Introduction to Earth Science
The study of earth. One of the four fields of Earth Science
What is geology?
This type of bond forms when atoms share electrons.
What is a covalent bond?
This type of rock forms from cooled and solidified magma or lava.
What is an igneous rock?
This boundary occurs where two tectonic plates collide.
What is a convergent boundary?
This 17th-century scientist proposed that Earth was created in 4004 B.C.E., a belief that shaped early geologic thought.
Who is James Ussher?
A stream eroding a riverbank is an example of an interaction between which two spheres
What are the hydrosphere and the geosphere?
This mineral group makes up 98% of the Earth's crust.
This type of igneous rock forms below the Earth's surface, resulting in larger crystals.
What is intrusive igneous rock?
This mechanic of plate movement occurs when a subducting slab sinks into the mantle due to being colder and denser.
What is slab pull?
This principle introduced by James Hutton states that the same natural processes we see today have been shaping Earth for millions of years.
What is uniformitarianism?
This describes Earth as a dynamic system of interacting parts and processes, including the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere
What is the Earth System?
The silica tetrahedron is made up of these two elements?
What is silicon and oxygen?
Clastic sedimentary rocks are classified based on this feature.
What is particle size?
This early theory proposed that all landmasses were originally united in one supercontinent called Pangaea.
What is continental drift?
This method involves placing rocks in order based on their formation, without providing exact dates.
What is relative dating?
A well-tested and widely accepted explanation that the scientific community agrees best fits certain observable facts
What is a theory?
This is the most important agent of chemical weathering.
What is water?
This type of weathering breaks down rocks into smaller pieces without altering their chemical composition.
What is mechanical (or physical) weathering?
The Earth’s magnetic field is described as this type of system.
What is dipolar?
Nicolas Steno formulated this principle which asserts that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, each layer is older than the one above it.
What is the principle of superposition?
One source of energy the powers the Earth system is the Sun, the other comes from here.
What is heat from the Earth's interior?
This property describes how much light can pass through a mineral
What is mineral opacity?
Shale being transformed into slate is an example of this grade of metamorphism.
What is low-grade metamorphism?
This term refers to the phenomenon where Earth’s magnetic field has flipped its polarity multiple times throughout history, leaving distinct patterns on the ocean floor that provide evidence for sea floor spreading.
What are magnetic reversals?
This dating technique uses radioactive decay to precisely determine the age of rocks and minerals.
What is radiometric dating?