Earths Origins
What is the main gas the early Earth lacked and why?
Oxygen. Lack of oxygen producing organisms.
What is the principle of superposition in relative dating?
Older rock layers are at the bottom and younger layers are on top.
The scale used to categorize earthquake magnitude?
Richter scale
Meteorological hazards refer to hazards involved with the?
Atmosphere/Weather
What is the main cause of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
Burning of fossil fuels
How did volcanic activity contribute to the formation of Earth's atmosphere?
Volcanoes released gases like CO₂, water vapor, and other gases that helped form the atmosphere.
Describe the difference between relative and absolute dating with an example of each.
Relative dating orders rocks/fossils without exact ages; absolute dating gives a precise age using radiometric dating isotopes.
What is the point on the surface, directly above the focus of an earthquake called?
Epicenter
Electrical fires in a house caused as a result of an Earthquake should be categorized as a primary effect, secondary effect or tertiary effect of the earthquake?
Secondary Effect
Name three ways humans affect the environment.
Pollution, deforestation, climate change, overpopulation, resource depletion.
What is Catastrophism
Catastrophism is the idea that Earth's features are shaped by sudden, violent events. Example: a massive volcanic eruption or earthquake.
A specimen sample started with 8000mg of carbon-14. It now contains 2000mg. If the half-life of carbon-14 is approximately 5700 years, how old is this specimen?
11400 years
What type of seismic waves travels the fastest? Primary, secondary or surface waves?
Primary
Famine caused by crop failure, due to a volcanic eruption can be categorised as a primary, secondary or tertiary effect of a volcanic eruption?
Tertiary
How does urbanisation increase flood risk?
Concrete replaces natural absorption areas, increasing runoff and flood risk.
What is Gradualism?
Gradualism is the idea that Earth's features are shaped by slow, continuous processes over long periods, such as erosion or sediment deposition.
Dendrochronology is the study of what?
Tree rings
What method is used to locate the epicenter of an earthquake using data from three seismograph stations?
Triangulation
What is the difference between a regular ocean wave and a tsunami?
Ocean waves are wind-driven, affect only the surface, short wavelength; tsunamis involve the whole water column, long wavelength, large amount of water displaced by an earthquake/landslide.
How does deforestation contribute to hazard risks?
Loss of trees reduces water absorption, increases flooding and landslide risk, and contributes to climate change.
Explain how oceans formed from water vapor in the early Earth.
Water vapor from volcanic activity and asteroid impacts condensed as the planet cooled, forming oceans.
What are the three conditions for a fossil to be classed as an "Index Fossil"?
- Existed for a relatively short period
- Easily recognisable
- Geologically widespread
What drives the movement of Earth's tectonic plates?
Convection currents in the mantle.
There are 3 types of floods. What are they and what causes them?
Flash flood - Heavy rain /mountain runoff
River flood - Overflow
Coastal flood - Hightide
In what ways have humans impacted the environment through land use and development? hint (each three answers have the suffix "tion" in them)
Urbanisation, industrialisation, and intensification of agriculture.