Earth Science: Review Part 3

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Questions and Answers

What do fossils of early humans and their artifacts provide insights into?

Animal domestication and environmental interaction

Atomic numbers and mass numbers of reactants

Nuclear reactions and radioactive decay

Human evolution, migration, and cultural practices (correct)

What is the purpose of a nuclear equation?

To reveal information about past human diets and environmental interaction

To balance atomic numbers and mass numbers of reactants and products (correct)

To represent the symbolic notation of nuclear reactions

To show the domestication of animals in archaeological sites

What can be inferred from fossils found in archaeological contexts?

Information about nuclear reactions and radioactive decay

The symbolic representation of nuclear reactions

Details about past human diets and domestication of animals (correct)

Insights into human evolution, migration, and cultural practices

What does a nuclear equation balance?

The atomic numbers and mass numbers of reactants and products Signup and view all the answers

What type of information can be inferred from archaeological sites?

Details about past human diets, domestication of animals, and interaction with the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference in the formation of extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks?

Location of solidification Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic texture of extrusive igneous rocks?

Fine-grained Signup and view all the answers

Which type of igneous rock is typically dark in color, fine-grained, and rich in iron and magnesium?

Basalt Signup and view all the answers

Where are extrusive igneous rocks primarily found?

Along mid-ocean ridges Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic texture of intrusive igneous rocks?

Coarse-grained Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the intrusive igneous rock that is typically light-colored, coarse-grained, and rich in quartz and feldspar?

Granite Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of extremely rapid cooling of lava?

Formation of a glassy texture Signup and view all the answers

What is the reason for the different textures of extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks?

Rate of cooling Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic texture of diorite?

Coarse-grained Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference in the cooling rate of extrusive and intrusive rocks?

Slow cooling underground Signup and view all the answers

What does the presence of marine fossils in an area suggest?

A marine environment Signup and view all the answers

What can fossils reveal about past environmental conditions?

Various aspects of past environments, climates, and biological communities Signup and view all the answers

What can fossils of tropical plants indicate about an area's past climate?

A warm and tropical climate Signup and view all the answers

What can the distribution of fossils reveal about past tectonic activities?

The movement of continents Signup and view all the answers

What can transitional fossils provide evidence for?

The evolution of one species into another Signup and view all the answers

What can fossils reveal about the past distribution of species?

Their migration patterns Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of crystals in intrusive rocks?

Large, visible Signup and view all the answers

In what type of environment do extrusive rocks form?

At the Earth's surface Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Igneous Rocks

Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of molten rock material called magma
Classified into two main types: extrusive (volcanic) and intrusive (plutonic) igneous rocks

Extrusive Igneous Rocks

Form when magma erupts from a volcano or fissure and solidifies on the Earth's surface
Rapid cooling results in a fine-grained or aphanitic texture
Examples:
- Basalt: dark in color, fine-grained, and rich in iron and magnesium
- Rhyolite: light-colored, fine-grained, and rich in silica
Found primarily at or near volcanic regions, such as mid-ocean ridges, volcanic arcs, and hot spots

Intrusive Igneous Rocks

Form when magma cools and solidifies beneath the Earth's surface
Slow cooling allows large crystals to form, resulting in a coarse-grained or phaneritic texture
Examples:
- Granite: light-colored, coarse-grained, and rich in quartz and feldspar
- Diorite: intermediate composition and coarse-grained texture
Found in large underground bodies called plutons, which can form batholiths, stocks, sills, and dikes

Comparison of Extrusive and Intrusive Igneous Rocks

Origin: both originate from the cooling and solidification of magma
Mineral Composition: both can share similar mineral compositions
Contrasts:
- Cooling Rate: extrusive rocks cool quickly on the surface, while intrusive rocks cool slowly underground
- Crystal Size: extrusive rocks have small or microscopic crystals, while intrusive rocks have large, visible crystals
- Formation Environment: extrusive rocks form from volcanic activity at the Earth's surface, while intrusive rocks form from magma cooling within the Earth's crust

Fossils

Provide a wealth of information about the history of life and the environmental conditions of the areas where they are discovered
Can indicate:
- Past environments (marine vs. terrestrial, freshwater vs. saltwater)
- Climate and climate change (tropical vs. polar, climate shifts)
- Geological history (tectonic activity, sea level changes)
- Evolution and extinction events (evolutionary history, mass extinction events)
- Biodiversity and ecosystem structure (community composition, species distribution)
- Human and cultural history (ancient human activity, archaeological sites)

Nuclear Equations

A symbolic representation of a nuclear reaction, showing the changes that occur in the nucleus of an atom during radioactive decay or other nuclear processes
Balances the atomic numbers and mass numbers of the reactants and products, indicating the particles involved in the transformation
Examples:
- Alpha decay
- Beta decay
- Gamma radiation