EAE1011 Test 1
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What is ‘Ka’?
1,000 Years
What are the Periods in order?
• Cambrian • Ordovician • Silurian • Devonian • Carboniferous • Permian • Triassic • Jurassic • Cretaceous • Tertiary • Quaternary
Which plat subducts
Denser plate always subducts
What is ‘Downgoing’?
Being subducted
What is ‘Overriding’?
Goes over the other plate
What is a mineral?
An element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes
What is a key characteristic of minerals
Most minerals are crystalline, that is:”ordered,three-dimensional arrangements of atoms”.
What is the Geological significance of minerals?
• Indicates pressure/temperature which a rock formed • Minerals determine the geophysical properties of rocks. • Minerals react with water and determine its composition • Minerals and their surfaces control many processes in the environmental chemistry
When did the atoms form?
The first atomic nuclei formed about 3 minutes after the big bang
What main processes fuse atomic nuclei?
Many different processes can fuse atomic nuclei, however the two main types are: • Stellar nucleosynthesis • Explosive nucleosynthesis
How are heavy elements created?
Heavy elements are mainly produced in supernova explosions Neutron star mergers also create supernova These explosions have enough energy to slam nuclei together with sufficient force to form the larger nuclei
Definition Minerals 5 points
• Are Naturally occuring • Are inorganic • Are solids • Have a definite chemical composition • Have an ordered atomic arrangement
What are the main minerals meteorites contain?
Meteorites contain 4 main minerals • Olivine • Pyroxene • FeNi metal • Feldspar
What is the earth and other rocky plannes made from?
Same minerals as meterorites • Olivine • Pyroxene • FeNi metal • Feldspar
What is the Hadean earth?
4,567 to 3,900 Ma A geologic eon of the Earth pre-dating the Archean
When did the moon form?
The moon formed 4,477 Ma
Key points What are the characteristics of the Hadean? List of 3
• Headean earth had a magma ocean • Lower mantle may have been solid in the Hadean • Metal would sink through magma ocean and pond on the solid lower mantle • Molten metal would migrate to the core
What is the relationship between iron on earth and the moon?
Density indicates the moon is depleted in iron (has a smaller than expected core). Earth is enriched in metallic iron (it has a larger than expected core).
What is the Continental crust made from ?
Mainly made up of • Quartzite • Granite • Limestone
What is the oceanic crust made from ?
Mainly made up of basalt (bluestone)
What is Mantle made from?
Mostly Olivine
What is Isostasy?
The process whereby the crust floats on top of the mantle because the crust is less dense.
What can ice do to plates?
The continental plates can bend like a beam when the weight of the ice is placed on top of it.
What is a ‘Ma’?
1,000,000 years I.e. on Million years