Exam 1: An Introduction to Geology

The asthenosphere is actually a part of the__________ _ of the Earth.

The currently accepted age of the Earth is ___________ years.

The__________ is thought to be a liquid, metallic region in the Earth's interior.

Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

Earth's physical environment is traditionally divided into the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and the solid Earth. Remembering the scientific method, why do you think that scientists tend to categorize and classify various features, phenomena, and characteristics of the natural world into groups or subdivisions? Also, are there potential pitfalls or problems if we only consider the natural world as individual groups or categories rather than as a whole?

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, direct observations showed that a glacier in Switzerland flowed forward in the downhill direction while its snout (terminus)was retreating higher up the valley. Which of the following explains these observations in a rational, scientific way?

The __________is the thinnest layer of the Earth.

The __________is not a part of the Earth's physical environment.

A __________is a well- tested and widely accepted view that best explains certain scientific observations.

In sedimentary rocks, lithification includes__________ .

The convective flow of liquid, metallic iron in the__________ is thought to generate Earth's magnetic field.

Active mountain belts are most likely to be found__________ .

__________rocks form by crystallization and consolidation of molten magma.

What type of rock comprises most of the exposed surface of Earth (roughly 75%)?

The composition of the core of the Earth is thought to be __________ _.

The Geologic Time Scale divisions are based on__________ .

The thin, outer layer of Earth, from 7 to 40 km in thickness, is called the __________.

The__________ proposes that the bodies of our solar system formed at essentially the same time from a rotating cloud of gases and dust.

The __________states that fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order.

The __________refers to the sum total of all life on Earth.