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What is the best course union on campus?
EESC!
What are the three main compositional layers of Earth?
Crust, mantle, and core.
What are the three main types of rocks
Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
What are the four defining characteristics of minerals
Occurs naturally
inorganic solid
characteristic crystal structure
definite chemical composition
What is weathering?
The physical breakdown or chemical alteration of rocks and minerals at or near Earth's surface.
What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
A mineral is a naturally occurring crystalline solid with a defined chemical composition. A rock is an aggregate of minerals or other geological materials.
What is the difference between oceanic and continental crust?
(name at least 2)
Oceanic crust is generally thinner, denser, and mafic, while continental crust is thicker, less dense, and more felsic overall.
How does magma become an igneous rock?
Through cooling and crystallization (solidification).
What is the difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals
Cleavage is when a mineral breaks along planes of weakness in its crystal structure, while fracture occurs when a mineral breaks without following those planes.
What is the difference between physical and chemical weathering?
Physical weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces without changing their mineral composition, while chemical weathering changes the chemical composition of minerals.
What is the difference between relative and absolute geological dating
Relative dating determines the order of geological events, while absolute dating estimates numerical ages.
What is the lithosphere, and what layer lies directly beneath it?
The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer consisting of the crust and uppermost mantle. The asthenosphere lies beneath it.
What processes turn sediment into sedimentary rock?
Compaction and cementation, collectively known as lithification.
What the 7 main mineral groups that you have learnt of?
Halides, Oxides, Sulphates, Sillicates, Phosphates, Carbonates, Native Elements.
Explain how frost wedging breaks apart rocks.
Water enters cracks in rocks, freezes and expands, and repeated freezing and thawing can widen the cracks until the rock fractures.
What is the principle of superposition?
In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.
Explain the origins of Earth’s magnetic field and the timing of magnetic field reversals.
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What is the difference between contact and regional metamorphism?
Contact metamorphism occurs primarily due to heat near a magma intrusion, while regional metamorphism occurs over large areas due to elevated temperatures and pressures, commonly during mountain building.
What is an example of a sheet sillicate?
Mica/Biotite/Muscovite
What is hydrolysis, and how does it affect feldspar minerals?
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction involving water that alters minerals. Feldspar can undergo hydrolysis to form clay minerals and dissolved ions.
What is the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory?
A hypothesis is a testable proposed explanation, while a theory is a well-supported explanation backed by extensive scientific evidence.
What evidence tells scientists that Earth's outer core is liquid?
S-waves cannot travel through liquids. The absence of S-waves passing through the outer core provides evidence that it is liquid.
Can a sedimentary rock become an igneous rock without first becoming metamorphic? Explain.
Yes. If the sedimentary rock melts into magma and the magma cools and crystallizes, it becomes an igneous rock.
What is Bowen's reaction series, and which minerals crystallize at higher versus lower temperatures?
Bowen's reaction series describes the order in which silicate minerals crystallize as magma cools.
Olivine and calcium-rich plagioclase crystallize at high temperatures, while quartz, potassium feldspar, and muscovite crystallize at lower temperatures.
Why do mafic minerals generally weather faster than quartz at Earth's surface?
Mafic minerals commonly crystallize at higher temperatures and are less chemically stable under Earth's surface conditions.