Exam 1: An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

According to the nebular theory, all of the bodies in the universe evolved from a rotating cloud of gases and dust about 5 billion years ago.

What is the age of most of the continental crust, especially the exposed shield areas in continental interiors?

The ________ is the relatively rigid zone above the asthenosphere that includes the crust and upper mantle.

________ are the places where most sediments are ultimately deposited.

Why did Sir Edward Bullard's 1960's fit of the 900 m bathymetric contour show some areas of overlap between South America and Africa ?

Pangaea was ________.

The acceptance of the 18th century concept of uniformitarianism inevitably led to the acceptance of ________.

Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. -Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

The mass of relatively cool air held by gravity to surround the Earth is called the ________.

Because of plant fossil similarities, by the early part of the twentieth century, most paleontologists were in agreement that some sort of land connection existed between the southern continents during the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic Eras.

Which of the following paleoclimatic evidence supports the idea of the late Paleozoic super continent in the Southern Hemisphere?

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

The ________ refers to the sum total of all life on Earth.

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

What are the basic differences between the disciplines of physical and historical geology?

What age plant and animal fossils were identical for the southern hemisphere continents, causing Wegener to hypothesize Pangaea?

Consider the tectonic plates on either side of an oceanic-ridge boundary.How are the plates moving with respect to the boundary?

The biggest driving force for natural resource development is ________.

Most geologic processes like erosion, sedimentation, uplift, and plate motion ________.

Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. -Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.