Geology Knowledge
What is the definition of geology?
the study of Earth, what it is made of, and how it changes over time
What word means "to force or apply strength," as in "Lee knew she would need to ____ effort to climb the hill"?
exert
Name two ways in which you would use a comma.
in a series of words (3 or more), city/state, addresses, to represent a pause.
According to the passage, what are the three important words to remember when thinking about geology?
Heat, Pressure, Time
What type of rock is formed when molten rock cools and hardens at the surface?
Igneous
Name the four main layers of Earth from the outside (surface) to the center.
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core
In geology, what does the word "deposit" mean in the sentence: "The river can deposit sand on the shore"?
leave behind in a particular spot
Choose the adverb that best completes: "The fire truck’s siren blared ____ as it passed by us." (silently, dully, loudly)
loudly
Why does the author say geologists must "think about time in a new way"? (use the passage idea about minutes vs. millions of years)
Geologists study the effects of heat, pressure, and time to understand Earth's landscape.
What type of rock forms from bits of material that stick together over time?
Sedimentary
Which two ways can tectonic plates move that cause earthquakes or tsunamis? (name both)
Some plates slide past each other; some plates pull apart at their boundaries (also converging/subduction could be included)
Which word best completes: "The Grand Canyon is an example of how ____ breaks rocks into smaller pieces, and erosion moves these pieces to new locations." (choices: caldera, lava, weathering)
weathering
Put these words in the correct order to form a good sentence: brown sat wooden empty small chair the
The small, brown, wooden chair sat empty.
Put these events in order for the Grand Canyon’s formation: (A) Colorado River begins carving rock, (B) Layers of sedimentary rock build up, (C) Tectonic plate movement pushes rock above sea level, (D) Igneous and metamorphic rocks form. (Give first → last.)
First: Igneous & metamorphic rock form → Layers of sedimentary rock build up → Movement of plates pushes rock above sea level → Colorado River begins carving rock. (Match the passage sequence: igneous/metamorphic → sedimentary layers → uplift → river carving)
What type of rock is formed by heat and pressure changing existing rock?
Metamorphic
What forms when one tectonic plate slides under another at the seafloor?
An oceanic trench is formed (subduction forms trenches)
What does "fault" mean when scientists study earthquakes?
a crack in the Earth’s crust
Fill in the blank: "The water ____ everywhere when the big pipe broke." (erupted / interrupted / disrupted)
erupted
According to the passage, about how old are the rocks on the upper rim of the Grand Canyon? (give the approximate age used in the passage)
about 230 million years ago (upper rim sedimentary rocks)
Give one way the rock cycle can change igneous rock into sedimentary rock (name the processes).
Weathering → sediments → compaction and cementation → sedimentary rock
Explain why hydrothermal vents, volcanoes, or geysers can form near plate boundaries or hotspots.
Pressure and heat force magma upward through cracks; magma reaches the surface and causes volcanic features/hydrothermal vents
Choose the correct meaning for "state" in: "The state of the pond’s water changes in the winter." (a meaning referring to solid, liquid, or gas)
the condition of being a solid, liquid, or gas
Identify why the author used words like "then" and "still" in a paragraph (purpose: compare, sequence, or explain cause).
to show the sequence of events
What was the authors purpose for writing Our Home, Earth?
to inform the readers
Explain how heat, pressure, and time work together to create different rock types — include one example from the passage (for example, marble formation or Grand Canyon layers).
Heat + pressure + time: e.g., limestone under heat and pressure becomes marble (metamorphic); molten rock cools to igneous; layers of sediment compact into sedimentary rock.