Earth Processes
Earth Processes 2
Layers of the Earth
Vocabulary
Miscellaneous
100
Movement in the Earth's crust will most likely cause what?
Earthquakes (and volcanic activity)
100
What landform forms when sediment is deposited at the mouth of a river?
A delta
100
Name the four layers of the earth from outermost layer to innermost layer.
1. Crust 2. Mantle 3. Outer Core 4. Inner Core
100
What is a fault?
A fault is a break in the Earth's surface. Earthquakes often occur at faults.
100
Which of the following is NOT an example of erosion? A. Wind moving soil B. Soil wearing away from the sides of a riverbank C. Sand moving with the ocean waves D. Moss and lichen growing on a rock
D. Moss and lichen (THEY DO NOT MOVE!)
200
What type of erosion formed the Grand Canyon?
Flowing water from the Colorado River weathered and eroded rocky ground.
200
Name three natural forces that cause sand dunes along Lake Erie to change in size and shape.
Wind, water, and plant growth. Also acceptable: ice or snow
200
Which layer is the only completely liquid layer of the earth?
The outer core
200
Define a rapid earth process and give 3 examples.
A rapid earth process is a process that shapes the land quickly. Examples: Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, flooding from storms
200
Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota. Which natural processes are causing the faces on this granite statue to slowly wear away? A. Earthquakes B. Water from floods C. Blowing wind and rain D. Lava flowing from volcanoes
C. Blowing wind and rain (it is the only option containing a slow process!)
300
Why is northern Ohio much flatter than southern Ohio?
Long ago glaciers leveled out the hills that covered northern Ohio. The glaciers did not reach southern Ohio.
300
How do we know that the Appalachian Mountains are older than the Rocky Mountains?
The Rocky Mountains are tall and jagged while the Appalachian Mountains are short and rounded. This means that the Appalachian Mountains are older because they have eroded more.
300
What is the difference between the upper mantle and the lower mantle?
The upper mantle is a solid while the lower mantle is a very slow moving liquid.
300
Define a slow earth process and give 3 examples.
A slow earth process is a process that shapes the land over a long period of time. Examples: Both types of weathering, erosion, and deposition
300
When new roads are built, engineers plant bushes along the sloped edges of the road. Why do they do this?
Engineers plant bushes to prevent soil erosion. The roots of the bushes will help hold the soil in place.
400
Geologists know that glacial movement stopped during the Ice Age. Describe what might tell a geologist where a certain glacier stopped. Use what you know about deposition and glaciers to help explain your answer.
-Glaciers scrape and flatten the land as they move across the soil, therefore flatter lands are usually found before a glacier has stopped -Glaciers deposit till, so rich soil is usually found before a glacier has stopped -Hills are often formed where glaciers stop -Rocky debris is usually deposited where glaciers have stopped -Lakes or other bodies of water are often found where glaciers stopped
400
Last June, sidewalks and streets were repaired in Beachwood, Ohio. Now it is a year later and there are many new potholes (chuckholes) and cracks that have appeared. Explain two reasons why you think this occurred.
-The pavement expanded and contracted due to temperature changes, which resulted in cracks -Water seeped into cracks, froze, and expanded, causing the pavement to crumble -Plant roots grew through or underneath the pavement and cracked it -Groundwater washed away soil underneath the pavement, causing it to collapse -Human activity caused the cement to weaken over time
400
What makes up the lithosphere?
The lithosphere contains the crust and the upper mantle.
400
What is continental drift?
Continental drift is the theory proposed by Alfred Wegener stating that the continents originally formed one super continent called Pangea. Over time the continents moved away from each other because the tectonic plates below them were moving.
400
Explain how water can cause both slow and fast changes.
Water can cause a slow change when a river carves out its bed. The Grand Canyon formed because of water erosion taking place over hundreds of thousands of years. Water can cause a fast change when a storm causes flash flooding and the water quickly washes away sediments from the land. Fast moving water can also cause a mudslide, which is a fast change.
500
Identify an example and a cause of mechanical weathering in the environment. Identify an example and a cause of chemical weathering in the environment.
1.)MECHANICAL EXAMPLE: rocks crumbling and breaking apart Cause: wind blowing sand against the rock; the rock expanding and contracting due to temperature changes; water seeping into a crack in the rock, freezing, and expanding; plant roots growing into the rock 2.)CHEMICAL EXAMPLES: cave formation;the features of statues slowly wearing away; rocks being broken down Causes: acid rain (or carbonic acid) seeping into cracks in the ground and dissolving rock, lichen growing on a rock and breaking it down
500
What process takes place along the inside curve of a meandering stream and why? What process takes place along the outside curve of a meandering stream and why?
Inside- deposition because the water slows down, so it deposits the sediment is carrying Outside-erosion because the water speeds up, so it picks up more sediment from the river bank
500
What state of matter is the inner core and why?
The inner core is a solid ball of iron and nickel because even though it is the hottest layer, the pressure keeps the molecules from rearranging into a liquid form.
500
Define weathering, erosion, and deposition.
Weathering is the breaking or wearing down of rock into small pieces called sediments. Erosion is the moving or carrying away of sediments. Deposition is the dropping or releasing of sediments in a new location.
500
A desert canyon has a stream flowing through it. Identify one slow process and one fast process that could have helped shape the canyon.
Slow: Water erosion (stream flows through the canyon) or wind could have blown sand against the rocks to wear them down (abrasion) Fast: Landslides could cause a section of the canyon wall to collapse or earthquakes could cause parts of the ground to break apart and collapse