Download Prelude :: Just What is Geology?

GLY1101
Dr. Scott T. Marshall
Exam I Review Sheet
Disclaimer: This review sheet is an attempt to help you to realize what topics are most important and thus most likely to appear on
the exam. This review sheet is not meant to be a direct listing of the questions that I will ask on your exams. This review sheet is
much longer than what your actual exam will be. The purpose of this course not to memorize a list of terms and then take an exam
on that list. The purpose of this course is to learn about geological concepts and then to use your knowledge to critically think
about the implications for the Earth and the world around you. Keep these thoughts in mind as you prepare for the exam.
Prelude :: Just What is Geology?
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What is geology? Not just the study of rocks!
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The Earth is ~4.6 billion years old. Humans have only existed for a very short portion of Earth’s age.
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Know geologic Eons (Hadean, Archean, Precambrian, Proterzoic, and Phanerozoic)
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Metric abbreviations e.g, Ka, Ma, Ga. Be able to convert between these without a calculator.
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Plate tectonics theory: The unifying theory of understanding the Earth
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These processes impact human existence.
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How does science work? Does science “prove” things?
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What is required for something to be considered science?
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Know the basic steps of the scientific method!
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Theory, Hypothesis, Scientific Model, and Law…know these terms and their differences
Chapter 1 :: Cosmology and the Birth of Earth
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Heliocentric vs Geocentric Earth models…what are they?
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Know Foucault’s experiment & Eratosthenes experiment. What did each demonstrate?
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What does a light year measure?
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Know wave terms: wavelength, period, frequency, and amplitude.
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Which is higher in frequency? blue light or red light?
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Know the Doppler Effect and how it relates to the universe, red and blue shift.
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The Big Bang theory. Know its basic description and what the simple evidence that supports it.
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Know the eight planets. Also, know why Pluto is not considered a planet.
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What are ‘Terrestrial’ and ‘Jovian’ planets? Why are the different?
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What else is in the solar system other than planets?
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Know the Nebular theory and how it explains the formation of the solar system.
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Why are the planets all in the same plane (except Pluto)? Why are the terrestrial and jovian planets where they are
relative to the sun?
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How did the moon form and what is our evidence for this?
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What is differentiation and how does it impact the density structure of a planet?
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How old is the Earth?
GLY1101
Dr. Scott T. Marshall
Exam I Review Sheet
Chapter 2 :: Journey to the Center of the Earth
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Solar wind, what is it, and what protects us from it?
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Earth has a dipole magnetic field. Know its features and what it protects us from.
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What generates the magnetic field on Earth?
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What causes the Aurorae?
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What causes air pressure? Where is it highest? Lowest?
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Earth has a stratified atmosphere. What does that mean? What are the two dominant elements comprising the
atmosphere? Does composition of the atmosphere change with elevation?
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What is convection and where does this happen on Earth?
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Is Earth’s composition uniform? What is the dominant element that comprises the bulk Earth? What are the two
dominant elements in the crust?
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Know the layers of Earth: crust-mantle-core, lithosphere-asthenosphere. Which are solid? Which are liquid? What
layers are based on composition? What layers are based on how they react to stress (how the deform)?
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What is the Moho? What is the Brittle-Ductile transition?
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Earth’s dimensions: No need to memorize the numbers, but you should know which layers are big (volume-wise) and
which are small.
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Does lithosphere = crust? Does asthenosphere = mantle?
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The Crust: How many basic types? What are the compositions? What are the general rock types for each? Which is
more/less dense? Which is thicker/thinner?
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The Mantle: What is the composition? What is the general rock type? What is the density relative to the crust?
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Density of earth…what does density tell us about rocks on the surface? Near the core? Is density uniform?
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Are there dominant elevations on Earth? Why?
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What does felsic, mafic, and ultramafic mean? Know at least one rock name for each of these.
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What is element is the core dominantly made of? Is the core solid or liquid or both?
Chapter 3 :: Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas
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Who was Alfred Wegener? What contribution did he make to geology?
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What was Pangaea? When was it together? What were the five lines of evidence for continental drift?
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What was the fatal flaw in Wegener’s hypothesis?
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What are apparent polar wander paths and what did they help scientists realize? Do the magnetic poles actually
wander all over the globe or do the mainly stay near the north and south geographic poles?
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Magnetic inclination & declination: What do these terms refer to and how do they differ? What can geologists
determine from inclination and declination?
GLY1101

Dr. Scott T. Marshall
Exam I Review Sheet
How is magnetism recorded in rocks? How is magnetism locked into igneous rocks? What about magnetism in
sedimentary rocks?
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How can scientists use paleomagnetic data to reconstruct latitude and longitude in the deep geologic past?
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What is bathymetry? What does morphology mean?
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Be able to describe the following bathymetric features: Mid ocean ridge, fracture zone, abyssal plain, trench, guyot,
seamount. Where are these features found on the seafloor?
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On the ocean floor, where is heat flow highest? Ridges? Trenches? Abyssal plains? Why is the heat flow high?
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How does sediment cover thickness change away from ocean ridges? Why?
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Why do most submarine earthquakes occur at ridges and trenches?
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Seafloor Spreading: Know the details. Whose idea was this?
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Subduction: Know the details. What kind of crust can’t subduct? Why? What if both plates are oceanic…which
subducts?
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Know the evidence for sea floor spreading and subduction.
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Mid ocean chrons are symmetrical…why?
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Magnetic reversals: Are magnetic shifts regular? Is this process fast or slow? How do we know this?
Chapter 4 :: The Way Earth Works: Plate Tectonics
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What are tectonic plates? Does a Plate = A Continent? Does a plate have approximately uniform composition?
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What is meant by active margin? Passive margin? How do they differ? What are the features of both?
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Know the three types of plate boundaries and know the details and motions of each type.
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Why are mid ocean ridges elevated? Why does continental crust contain the oldest rocks on Earth...why not oceanic?
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Pillow basalts, Black smokers, what are they and where do they form?
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Be able to interpret a sea floor age map, and earthquake distribution maps (e.g. subduction zones).
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What drives plate tectonics? Know the details. What drives ridge push? What drives slab pull? Know how each works.
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Accretionary wedge/prism, volcanic arc, slab, Wadatti-Benioff zone, mega thrust earthquakes, island arc. Know these
terms in detail.
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Why are volcanoes associated with subduction zones?
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Transform boundaries: how do their motions work with spreading centers (divergent boundaries)?
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Mid ocean ridges are commonly associated (are connected to) with what other type of plate boundary?
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What is a triple junction?
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Hot Spots: know at least 1 example. Are hot spots rare?
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Hot spot tracks: why are they useful for understanding plate tectonics? Was the motion of the pacific plate constant
through time? How do we know? Why is Iceland geologically unique?
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What is a rift? Where is one today? What will a rift evolve into? Does the crust get thinner of thicker during rifting?
GLY1101

Dr. Scott T. Marshall
Exam I Review Sheet
How do subduction zones die? Why? Where is a current-day subduction zone? Where is a current-day collision? Does
the crust get thinner or thicker in a collision zone?
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How do scientists use satellite data to measure plate motions?
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Be able to give a current-day location of each type of plate boundary (be specific!).