Study Guide Geology 104

Study Guide – Geology 104

Scientific Method Steps of the scientific method from flow chart in power point  observation  hypothesis  predictions and testing (experimentation)  acceptance/modification of hypothesis Attributes of the Scientific method (repeatable, unprejudiced, falsifiable) The process used in following the scientific method Why Intelligent Design is NOT considered a scientific theory by scientists The accepted age of the Earth

Minerals Defining characteristics of a mineral (inorganic, naturally occurring, solid, crystalline structure, chemically unique) Identifying properties of a mineral (e.g. luster, hardness, cleavage, etc) Composition of the Silicate Ion The most abundant mineral group Factors that control the shape and size of a well-formed crystal  rate of cooling (controls size)  space to grow (controls whether crystal is well-formed) Why coal, and oil are/are not considered minerals Identifiable minerals by color:  potassium feldspar  olivine Identifiable mineral by shape – calcite Identifiable mineral by hardness scale – gypsum

Rocks 3 main categories of rocks The Rock Cycle difference between magma and lava Criteria used to classify igneous rocks – texture, mineral composition Textures – coarse-grained vs. fine-grained Why crystal size determines origin of igneous rocks difference between plutonic (intrusive) and volcanic (extrusive) igneous rocks identifiable igneous rocks by crystal size  volcanic (crystals too small to see) – basalt  plutonic (large crystals) – granite how sediment is lithified common types of sedimentary rocks: shale, sandstone, limestone identifiable sedimentary rocks – sandstone, shell limestone what is metamorphism what factors cause metamorphism identifiable metamorphic rock - quartzite

1 Plate Tectonics Alfred Wegener’s observations supporting Continental Drift Differences between Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift Features of divergent, convergent, transform fault boundaries Layers of the Earth and their features, based on physical properties  lithosphere (includes both crust and upper mantle)  asthenosphere  mesosphere (lower mantle)  core (inner and outer) Sea floor spreading  where it is occurring in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean  where it is occurring on land Subduction  oceanic – continental  oceanic – oceanic What happens when 2 continental plate boundaries converge the difference between ocean crust and continental crust San Andreas Fault and what tectonic plates are separated by it

Earthquakes Definition of an earthquake How rocks store elastic energy What causes the release of the energy Difference between P and S waves How to use P and S waves to find the epicenter What is S-P interval how to read a seismogram to find S-P interval How to use S-P graph to find distance to epicenter Where Earthquakes are most likely to occur how a seismograph works How to find Earthquake magnitude using the Richter Nomogram Differences between Richter and Moment Magnitude

Volcanoes 3 processes that generate magma in the asthenosphere Where volcanoes are most likely to occur Where is the Ring of Fire Differences between shield cones, cinder cones and composite cones The difference between granitic and basaltic magma; including composition and origin what is a caldera what is a dike, sill, batholith Identifiable volcanoes – from the presentations