Earth Sciences for Civil Engineering - Lecture 2
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Questions and Answers

What is the outcome of a subduction event at convergent plate boundaries?

  • Formation of deep ocean trenches (correct)
  • Development of new continental crust
  • Creation of rift valleys
  • Increase in seismic activity in the region

What features are generated as a result of colliding oceanic and continental plates?

  • Volcanic island arcs and deep ocean trenches (correct)
  • Plateaus and expanded inland seas
  • Mountain ranges and ocean basins
  • Radiating fault systems and fracture zones

What geological process occurs as a result of crust melting and magma generation at convergent plate boundaries?

  • Formation of sedimentary rock layers
  • Volcanism and the creation of new landforms (correct)
  • Increased weathering of surface materials
  • Erosion of continental platforms

Which of the following would NOT be a result of a collision between two continental plates?

<p>Creation of deep ocean trenches (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does palaeomagnetism contribute to our understanding of plate tectonics?

<p>It reveals the historical positions of the continents (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the interactions between life and the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and solid earth?

<p>Ecology (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the biosphere?

<p>Earth’s ecosystems within surface and subsurface environments (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does life in the biosphere interact with the hydrosphere?

<p>By utilizing water for photosynthesis and respiration (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following components is part of the biosphere?

<p>Lake ecosystems (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does the biosphere play in ecological interactions?

<p>It provides habitats for various organisms. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the biosphere is false?

<p>Life in the biosphere is solely dependent on atmospheric conditions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which spheres are involved in the ecological interactions defined by the biosphere?

<p>Hydrosphere, atmosphere, and solid earth (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of life within the biosphere?

<p>Life occupies a wide variety of environmental conditions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following areas is considered a common zone for tectonic earthquakes?

<p>Kamchatka in the east of Asia (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the average thickness of the Earth's crust?

<p>8-10 km (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the average density of the sial layer?

<p>2.7 gr/cm³ (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of rocks corresponds to the sima layer?

<p>Basalt type rocks (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which element is the most abundant in the Earth's crust?

<p>Oxygen (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic distinguishes the sial layer from the sima layer in terms of oceanic presence?

<p>Sial is almost absent in the ocean floor. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following regions is least likely to experience tectonic earthquakes?

<p>The Eastern USA (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which feature is common to tectonic earthquake zones in the Mediterranean region?

<p>Presence of large tectonic plates (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Atmosphere

The blanket of gases surrounding the Earth

Hydrosphere

All the water on Earth, including oceans, streams, lakes, and groundwater.

Cryosphere

The icy part of Earth's crust, including glaciers, permafrost, and ice caps.

Biosphere

All life on Earth and the areas where life exists.

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Continental Crust

The layer of rock that forms the continents.

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Mantle

The layer of Earth between the crust and the core.

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Outer Core

The liquid layer of Earth's core.

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Inner Core

The solid, inner part of Earth's core.

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Gondwana Glaciation

The glacial period that occurred in Gondwana during the Carboniferous period, affecting areas that were once part of this supercontinent.

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Reptile Distribution & Pangaea

The presence of similar reptile fossils in South West Africa and Brazil suggests these regions were once connected, supporting the theory of Pangaea, a supercontinent.

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Palaeomagnetism

The study of Earth's magnetic field in the past, preserved in rocks, which provides evidence for continental drift and plate tectonics.

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Sea Floor Propagation

The process of new oceanic crust being generated at mid-ocean ridges, spreading apart the ocean floor and creating new land.

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Convergent Plate Boundaries

Regions where tectonic plates collide, resulting in various geological phenomena like subduction, volcanic arcs, trenches, and mountain formation.

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Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes

The movement of Earth's tectonic plates causes earthquakes. The most common areas for tectonic earthquakes are the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Mediterranean-Himalayan Belt.

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Least Common Earthquake Zones

Areas with less frequent tectonic earthquakes include Western Australia, Eastern USA/Canada, Iceland/Northwest Europe, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Northern Asia, and parts of Africa.

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Geologic Time Scale

The geologic time scale represents Earth's history and the vastness of time. Millions of years are compressed into seconds on this scale.

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Earthquakes - Time Scale

Major events like volcanic eruptions or earthquakes happen on a geologic time scale, where millions of years can be compressed into a few seconds.

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Earth's Crust Composition

Earth's crust is primarily composed of two types of rock: Sial and Sima.

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Sial and Sima

Sial, the lighter crust, contains granite, sandstone, and limestone. Sima, the denser crust, contains basalt-type rocks.

