Earth History GEOL 2110 Midterm 1 Preparation/Review

Style of Questions Matching term w/ definition, person w/ notable accomplishment Short definition of concepts/processes Name some of multiple characteristics REVIEW PowerPoints!! Understand Figures in Text.

Dramatic vs. Subtle Geological Events Be able to give examples of each

Scales of Geologic Time

Important People and their Contributions to Geological Concepts Leonardo Da Vinci Nicholas Steno Georges L. Buffon A.G. Werner James Hutton Cuvier & Brongniart William Smith Lamarck Charles Lyell Charles Darwin Gregor Mendel Lord Kelvin Hall and Dana Alfred Wegener

Geological Concepts and Principles Concepts Cosmogony Neptunism Plutonism Catastrophism Uniformitarianism Actualism Evolution by Natural Selection Continental Drift and Sea-floor Spreading Principles Superposition Original Horizontality Lateral Continuity Walther’s Law Fossil Correlation Index Fossils

Based on facts, but not a statement of certainty or truth Testable – holds up to repeated testing Predictive – forward and backward in time Explains many related natural phenomenon Deemed by a majority of scientists to have a high probability of being correct Know the differences between a hypothesis, theory, and paradigm Characteristics of a Scientific Theory

On the Origin of Species Know Darwin’s 5 principle areas of evidence that support his theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

Genetic Theory The Mechanism behind Evolution

Lithostratigraphic (formation) – principle of superposition Lithodemic (intrusion) – principle of cross-cutting relationships Biostratigraphic (biozone) – principle of fossil correlation Magnetopolarity Pedostratigraphic Allostratigraphic Categories of Stratigraphic Units (Fundamental Units) and Relative Time

Types of Unconformities and Regional/Global Time Markers

Absolute Age Dating Understand the meaning of: element vs. isotope radioactive vs. stable isotope types of radioactive decay parent vs. daughter isotope decay rate of a radioactive isotope half-life of a radioactive isotope

The Solar Nebula Theory

Seismic Imaging the Deep Earth

Compositional Layers Physical Layers MANTLE SiO 2 – 45% MgO – 37% FeO – 8% Al 2 O 3 – 4% CaO – 3% others – 3% CORE Fe – 86% S – 10% Ni – 4% OCEANIC CONTINENTAL OCEANIC CONTINENTAL CRUST CRUST SiO 2 47% 56% Al 2 O 3 16% 18% FeO 13% 9% MgO 10% 3% CaO 10% 4% Na 2 O 2% 5.5% K 2 O 0.7% 2.5% TiO 2 1.1% 1.3% P 2 O 5 0.2% 0.7% Layers of the Earth = chondritic meteorites ---Mohorovicic Discontinuity

Continental Crust Distillation of Ocean Crust by Partial Melting Evidence in Solid Solution Minerals OCEANIC CONTINENTAL OCEANIC CONTINENTAL CRUST CRUST SiO 2 47% 56% Al 2 O 3 16% 18% FeO 13% 9% MgO 10% 3% CaO 10% 4% Na 2 O 2% 5.5% K 2 O 0.7% 2.5% TiO 2 1.1% 1.3% P 2 O 5 0.2% 0.7%

Present-day Formation of Crust A Double Distillation Process Melting the Mantle Makes Mafic Magma – ALWAYS Melting Crust Makes Intermediate to Felsic Magma

Evidence of Plate Tectonics  Fit of the continents  Fossil record indicating former land bridges  Similar geologic structures  Similar paleoclimates  Apparent polar wandering of continents  Topography of the seafloor  Magnetic polarity “striping” of seafloor  Distribution of volcanoes and mountains  Distribution of earthquakes (Benioff zones)  Young age of the seafloor  Age distribution of volcanic islands

Types and Features of Plate Boundaries