Exam 1: Introducing Geology, the Essentials of Plate Tectonics, and Other Important Concepts

Deeply buried rock that is hot and under pressure can deform like taffy or putty.

Which of the following lifeforms appeared first in the geologic record?

Ocean - ocean plate convergence formed major mountain belts such as the Andes and Cascades.

A ___ is a hot, turbulent mixture of expanding gases and volcanic ash that flows rapidly down the side of a volcano.

The product of the breakdown of surface rocks by weathering and erosion is __.

Earth can be visualized as a giant machine driven by which of the following engines?

Most convergent plate boundaries coincide with the crests of submarine mountain ranges called mid-oceanic ridges.

Geology uses the scientific method to explain natural aspects of the Earth.

A _______ boundary occurs where plates move towards one another.

We depend on geologists for the raw materials we need for survival.

Among other things, geologists are employed as __.

After data have been analyzed, tentative explanations or solutions called _____ may be proposed.

The best geologic data currently available indicates that Earth is approximately ___ years old.

To understand geology one must understand how the solid Earth interacts with water, air, and living organisms. For this reason, it is useful to think of Earth as being part of a ____.

Most deaths associated with volcanic eruptions are due to burns of lava flows.

Fossil evidence indicates that dinosaurs became extinct approximately ___ years ago.

The North American plate is moving ____.

The Earth's interior heat engine works because hot buoyant material deep within the Earth _______ while cold denser material _______.

Listed from Earth's center outward, the three concentric zones of Earth are the __.

The North American Plate is all on one plate.