Plate Tectonics
The layer of the earth comprised of the upper mantle and the crust, where the tectonic plates are located, is known as the ________________.
Lithosphere
All rocks are made of a combination of ________.
Minerals
Minerals are made of a single substance, rocks are made of a mixture of minerals.
When water changes from a liquid to a gas, it is known as _____________.
Evaporation
What are the two main sources of Earth's energy?
The sun and heat from Earth's interior
Differences in temperature and pressure within the plastic asthenosphere (middle mantle) result in _______________ ____________, which contribute to the movement of the overlying tectonic plates.
Convection Currents
The process through which rocks change from one of the three rock types into another is the _______ ________.
Rock cycle
Explain why fossils are/are not considered minerals.
The are not minerals because they are made of organic material.
Orographic lifting causes warm, moist air to rise quickly when it encounters a mountain range. As the air rises, it _______ and _____________, leading to rain on the side of the mountain range nearest the ocean and a desert on the far side.
Cools, condenses
Describe the water cycle.
(may also include runoff, infiltration, transpiration)
_____________ zones form at ________________ boundaries when oceanic crust collides with and sinks below continental crust.
Subduction, convergent
List and describe the three types of rock.
Igneous: form from molten rock
Sedimentary: form through the compaction and cementation of sediments
Metamorphic: form as existing rock are subjected to extreme heat and pressure
Is color a reliable property in identifying a mineral sample? Why or why not?
No; many different minerals may appear as one color, or one kind of mineral may form in a variety of colors.
High, low
The transfer of heat through movement of fluids, driven by differences in temperature and therefore density.
Convection
Explain, with evidence, how plate tectonics affect climates.
Possible answers may be, but are not limited to:
- Marine fossils being found atop mountains, like Everest
- As continents move, ocean currents change and alter climates
- Mountain building results in blocked wind, resulting in the rain shadow affect, and also create colder conditions at higher elevations
Existing rocks must be broken down (weathered) into smaller pieces or sediments, then those sediments are eventually deposited to form sedimentary rock.
List and describe at least 3 physical properties of minerals that can be used in mineral identification.
Hardness, streak, luster, color, cleavage, fracture, crystal habit, density/specific gravity
Winds generally blow west to east in the US, and the chemicals from the factories create acid rain when they bond to water vapor carried in the air masses being transported east.
Name and describe Earth's 4 main spheres.
Geosphere: all the rocks and soil
Hydrosphere: all the water (and ice)
Biosphere: everything living
Atmosphere: air
List and explain 3 pieces of evidence for the theory of continental drift.
1. Jigsaw: the continents appear to fit together like puzzle pieces (for example, Africa & South America)
2. Magnetic Polarity: stripes of alternating magnetic polarity on either side of the mid-ocean ridge
3. Seafloor Spreading: new crust forms at mid-ocean ridges, gets older the further out it gets
4. Rock/Fossil Evidence: matching unique rock or fossils separated by oceans
5. Climate zones: sedimentary rock evidence that climate zones have changed
What brings buried metamorphic rocks to Earth's surface?
Uplift
List the 5 defining characteristics of minerals.
1. Inorganic
2. Naturally Occurring
3. Solid
4. Definite Crystal Structure
5. Definite Chemical Composition
List and describe the 4 types of weather fronts, including when they form and what kind of weather they bring.
Warm: a warm air mass runs into a stationary or slowly moving cold air mass and gradually rises, resulting in light rain
Cold: a cold air mass runs into a stationary or slowly moving warm air mass, rapidly forcing the warm air up and resulting in narrow bands of heavy rain and storms
Occluded: a warm air mass is caught between two cooler ones and forced up, resulting in a wide area of precipitation
Stationary: two stationary air masses collide but do not move, often resulting in clouds, fog, and light rain
Explain the Pacific Ring of Fire.