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Questions and Answers
Which layer of the Earth is the thinnest?
Which layer of the Earth is the thinnest?
What causes convection currents within the Earth?
What causes convection currents within the Earth?
How did Alfred Wegener describe the movement of continents?
How did Alfred Wegener describe the movement of continents?
Which type of plate movement creates a ridge?
Which type of plate movement creates a ridge?
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What is the main composition of the outer core?
What is the main composition of the outer core?
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Who was responsible for the theory of Plate Tectonics?
Who was responsible for the theory of Plate Tectonics?
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What geological feature is formed by convergent plate boundaries?
What geological feature is formed by convergent plate boundaries?
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Which of these is NOT one of Wegener's proofs for continental drift?
Which of these is NOT one of Wegener's proofs for continental drift?
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What occurs when ocean crust converges with continental crust?
What occurs when ocean crust converges with continental crust?
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What natural disaster can occur as a result of an underwater earthquake?
What natural disaster can occur as a result of an underwater earthquake?
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During which geological era did the first single-celled organisms appear?
During which geological era did the first single-celled organisms appear?
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Which geological features were formed during the Paleozoic Era?
Which geological features were formed during the Paleozoic Era?
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What is the primary process through which sedimentary rocks are formed?
What is the primary process through which sedimentary rocks are formed?
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What type of rock is formed by the cooling and hardening of magma?
What type of rock is formed by the cooling and hardening of magma?
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Which geological era is known for the emergence of dinosaurs?
Which geological era is known for the emergence of dinosaurs?
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What geological feature is formed at a zone of subduction?
What geological feature is formed at a zone of subduction?
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Study Notes
Earth's Layers and the Crust
- Earth's layers include the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
- The crust is the outermost layer, making up continents and oceans.
- The crust is the thinnest layer.
Convection Currents
- Convection currents are caused by uneven temperatures within Earth.
- Hot rock rises, cools, and sinks, creating a circular pattern.
- These currents move tectonic plates.
- Convection currents are similar to boiling water, creating ridges and trenches.
Pangaea
- Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed 200 million years ago.
- It eventually broke apart and formed the continents we know today.
- Alfred Wegener proposed the idea of continental drift.
- Wegner's evidence of continental drift came from jigsaw puzzle fit of continents, ice sheets, fossils and mountain ranges.
Plate Tectonics
- Earth's outer shell is made of about 20 plates.
- These plates float on a layer of hot rock, several hundred kilometers beneath the surface.
- Plates move in three ways:
- Divergent: Plates move apart, forming ridges (e.g., Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
- Convergent: Plates move together, forming trenches, and continental plates go over oceanic plates (e.g., Pacific Coast).
- Transformative: Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.
Mountain Formation
- Mountains are formed when continental and oceanic crust converge.
- Oceanic crust slides beneath the continental crust.
Natural Disasters
- Earthquakes occur when plates move but friction stops them, and they suddenly become unstuck.
- Tsunamis occur when earthquakes happen underwater, causing water to rise.
- Volcanoes form along plate boundaries where magma reaches the surface (e.g., Hawaiian Islands).
Subduction Zone
- A subduction zone is a tectonic feature where one tectonic plate slides under another at a converging plate boundary.
Geologic Eras
- Precambrian Era: 4 billion years, first single celled organisms.
- Paleozoic Era: 370 million years, first fish and land plants.
- Mesozoic Era: 165 million years, Dinosaurs.
- Cenozoic Era: 65 million years, modern humans developed.
- Precambrian is the longest era; Cenozoic is the shortest.
Formation of Landforms
- Canadian Shield and Appalachian Mountains formed during the Paleozoic era.
- Western Cordillera formed during the Mesozoic era.
Rock Cycle
- The rock cycle describes how rocks change from one form to another through various processes.
- Sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing rocks that have been broken down, transported, and deposited into layers.
- Metamorphic rocks are formed from other rocks that have been transformed by heat and pressure.
- Igneous rocks are formed from the cooling and hardening of magma.
Weathering and Erosion
- Weathering breaks down rocks into smaller pieces.
- Physical weathering changes physical structure of rocks.
- Chemical weathering changes the chemical composition of rocks.
- Erosion moves weathered material from one place to another.
- Agents of erosion include: water, ice, wind, and gravity
Glaciers
- Glaciers form when snow piles up and compresses into ice, moving downhill.
- Glaciers during the last ice age impacted Ontario's landscape by creating lakes, valleys, and shaping the land.
- Alpine glaciers form in mountains and move down valleys.
- Continental glaciers are large ice sheets that cover large land areas.
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Description
Explore the fascinating structure of Earth's layers, including the crust, mantle, and core. Learn about convection currents, the concept of Pangaea, and how plate tectonics shape our planet. This quiz covers key concepts in geology and the movement of tectonic plates.
