COPY: Exogenic Processes in Geology

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What are the main exogenic forces?

Weathering, erosion, mass wasting, and deposition.

What is the process of breaking down rocks into smaller particles such as sand, gravel, and other fragments?

Erosion
Deposition
Weathering (correct)
Mass wasting

Which type of weathering involves changes in the size and shape of rocks without any changes in their composition?

Physical Weathering (correct)
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering
All of the above

Erosion is the process of transporting weathered materials to new locations.

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Mass wasting refers to the downward movement of sediments under the influence of gravity.

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Deposition is the process of weathered materials settling down in a new location.

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What is heat energy?

Heat energy is the result of the movement of tiny particles called atoms, molecules, or ions. Signup and view all the answers

What is primordial heat?

Primordial heat is the internal heat energy accumulated by dissipation during the first few million years of a planet's evolution. Signup and view all the answers

What is radiogenic heat?

Radiogenic heat is the thermal energy released due to the spontaneous nuclear disintegration of naturally occurring radioactive elements like Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium. Signup and view all the answers

How does heat transfer through conduction?

Conduction is the transfer of heat energy between particles of objects in direct contact. Signup and view all the answers

Describe heat transfer through radiation.

Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through electromagnetic waves. Signup and view all the answers

What is subduction?

Subduction is a process where the collision of Earth's crustal plates results in one plate being drawn down or overridden by another. Signup and view all the answers

Magma is molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is magmatism?

Magmatism is the process of magma formation and movement within the Earth's crust and upper mantle. Signup and view all the answers

What is plutonism?

Plutonism refers to the igneous processes that occur below the Earth's surface. Signup and view all the answers

Extrusion is the eruption of magmatic materials onto the Earth's surface.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a magma chamber?

A magma chamber is a large underground pool of molten rock located beneath a volcano. Signup and view all the answers

What is metamorphism?

Metamorphism is a process that changes the mineral composition and texture of rocks without melting them. Signup and view all the answers

Tensional stress pulls rocks apart.

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Compressional stress squeezes rocks together.

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Shear stress causes rocks to slide past each other.

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What are folds?

Folds are geological structures formed when rocks experience compression and deform plastically, leading to bending of the rock layers. Signup and view all the answers

What is a fault?

A fault is a fracture in the Earth's crust where there is a displacement of rocks on either side of the fracture line. Signup and view all the answers

The theory of sea-floor spreading was first proposed by Harry Hess in the 1960s.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

Describe the process of seafloor spreading.

Seafloor spreading occurs when new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges, pushing older crust away from the spreading center. This process is driven by convection currents in the Earth's mantle. Signup and view all the answers

What are the main features of ocean basins?

Ocean basins typically include continental shelves, continental slopes, continental rises, abyssal plains, islands, seamounts, trenches, and mid-ocean ridges. Signup and view all the answers

The Pacific Ocean basin is the largest, deepest, and oldest existing ocean basin.

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What are the three types of plate boundaries?

The three types of plate boundaries are convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries. Signup and view all the answers

Describe what happens at a convergent plate boundary.

At a convergent plate boundary, two plates collide, leading to either subduction, where one plate slides beneath the other, or to mountain building, where the plates buckle and uplift the crust. Signup and view all the answers

Describe what happens at a transform plate boundary.

At a transform plate boundary, two plates slide horizontally past each other, causing earthquakes but not creating or destroying crust. Signup and view all the answers

Stratified rocks are formed by the deposition of sediments in layers.

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What is stratigraphy?

Stratigraphy is a branch of geology that focuses on the study of stratified rocks, including their description, correlation, and interpretation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a stratigraphic law?

A stratigraphic law is a principle that guides geologists in understanding the relationships between rock layers. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Law of Original Horizontality state?

The Law of Original Horizontality states that sedimentary layers are initially deposited in horizontal layers. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Law of Superposition state?

The Law of Superposition states that in an undisturbed sequence of rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom, and each successive layer is younger than the one below it. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships state?

The Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships states that any geological feature or rock body that cuts across another is younger than the feature it cuts across. Signup and view all the answers

What is an unconformity?

An unconformity is a surface within a sequence of rock layers that represents a missing interval of geological time. Signup and view all the answers

What is correlation?

Correlation in geology is the process of demonstrating that rocks or geologic events occurring at different locations are of the same age. Signup and view all the answers

Relative dating techniques determine the numerical age of rocks.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main methods of determining the relative age of rocks?

The two main methods for determining relative age are stratigraphy and biostratigraphy. Signup and view all the answers

What is absolute dating?

Absolute dating is a method used to determine the numerical age of rocks and fossils using radioactive isotopes or other techniques. Signup and view all the answers

What is half-life?

Half-life is the time taken for the radioactivity of a specified isotope to decay to half of its original value. Signup and view all the answers

The geologic time scale is a standard timeline used to describe the age of rocks, fossils, and events in Earth's history.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

What are the three main eras of geologic time?

The three main eras are Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. Signup and view all the answers

The Paleozoic Era is known as the age of dinosaurs.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

The Cenozoic Era is the era where humans exist and still exist.

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Exogenic forces

Processes that shape Earth's surface from outside, including weathering, erosion, mass wasting, and deposition.

Weathering

Breaking down rocks into smaller pieces.