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• Generated study notes for the provided questions

ArcGIS

• The primary purpose of a GIS (Geographic Information System) is creating and analyzing spatial data
• Video editing is not a function of ArcGIS
• ArcGIS works with both raster and vector data
• A buffer tool creates a zone around a feature at a specified distance
• GIS is advantageous over traditional maps because of its ability to analyze spatial relationships
• .shp is the file format commonly used to store GIS vector data
• Raster data in ArcGIS is not represented using discrete points, lines, and polygons
• Network analysis is used to determine the best location for a new hospital in ArcGIS
• Network Analyst is the ArcGIS tool used to find the shortest path between two locations

Geologic Time

• Sedimentary rock is most useful for determining geologic time periods
• The principle of cross-cutting relationships indicates that an igneous intrusion is younger than the rocks it cuts across
• Radiometric dating is the process by which unstable atomic nuclei decay over time and release energy
• The Hadean eon represents the longest span of Earth's history
• Radiometric dating is the primary method used to date ancient fossils
• The geologic time scale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs
• The Cenozoic Era is known as the "Age of Mammals"
• The principle that geological processes seen today have been occurring since Earth's formation is the Principle of Uniformitarianism
• The Cretaceous period saw the mass extinction of dinosaurs

Earthquakes

• Surface waves cause the most destruction during an earthquake
• The hypocenter (focus) is not located on Earth's surface directly above the epicenter
• Definitions
  • Epicenter: The point on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake focus
  • Seismograph: An instrument that records seismic waves
  • Fault: A break in Earth's crust where movement occurs
  • Magnitude: A measurement of the energy released by an earthquake
• A reverse fault is associated with compression forces and results in one block being pushed up over another
• The focus (hypocenter) is the exact point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates
• The Richter scale measures the amount of energy released by an earthquake
• Earthquake-related terms
  • Seismogram: A record of seismic waves
  • Tsunami: A giant wave caused by undersea earthquakes
  • Strike-slip fault: A fault where rocks slide past each other horizontally
  • Fault creep: Slow, gradual movement along a fault
• The minimum number of seismic stations needed to determine an earthquake's epicenter is 3
• Liquefaction is an earthquake hazard that occurs when soil loses its strength and behaves like a liquid

Plate Tectonics

• A volcanic island arc is created when two oceanic plates converge
• Plate tectonics theory explains why continents drift and how mountains form
• The type of plate boundary where two plates slide past each other is called a transform boundary
• The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a real-world example of a divergent plate boundary
• Alfred Wegener is credited with proposing the theory of continental drift
• Earth's lithosphere is broken into plates that move due to convection currents in the mantle
• The three types of plate boundaries are convergent, divergent, and transform
• Heat from the Earth's core creating convection currents is the driving force behind plate movement
• The Amazon Rainforest is not a result of plate tectonics

Volcanoes

• The amount of gas and silica in the magma determines whether a volcanic eruption will be explosive or not
• Pyroclastic flows are not slow-moving lava flows that cause minimal damage
• The Ring of Fire is a region in the Pacific Ocean where a large number of volcanoes and earthquakes occur
• A composite volcano is the most explosive type and is typically composed of alternating layers of lava and ash
• A lahar is the term for a volcanic mudflow caused by ash mixing with water
• A shield volcano is known for its gentle slopes and non-explosive eruptions
• A caldera is formed when a volcanic eruption is so violent that the summit collapses
• A pyroclastic flow is a mixture of hot gases, ash, and volcanic debris that moves down a volcano at high speeds
• A lahar is a volcanic hazard consisting of a rapidly moving mixture of volcanic debris and water
• Pahoehoe lava is smooth, rope-like, and typically found in shield volcanoes