GEOS 100 EXAM 4 Review

Exam on December 03, 2003

 

Chapter 15

Crustal Deformation

  1. What is rock deformation?
  2. Contrast compressional and tensional stresses.
  3. In simple terms, what is the difference between brittle and ductile deformation?
  4. Explain how elastic deformation is different from plastic deformation?
  5. What three factors determine how rocks will behave when exposed to stresses that exceed the strength of the rocks?
  6. What two measurements are used to establish the orientation of deformed strata? What distinguishes them?
  7. Distinguish between anticlines, synclines, and monoclines. Domes and basins.
  8. Contrast the movements that occur along normal and reverse faults. What type of stress is indicated by each type of fault?
  9. What type of fault is the San Andreas Fault? What type of plate movement is indicated by this fault?

 

 

Chapter 16

Earthquakes

  1. What is an earthquake? Under what situations do earthquake occur?
  2. How fault, focus, and epicenter are are associated?
  3. What is elastic rebound theory? What is explained by this theory?
  4. Contrast motion produced by P-waves with the movements created by S-waves.
  5. P-waves move through solids, liquids, and gases, whereas S-waves move only through solids. Explain.
  6. Which type of seismic wave causes the greatest destruction to buildings and other structures?
  7. How would you determine the location of an earthquake epicenter? How many stations do you need to do that?
  8. Why P-waves travel faster than S-waves to a recording station? In what way this arrival time difference is important to deduce the distance to epicenter of an earthquake?
  9. What factor contributed to the damage of part of I-80 expressway in California during 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (See Box 16.2, p-461)?
  10. What is tsunami? In addition to the damage caused by tsunami, list three other types of destruction associated with earthquakes.
  11. What is a seismic gap? How we can use these in earthquake prediction?

 

 

Chapter 17

Earth’s Interior

1.      List major differences between P- and S-waves?

2.      How does the boundary between the crust and mantle (Moho) differ from the boundaries that occur at depths of about 400 and 700 kilometers?

3.      How the lithosphere is different from the asthenosphere?

4.      What evidence did Gutenberg use for the existence Earth’s central core?

5.      What evidence is provided by the seismology to indicate that the outer core is liquid? What other evidence exists for a molten outer core?

6.      Why are meteorites considered important clues to the composition of Earth’s interior?

7.      What is the difference between convection and conduction processes?

 

Chapter 19

Plate Tectonics

  1. What first ledscientists such as Alfred Wegener to suspect that the continents were once joined?
  2. What was Pangaea?
  3. List the evidence that Wegener and his supporters gathered to support the continental drift hypothesis?
  4. Early in this century, what was the prevailing view of how land animals migrated across vast expanses of ocean? (See figure19.5, p-521)
  5. How does evidence for a Paleozoic glaciation in the Southern Hemispheresupport the continental drift hypothesis?
  6. What is meant by seafloor spreading?
  7. Where is lithosphere being formed? Consumed? Why must the production and destruction of the lithosphere be going on at about the same rate?
  8. Why is oceanic lithosphere is subducted while the continental lithosphere is not?
  9. In what ways may the origin of the Japanese Islands be considered similar to the formation of the Andes Mountains? How do they differ?
  10. Differentiate between transform faults and the two other types of plate boundaries.
  11. With what type of plate boundary are the following features or places associated (be as specific as possible): Himalayas, Aleutian Islands, Red Sea, San Andreas Fault, Iceland, Japan, Mount St. Helens?
  12. How did the Hawaiian Island chain formed? (See Figure 19.29, p-547)

 

 

Earth systems and Global Climate Change

  1. What are the components of the earth system as described in the handout?
  2. What are the greenhouse gases?
  3. How the greenhouse gases affect our global climate?
  4. Apart from land subsidence, what other cause could affect the sealevel on a global scale? Will the sealevel rise or fall?
  5. In general how vegetation affects our environment? What is the role of vegetation in the global carbon cycle?

 

 

Chapter 21

Energy and Resources

  1. Contrast renewable and nonrenewable resources. Give one or more examples of each.
  2. Describe the impacts on the atmospheric environment of burning fossil fuels.
  3. What is an oil trap? List two conditions common to all oil traps.
  4. List the drawbacks associated with the processing of tar sands recovered by surface mining.
  5. What is the primary fuel for nuclear fission reactors?
  6. List the obstacles that have hindered the development of nuclear power as a major energy source.