Early Earth
True or False; Craters from meteorites can be used to gain information about Earth's early history
True
What is the name of the original isotope in radiometric dating?
Parent isotope
What are the two types of tectonic plates?
Oceanic (on water) and continental (on land)
Name an example of a constructive force
Convergent plate boundaries, divergent plate boundaries, volcanism, etc.
More dense objects will sink
How old is Earth?
4.6 Billion years old
How are Earth's layers organized?
By density
Name an example of a destructive force
Weathering, erosion, earthquakes, etc.
Does the process of radioactive decay produce or consume energy?
Produces energy
What does the law of superposition state?
What process, that occurs in the Earth's mantle, causes the movement of tectonic plates?
Convection currents
What constructive force creates landforms like mountains and mid-ocean ridges?
Tectonic plate movement (Convergent and divergent boundaries)
What does the law of cross-cutting relationships state?
Anything that "cuts" through a rock layer is younger than the rock layer it goes through
Why does the moon have lots of craters, but the Earth has so few?
Processes like erosion and plate tectonics "erase" craters on Earth (Answers will vary)
Will an older rock have more parent or daughter isotope?
More daughter isotope - more half lives have occurred
Where are new rocks created on Earth?
Mid-Ocean Ridges
Millions of years (long time)
What the process of mountain-building called?
Orogeny
What is the name of the time period where Earth was constantly hit by many meteorites, causing its surface to be uninhabitable?
Late Heavy Bombardment
A rock originally contained 500 grams of carbon-14. It decayed into its daughter isotope, nitrogen-14. Now, it has 62.5 grams of carbon-14. If carbon-14 has a half life of 5,730 years, how old is the rock?
17,190 years
Which type of tectonic plate is younger, and why is this?
Oceanic plates are younger. They are created at mid-ocean ridges and sink into the Earth to be recycled due to being more dense than continental plates
Is volcanism a constructive or destructive force? Explain why.
Answers will vary. Should include how volcanoes create rocks, but destroy existing land in the process.
How were the Appalachian Mountains created?
Answers will vary. Should include movement of plate tectonics, convergent boundaries and time scale it took for the movement of plates