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Crust Depth and Thickness

The Earth's crust has an average depth of 8-10 km. The Sial layer is almost absent in the ocean floor, while the Sima layer reaches 8-10 km thickness.

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Abundant Elements in Earth's Crust

Eight elements make up a significant portion of Earth's surface. Oxygen, being the most abundant, accounts for 46.6% of the crust.

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Study Notes

Earth Sciences for Civil Engineering - Lecture 2

  • Earth Sciences study the Earth and its systems.
  • Geology is a branch of Earth Sciences.
  • Geology has branches including general geology, structural geology, sedimentology-sedimentary petrography, stratigraphy, mineralogy-petrography, ore deposits-geochemistry, geochemistry, petroleum geology, applied geology (engineering geology, hidrogeology, mathematical geology).
  • Earth Sciences includes the study of processes, potentials, and hazards.
  • Earth's layers include the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and cryosphere.
  • The Earth's internal structure has three distinct divisions: crust, mantle, and core (outer-liquid, inner-solid).

Earth's Internal Structure

  • Crust: Oceanic (0-6 km, younger) and Continental (0-34 km, older).
  • Mantle: Upper (34-670 km) and Lower (670-2900 km).
  • Core: Outer (liquid) and Inner (solid).

Continents and Mountains

  • Continents are formed through geological processes.
  • Mountains are formed and eroded through geological processes.

Geology & Civil Engineering Relationship

  • Geology and civil engineering are related through several fields: rock mechanics, engineering geology, ground water, sub-surface processes, soil mechanics etc.

Earth's Layers

  • Atmosphere: A blanket of gases surrounding the Earth, provides protection from sun's heat and UV rays, affects weather. Has interactions with water/surface.
  • Hydrosphere: Water portion of Earth. Includes oceans (71%), streams, lakes, glaciers, and groundwater. Interacts with atmosphere.
  • Cryosphere: Icy portion of Earth's crust. Includes glaciers, permafrost/ground ice, polar ice caps, and frozen polar seas.

Biosphere

  • Earth's surface and subsurface to a few kilometers.
  • Life occupies a wide range of environments and strongly interacts with the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and solid earth.

Age of the Earth

  • Theories describing Earth's age and creation are discussed during the lecture.

Plate Tectonics

  • Plate tectonics is a theory that deals with Earth's outer shell (lithosphere) dynamics, including mountain-building processes, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
  • The definition of lithospheric separation of rigid plates moving on the asthenosphere is crucial to understanding plate tectonics.
  • Plate boundaries are locations where two plates move relative to each other (divergent, convergent, and transform).

Plate Tectonics Movements and Subduction

  • Different types of plate movement (divergent, convergent, and transform) are discussed with specific examples.
  • The "Ring of Fire" is an area with active volcanoes and earthquakes.

Theories on Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

  • Historical maps and theories related to the movement of continents are presented.

Plate Tectonics: When Converging

  • Subduction events, deep trenches, volcanic activity, and mountain formation are discussed.

Plate Tectonics: When Diverging

  • New crust formation, magma eruptions, and the creation of new oceanic ridges are presented.

Plate Tectonics : When Sliding/Transforming

  • Transform faults, the mechanism of plate movement past each other, and examples such as the San Andreas Fault are shown.

Plate Tectonics: Regions

  • Common and least common areas of tectonic earthquakes are explained.

Geologic Time

  • Relative and absolute time scales are discussed, and example events are included.

Minerals and Rocks Groups which Generates Earth Crust

  • Mineral and rock groups are presented with examples.

Earth Crust: Average Depth and Composition

  • Average depth of the Earth's crust and different types of rocks are discussed.

Materials which Generates the Crust

  • Main elements in the Earth's crust given.

Minerals

  • Properties including tenacity, hardness, cleavage, fracture, color, and streak, are discussed.

Importance of Minerals for Civil Engineering

  • Use of minerals in construction, and their impact on structures.
  • Concrete and its composition are discussed as well as other materials.

Chemical Properties of Minerals

  • Different types of chemical compositions and their correlations are presented.

Optical Properties of Minerals

  • Light-related properties, such as color, fracture properties, and shape under a microscope, are covered.

Specific Gravity

  • Density and specific gravity are explained for various mineral types.

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CVE203 Lecture 2 PDF

Description

Explore the fundamentals of Earth Sciences in this lecture focused on geology and the Earth's internal structure. Learn about the divisions of the Earth, including the crust, mantle, and core, as well as the processes that shape continents and mountains. This quiz is ideal for civil engineering students interested in the geological aspects of their field.

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