ECON 3 Midterm: GEOL 10 Exam I Study Guide
Document Summary
Physical geology: examines earth materials and seeks to understand the many processes that operate on planet. Historical geology: seeks understanding of origin of earth and development through time. Catastrophism: earth"s landscapes shaped primarily by catastrophes. Uniformitarianism: physical, chemical, and biological laws that operate today operated throughout geologic past. Energy from radioactivity inside earth drives many processes- volcanism, magnetic dynamo, plate tectonics. Energy from sun drives many external processes- weathering, erosion, water cycle. Goal: discover patterns in nature to make predictions. Theory: well-tested and widely accepted view that scientific community agrees best explains. Earth is dynamic system of interacting spheres. Solar system evolved from solar nebula (rotating cloud) Oldest meteorites condensed from nebula 4. 65 bya (ga) Differentiation established three basic divisions of earth"s interior. Less dense elements (aluminum and silicon) rose to form primitive rocky crust. Primitive atmosphere and ocean evolved from volcanic gases. Earliest primitive crust lost to erosion and tectonic processes.