Understanding Hazards & Plate Tectonics: Geology & Earth Sciences, Quizzes of Natural Resources

Download Understanding Hazards & Plate Tectonics: Geology & Earth Sciences and more Quizzes Natural Resources in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Differentiate physical hazards and chemical hazards DEFINITION 1 physical hazards - easier to mitigate than preventchemical hazards - easier to prevent than mitigate TERM 2 What are the types of hazards? DEFINITION 2 primary - directly caused by hazard (wind damage)secondary - caused by primary event (fires caused by earthquake)tertiary - long-term consequences (disease, economic problems) TERM 3 Vulnerability DEFINITION 3 Higher impacts on developing countries (destruction of limited infrastructure, lack of medical care) Human intervention - we put ourselves in harms way (build homes on sea cliffs or flood plains) and we increase severity (clear-cutting destabilizes soils) TERM 4 Scientific Method DEFINITION 4 Hypothesis - might explain data from which predictions can be derived Theory - tested explanation of data or relationships (why things work) Reproducible- can it produce similar results if performed again? Controls - groups to compare to experimental group (not given treatment) "Reasonable" statistics -moderate-strong correlation TERM 5 Precision vs. Accuracy DEFINITION 5 Precision - measure of repeatability or reproducibilityAccuracy - how close to "true" you are *Note - computers are precise but notnecessarily accurate TERM 6 Closed vs. Open Systems DEFINITION 6 Closed - energy transfer but no mass transfer (Earth)Open - mass and energy transfer TERM 7 Describe Earth's System DEFINITION 7 Closed Matter and resources fixed and finite but population is increasing Changes to one part of system affect others Geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere do things to you (physical hazards) TERM 8 Describe the 3 parts of the seismic/chemical solid Earth DEFINITION 8 Crust (silicates, etc.) Mantle (silicates) Core (iron and nickel) TERM 9 Describe the 3 parts of the rheologic solid Earth DEFINITION 9 Lithosphere (rigid) Asthenosphere ("mushy", weaker) Mesosphere (more rigid) TERM 10 What are the 3 methods of heat transfer? DEFINITION 10 Radiative - electromagnetic radiation (atmosphere) Conduction - moves through material (frying pan) (crust and lithosphere) Convection - moves with material (boiling water) (everywhere else) TERM 21 What are the 2 properties of index fossils? DEFINITION 21 Wide range Short duration TERM 22 Radiometric dating DEFINITION 22 As parent increases, daughter decreases Isotopes - atoms of same element with different masses TERM 23 What are the half-life conditions? DEFINITION 23 Parent initially abundant Daughter initially scarce Closed system Appropriate half-life TERM 24 What are you trying to date? DEFINITION 24 What can reset the radiometric clock formation of rock formation of grains/crystals in rock age of metamorphism age of exposure to surface (deformation) rate of uplift TERM 25 What is the order of events in the geologic timeline of Michigan? DEFINITION 25 Earth was born (4.6 Ga) Rocks in UP got deformed (2 Ga) Glaciers were last here (<2 Ma) Resources in UP originated (1 Ga copper; 2 Ga iron) TERM 26 What is the difference between continents and oceans? DEFINITION 26 Continents old and light rocks lighter in color Oceans young and dense rocks have less silica; darker in color TERM 27 How do geometry/geology and paleoclimatology/paleontology support Continental Drift? DEFINITION 27 Geometry/Geology - matching coastlines along continents (torn pages of a book, text must match as well) Paleoclimatology/Paleontology - locations of paleozoic glacial deposits and distribution of paleozoic fauna and flora fit well TERM 28 Why was Continental Drift rejected and how was it kept alive? DEFINITION 28 Inertia - fixism; must forget everything of the last 70 years if drift is true No mechanism - oceanic crust is too solid to flow around continents Geometry shouldn't work - deformation; continents shouldn't fit back together BUT - supported by southern hemisphere geologists TERM 29 Plate Tectonics DEFINITION 29 Lithosphere is broken up into 12 major plates Move relative to each other at rates of a few cm/yr All plate boundaries have earthquakes TERM 30 Why don't continents subduct but oceanic crust does? DEFINITION 30 Continents are permanent parts of plates that are less dense/more buoyant - never get recycled or destroyed Oceanic lithosphere is recycled - young and more dense so it sinks TERM 31 Name each type of plate boundary and the processes and features found at each DEFINITION 31 Divergent plates move apart & create new oceanic lithosphere Mid-ocean ridges Convergent continents collide & recycle old oceanic lithosphere trenches, island arcs Transform plates slide by each other faults with earthquakes TERM 32 What is sea-floor spreading? DEFINITION 32 New ocean crust and lithosphere is created at mid-ocean ridges Cools, thickens, and contracts as it moves away Youngest sea floor closest to MOR; oldest farther away Elevation is highest at MOR and decreases as it moves farther away Earthquakes and volcanoes at MOR's TERM 33 Why are ridges elevated? DEFINITION 33 Hot stuff expands (less dense); cold stuff contracts (more dense) TERM 34 Subduction DEFINITION 34 Oceanic lithosphere sinks back into mantle to get recycled Helps propagate convection cycle TERM 35 What happens when 2 continents collide? DEFINITION 35 Neither plate can subduct;both plates made of lighter, more buoyant material Plates crunch togetherbut whole plate does not crumple or fold Form mountains ranges (uplift) ex) Himalayas TERM 46 Slab-pull DEFINITION 46 Plate cools, becomes thicker, denser, and eventually sinks (subduction) Slab pulls the plate because it is more dense ("sinking towel") Plates with more subducting lithosphere attached move faster TERM 47 Ridge-push DEFINITION 47 Plate slides off ridge, pushing the plate in front Ridges elevated so plate can slide off and subduct back into mantle TERM 48 Seismic Tomography DEFINITION 48 Uses earthquake waves to show where convection occurs in Earth Allows us to identify areas where seismic waves travel slower or faster Red is slow (hot) Blue is fast (cold) TERM 49 Why are there no plate tectonics on Mars and Venus? DEFINITION 49 Mars too small cooled and has thick lithosphere Venus no surface water greenhouse effect no subduction no asthenospheric melting surface rocks "harder" TERM 50 Risk DEFINITION 50 Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss (an undesirable outcome)Ex) Your odds of getting killed in frequent events with low casualties infrequent events with extremely high casualties Controlled by casualties per event, frequency, population affected TERM 51 Prediction DEFINITION 51 Identify precursory phenomena Forecast - a long-term (variable) prediction with probabilities Watch - conditions are right for hazard to occur Warning - hazard is imminent; take appropriate action Outlook - a hazardous event may develop in the future (days to weeks) Advisory - a hazardous event, usually that only causes inconvenience, is occurring or has a high probability of occurrence