Plate Tectonics
What is the primary driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates?
Mantle Convection
What mineral is the hardest on the Mohs Scale?
Diamond
Differentiate between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.
Intrusive rocks form below the Earth's surface, while extrusive rocks form on the surface.
What is the difference between mafic and felsic magmas?
Mafic has less silica content.
Mafic has lower gas content.
Mafic is more viscous.
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
Convergent, divergent, and transform
Identify one feature formed at a divergent plate boundary on the ocean floor.
Mid-Ocean Ridge or Rift Valley
Identify the mineral commonly known as "fool's gold."
Pyrite
What is the difference between magma and lava?
Magma is molten rock beneath the Earth's surface, while lava is molten rock on the Earth's surface.
Pillow lavas indicate...
The lava was formed and cooled underwater
What are the two funnel shaped features that you find at the top of a volcano
Crater and Caldera
Explain the concept of subduction in plate tectonics.
The process where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another.
What is the economic importance of the mineral halite?
It is a major source of table salt.
Name a common mineral found in basalt.
Plagioclase Feldspar
Identify the largest volcano on Earth and its location
Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
What are the three types of tephra?
Ash/dust, lapilli, and volcanic bombs
Which famous fault is associated with the boundary between the North American and Pacific plates?
San Andreas Fault
Name the two most abundant elements in Earth's crust.
Oxygen and Silicon
Explain how obsidian differs from other types of igneous rocks.
Obsidian is a volcanic glass with a smooth, glassy texture.
8
What are the 3 main layers of the Earth?
Core, Mantle, Crust
Describe the Ring of Fire and its significance in plate tectonics.
The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped area with high volcanic and seismic activity, encircling the Pacific Ocean.
Explain how geologists use the term "cleavage" when describing minerals.
Cleavage refers to the way minerals break along planes of weakness, producing flat and shiny surfaces.
How does the rate of cooling affect crystal size in igneous rocks?
Slower cooling leads to larger crystals, while faster cooling results in smaller crystals.
Volcanoes start at a crack in the ground called _________
Fissures
What were 3 pieces of evidence of continental drift?
Fossils, rocks, glaciation, coal deposits, puzzle fit of continents