Plate Tectonics, Minerals, and Earth's Crust Quiz

Cleavage is the way a mineral breaks along crystallographic structural planes, while fracture is a random pattern break.

Metamorphic rocks form from heat and pressure, changing the minerals and textures without melting.

Igneous rocks form from solidified magma or lava, with interlocking crystals.

<p>Rocks are classified based on formation, texture, color, and minerals they contain.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sedimentary rocks form from weathered sediment, while metamorphic rocks are formed from stressed and 'cooked' rocks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The rock cycle describes how rocks are recycled over millions of years.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Fossils provide a record of past life, with older fossils found in lower rock layers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Physical weathering can occur due to temperature change and water and ice.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ice and water can split rocks by freezing water, causing the ice to expand and widen cracks in rocks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Salts can crystallize in rocks, causing them to weather and break down.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Glaciers scrape pieces off surrounding rocks as they move, forming U-shaped valleys.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Water running or washing over rock can wear it away.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Fine particles of rock carried by wind can blast the rock surface.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Plants growing through rocks can split them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Chemical weathering involves water and chemicals in the water and air reacting with the rock and changing it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Dolerite reacting with oxygen is an example of chemical weathering.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The two types of processes involved in weathering are physical and chemical weathering.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of Continental Drift, suggesting that Pangaea split into Laurasia and Gondwana. His evidence included the fitting of continents like a jigsaw puzzle and the presence of fossils on distant continents.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Seafloor spreading is the process where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges. This results in magnetic striping on the seafloor due to the alignment of magnetite particles with the Earth's magnetic poles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The movement of tectonic plates can be explained by convection currents in the mantle, ridge push, and slab pull.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Oceanic crust is denser, thinner, and contains heavier elements, while continental crust is less dense, thicker, and contains lighter elements.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Acid rain can dissolve dolerite rock due to the iron in it forming rust.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Erosion is the removal of rock particles, which can occur through water, wind, and ice.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Mohs scale of hardness, created by Friedrich Mohs, is a standard scale used to describe a mineral's resistance to scratching.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The physical properties of minerals include color, luster, streak, hardness, and crystal shape, which can be used for identification.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>There are 3500 known minerals in the Earth's crust, with only 20 forming 95% of all rocks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Seafloor spreading and subduction are involved in the creation and destruction of the crust.</p> Signup and view all the answers