are small, steep-sided volcanoes that erupt gas rich, basaltic lavas composite volcanoes are large, steep-sided volcanoes that result from explosive eruptions of thick lava along convergent plate boundaries. sheild volcanoes are large, gentle-sloped volcanoes that result from quiet eruptions of basaltic lavas along divergent plate boundaries and oceanic hot spots.

25. What is a pyroclastic flow? A fast moving landslide of hot gas , ash and volcanic rock

26. What does the viscosity of lava mean? viscosity is a fluids’ resistance to flow- comstive of lava is higher when the magma has a high silica content.

27. What is the relationship between volcanic eruptions and climate change? When droplets of Sufi Eric acid from volcanoes form in the atmosphere, they reflect cool into space. Volcanic ash and acid droplets in the atmosphere _____ Earth’s climate.p

28. Describe mechanical and chemical weathering. Mechanical weathering will break a rock apart, increasing its surface area. Smaller rocks, sand, and clay can result from weathering.

29. What is surface area? How does it affect weathering? A rock’s surface area is the total area of the outside of the rock The amount of surface area determines the rate at which a rock will wea

30. What are the causes of mechanical weathering? Thermal expansion and contraction Ice wedging Abrasion Plant growth Animal activity

31. What is an important agent of chemical weathering? Changes the materials that are part of a rock into new materials Water important agent because most substances dissolve in it Rain that is more acidic will cause weathering to occur faster than normal

32. Certain chemical pollutants released into the atmosphere dissolve in rain droplets, forming acid

33. Which two factors affect the results of both mechanical and chemical weathering? Both types of weathering are affected by the type rock that is being weathered and by the environment n which the weathering takes place.

34. Describe constructive and destructive processes. Constructive processes build up features on Earth’s surface Destructive processes tear down features on Earth’s surface.

35. What are the agents of erosion? Agents of erosion include water,wind, glaciers, and gravity What are the factors that affect the rates of erosion? Erosion occurs at different rates. Factors include weather, climate, topography, and type of rock

36. Give examples of landforms formed by low energy deposition and high energy deposition.

37. Describe the process of deposition and erosion. Low energy environments include swamps, deep lakes, and areas with slow moving air or water High energy environments include ocean shores, rushing rivers, and deserts with strong winds. Sediment that is deposited in water typically forms layers that are called beds. These layers can be preserved in sedimentary ocks.

38. How could a rock arch form? Can expose several layers of rock Different rates of erosion result in unusual landforms when some rocks erode, by leaving erosion resistant rocks behind.Glacial erosion and coastal erosion can form unique landforms.