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Answer Key
1.) Mineral - a naturally occurring, inorganic crystalline material with a unique chemical
composition, and a regular repeating pattern.
2.) Viscosity - a measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow.
3.) Erosion - the incorporation, removal, and transportation of surface material by a mobile
agent, such as water, wind, or ice.
4.) Weathering: Breaks solid rock into smaller pieces
Physical/Mechanical – the physical disintegration of rock, resulting in smaller
fragments.
Chemical - the processes by which the internal structure of a mineral is altered by
the removal and/or addition of elements.
5.) Deposition - the process by which an agent of erosion loses energy and drops the
sediment it is carrying, governed by gravity
6.) Transportation – the movement of material through erosional processes (water,
wind, ice, gravity)
7.) Convection – the transfer of heat as hot material moves
8.) Metamorphism – occurs when there is heat and pressure (both separate and
together)
9.) Hotspot – a location within a continental plate where mantle is melted and
volcanoes are built
10.) Law of Superposition – older rocks/fossils are on the bottom while younger
rocks/fossils are on the top
11.) Epicenter – the location on Earth’s surface directly above the focus, or origin, of
an earthquake, and the sudden release of energy stored in rocks
12.) Focus – the point within Earth where an earthquake originates.
13.) Earthquake - the vibration of Earth produced by the rapid release of energy.
14.) Geyser – formed when water comes into contact with hot rock, erupts at regular
intervals
15.) Hot Spring – formed when water comes into contact with hot rock, creates a pool
like a hot tub
16.) Lahar – a rapid ”river” of melted snow, ash, and debris that flows down a
composite volcano.
1.) How many types of rocks are in the rock cycle?
3
2.) What does the rock cycle do?
describes the transformation of one type of rock to another
3.) What determines the texture of rock?
The size of its mineral grains, the shape of its mineral grains, and the
arrangement of its mineral grains.
4.) Weathering breaks down rocks into _________.
Sediments
5.) What are the factors that will determine if a rock will melt?
Temperature, pressure, water, and rock composition
6.) Each type of rock has a particular __________.
Set of minerals
7.) What are the two process that sediments come together to create sedimentary
rocks called?
Compaction and Cementation
8.) What are the types of erosion (how is “earth” moved)?
Running water, ice, and gravity
9.) What are the layers of the Earth? Give some facts about each layer.
Crust – 2 types (Oceanic and Continental)
Mantle – (Lithosphere – the plates that make up the crust and the upper part
of the mantle) (Asthenosphere – a thick layer found in the mantle, will flow when
under stress)
Outer Core – surrounds the inner core, is molten metal
Inner Core – solid metal
10.) What evidence is there for scientists to know that the Earth’s core is metal?
Some meteorites are metal; they are thought to be similar to Earth’s interior
11.) Compare and Contrast oceanic and continental crust.
Oceanic – more dense than continental, found under the ocean
Continental – less dense than oceanic, found under land
12.) List the evidence that was used for continental drift.
Similar fossil records, rock types, mountain structures
13.) Why was the continental drift idea not accepted?
there was almost no evidence for it, Wegner was not liked and no one
listened to him, there were many other ways to explain the evidence
14.) Where is new oceanic crust created?
at mid-ocean ridges
15.) What happens to the crust as you get further away from a mid-ocean ridge?
the crust becomes thicker
16.) Oceanic crust is being created, so this means that:
old crust must be destroyed somewhere
17.) Earth’s plates are made up of which layer of the Earth?
crust and upper mantle
18.) What are the ways that plates can move in relation to each other?
they can collide, pull apart, or slide against each other
19.) What type of activity takes place at plate boundaries?
volcanoes form, ocean basins form, mountains form
20.) What is the lithosphere?
The upper layer of the mantle and the lower layer of the crust that is made of
the different plates of Earth
21.) What are the different types of seismic waves? Give information about each
type.
Body Waves: P-waves – bend slightly when they travel from one layer to
another ------ S-waves – cannot travel through liquid material
Surface Waves: travel along the surface
* They all travel outwards in all directions
22.) Explain mantle convection. What does this process do?
The process that moves plates around on Earth
(volcanoes/earthquakes/mountain building), this is the driving force for plate
tectonics
23.) What creates Earth’s magnetic field?
believed to be generated by electric currents in the conductive material of
its core, created by convection currents due to heat escaping from the core.
24.) What type of landform is found at a divergent boundary within a continent?
the continent rifts apart (East African Rift Valley)
25.) What type of activity is found at a subduction zone?
Lots of earthquakes and volcanoes
26.) Where can you find the youngest and oldest volcano in relation to a hotspot?
Youngest is over the hotspot
Oldest is farthest away from the hotspot
27.) How can a scientist learn about the Earth’s interior?
tracking seismic waves
28.) _______________ crust subducts under ________________ crust because it is
_________________.
Oceanic; continental; denser
29.) What does the time difference between a P-wave and S-wave indicate?
the time difference and then the location of the epicenter
30.) Give an example where you would find each type of plate boundary (What is
built there).
Divergent Boundary – volcanoes, earthquakes
Convergent Boundary – world’s largest mountains, volcanoes
Transform Boundary – San Andreas Fault
31.) Where would you build your house to be safe during an earthquake?
On solid bedrock
32.) What has to happen for mantle rock to melt?
temperature must rise
33.) What makes a volcanic eruption unique?
the style of eruption
34.) Compare and contrast an effusive and explosive eruption.
Effusive - ”gentle”, cause little to no damage, rarely kills anyone
Explosive – big, causes lots of damage, kills many people
35.) What are the three ways that a volcano can be labeled?
Dormant - could erupt but has not in many years
Extinct – has had no activity for quite a long time
Active – eruptions are occurring at regular intervals
36.) What does the eruption of a volcano depend on?
The viscosity of the magma
37.) List the signs that an eruption could occur at a volcano.
rocks falling down the slope of a volcano, earthquakes, increase of a release
in gas
38.) The most geologically active region in the world is the _______________.
Ring of Fire
39.) Wind as an erosional force is:
dependent on the wind strength and the size of the particles, can only move
sand or small sized particles
40.) List the examples of wind erosion.
Sand storms, deflation, abrasion
41.) List the erosive agents on Earth.
Water, Gravity, Ice and Wind
42.) The rate of erosion by gravity is ________________.
sudden and dramatic or is very slow over long periods of time
43.) Explain what the weather should be for a landslide to occur.
years of drought followed by an abundant rain
44.) What could happen on a hillside when logging has occurred?
It is vulnerable to mass movements by gravity
45.) What happens when soil moves slowly downhill?
results in curved tree trunks
46.) List some ideas that can be use to help prevent a landslide.
build a retaining wall to hold up soil, plant vegetation to hold soil in place,
and/or install pipes so the excess water is drained