Name: Geology Study Guide Date: Vocabulary You must know the following terms and definitions: 1. bedrock- a solid rock mass that is undisturbed by environmental conditions on the Earth s crust 2. Continental Drift - The idea that the continents have drifted or moved over time and are still moving 3. earthquake - a movement of earth s crust 4. erosion: the wearing away of land, rock, or soil, by wind, water, ice, sand, and chemicals 5. fault - a crack in the earth s crust that creates plate boundaries 6. geology is the study of the earth 7. geyser super-heated water that expands and rises and shoots out of an opening in the ground in a column of water and steam. Old Faithful is a famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park 8. hot spring- ground water that comes to the surface when it is heated by the mantle 9. lava- molten rock on the Earth s surface 10. magma hot, flowing rock below Earth s surface 11. mountain- uplifted section of the surface of the Earth 12. Pangaea huge land mass that existed about 200 million years ago 13. plate a sheet of crust that sits on the mantle. 14. Ring of Fire- is a region in the Pacific Ocean where several active volcanoes are present and it is the site of frequent earthquakes. 15. subsoil- a layer of soil beneath the topsoil 16. topsoil- the topmost layer of soil composed mostly of organic material. 17. volcano opening in Earth s crust through which melted rock reaches the surface 18. weathering - the wearing away of land, rock, or soil, by wind, water, ice, sand, or chemical processes.
Inside the Earth: You must know and be able to label the layers of the earth: crust mantle outer core inner core You must also understand that the coolest layer is the crust and the hottest layer is the inner core. You need to be able to explain how convection currents move in the mantle. The core of the Earth is hotter than the mantle. The magma in the mantle near the core is hotter. Heat rises, so the magma begins to rise toward the crust. As it gets close to the crust it begins to cool and sink back down toward the core. This process continues making a circular current in the mantle. Rocks You need to know the names and formation of the three rock types: 1. Igneous rocks form when magma or lava cools and hardens. 2. Sedimentary rocks form when small parts of gravel, rock, sand, mud and silt are pressed together. 3. Metamorphic rocks form when igneous or sedimentary rocks are heated, pressured, or chemically changed. Mountains You must know the four mountain types and how they are formed.
Dome Mountains : Are formed when magma pushes up on the surface of the Earth but does not break through. Volcanic Mountains: Are formed when lava cools in layers on the earth s surface.
Folded Mountains: Are formed with two continental plates collide and push the crust upward. Fault-block Mountains: Are formed when one part of a plate sinks or rises along a fault line. You also need to know that many mountain ranges and trenches are underneath the ocean. The longest mountain range is the Mid Ocean Ridge and the deepest trench is the Mariana Trench. Earthquakes seismograph a machine that detects and records the intensity of ground movements Richter Scale - a numerical scale that measures the magnitude of an earthquake The San Andres fault is an important fault that is located in California and responsible for many earthquakes in California
Tsunami- a huge wave created by an earthquake, landslide or volcanic activity that occurs under the ocean Volcanoes Know the three types of volcanoes: 1. Active volcano- a volcano that erupts regularly 2. Dormant volcano- a volcano is currently not active but could become active again 3. Extinct volcano is a volcano in which all volcanic activity is stopped Famous Eruptions Mount St. Helens, 1980- Washington State- Erupted violently with an earthquake and landside and completely changed the mountains landscape. Krakatoa, 1883- Island in Indonesia This volcano erupted several times with tremendous force. It caused a tsunami. Vesuvius, 79- Eruption destroyed and covered the town of Pompeii with many layers of ash. Essential Question You need to be able to answer the following question: How does the composition of our Earth cause changes above and below the surface?