Daniel Amodeo-Chavez

Geo-120-3753
April 30th, 2020
STUDY GUIDE 3
Chapter 9
1) List the layers of the Earth’s crust in order. What are the three primary differences
between continental and oceanic crust (i.e., density, composition, thickness)?
a) Layers of Earth’s Crust
i) Crust
ii) Uppermost Mantle
iii) Asthenosphere
iv) Lower Mantle/Mesosphere
v) Outer Core
vi) Inner Core
b) 3 primary differences
i) Continental crust has a low density, is thicker, and is made of granitic rock; whereas
oceanic crust has a high density, is thinner, and is made of basaltic.
2) List the three primary classes of rocks AND their subclasses AND examples of each (e.g.,
sedimentary: chemical sedimentary: limestone).
a) Igneous Rocks:
i) Formed from Magma/ intrusive, ex: granite
ii) Formed from Lava/ extrusive, ex: basalt
b) Sedimentary Rocks:
i) Clastic/Detrital sedimentary: sandstone
ii) chemical sedimentary: limestone
c) Metaphoric Rocks:
i) Foliated: slate
ii) Nonfoliated: Marble
3) Describe the two types of plate subduction (island arc, continental arc), what it involves,
where it occurs, and what the resulting landforms are.
a) Island arc subduction
 i) occurs when the oceanic place is driven below another oceanic plate. The result
produces island volcanoes.
b) Continental arc subduction
i) Occurs when the oceanic plate is driven below a continental plate. Volcanoes form
along the coastline as a result.

Chapter 10

4. Describe the three orders of relief and give me an example of each.

a) 1st order
i. refers to the coarsest level of landforms, including continental platforms and
ocean basins
b) 2nd order
i. intermediate level of landforms, including mountain masses, plains, and
lowlands
c) 3rd order
i. most detailed order of relief includes things like mountains, cliffs, valleys, hills,
and other small-scale landforms.

5. Discuss the three major plate boundary types, the fault type associated with each, and
where on Earth they are found.
a) Convergent boundaries
1. Plates collide; reverse/thrust fault
2. Wasatch mountains
b) Divergent boundaries
1. Plates move away from each other; normal fault
2. There is a folded strata along the San Andreas fault
c) Transform boundaries
1. Plates slide pass each other; strike-slip fault
2. San Andreas fault
6. Define the following terms:
 a) hot spot: places where plumes of magma rise form the mantle, producing
volcanic activity as well as thermal effects in the groundwater and crust.
b) seismometer: aka seismograph, is and instrument that detects and records
vibrations from earthquakes
c) epicenter: point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus
d) focus: point where energy from an earthquake is first released

7. What is Basin and Range topography and how is it formed? Where is it found in the U.S.?
a) Alternating landscape of parallel mountains and valleys. Occurs because of
normal faults. Found in Nevada
8. Describe the four basic volcanic landforms (cinder cone, stratovolcano, shield and fissure
flow).
a) Cinder cone: small (less than 1,500 ft), cone shaped hill
b) Stratovolcano: layered lava flows, lahars are common, occurs along continental
margins, and has pyroclastic materials
c) Shield: forms from low-viscosity basalt lava flows; features gentle slopes, layered
lava flows, nonexplosive, and some pyroclastic materials.
d) Fissure flow: slope is zero, nonexplosive, and rarely has pyroclastic materials.

Chapter 11

9. Define the four types of mechanical weathering.

a) Frost Wedging/Frost Action: result of repeated freezing and thawing of water.

Effective in semi-arid to moist, higher altitudes
b) Salt-Crystal Growth: breakdown of rock to pieces due to growth of salt crystals.
Effective in arid and semi-arid climates
c) Hydration: breakdown due to swelling of minerals when wet and shrinking when
dry. Effective in semi-arid to moist climates
d) Pressure Release Jointing: breakdown due to expansion of plutonic rock bodies in
response to a release in pressure that accompanies uplift. Involves large scale
exfoliation of plutonic rocks through “sheeting”.” Not climate specific.
10. Define the three types of chemical weathering.
a) Hydrolosis
1. breakdown of rock materials due to a chemical reaction w/water.
b) Oxidation
1. breakdown of rock materials due to a chemical reaction with oxygen
c) Carbonation and Solution
1. Breakdown of carbonate rocks (rocks rich in calcium carbonate) due to a
chemical reaction with weak carbonic acid.
11. What is Karst topography? How is it formed? Where is it found? What landforms
characterize Karst both above and below ground?
a) Karst topography is created by weathering of calcium carbonate rocks.
b) Formed when four necessary conditions are met: limestone formation, patterns of
joints in the limestone, an aerated zone between the ground surface and water
table, and vegetation cover to supply varying amounts of organic acids for
solution process
c) Found in Cuba, Jamaica, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico,
southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Anywhere where these
conditions can be met.
d) Karst topography is characterized by sinkholes, above ground, and caverns,
below ground.
12. What are the four classes of mass wasting and give examples of each and tell me if they
occur quickly or slowly.
a) Fall: rockfall, debris avalanche: Occurs quickly
b) Slide: landslide (transitional or rotational): Occurs quickly.
c) Flow: earthflow, mudflow, lahar: Occurs quickly
d) Creep: soil creep, solifluction: occurs slowly