Geo 101 Exam 1 Study Guide 1 What is science A method for learning about the natural world Often referring to the body of knowledge acquired through the method 2 What are the four main parts of the scientific method and what happens during those phases i Hypothesis a proposed explanation for a specific problem Has explanatory power Can be tested by further investigation ii Prediction what we would expect to happen or what we would expect to observe if this idea were accurate Can be about past present or future iii Evidence test results and or observations that may either help support or help refute a scientific idea Answers a specific question iv Data information gleaned from observations usually observations that are made in a standardized way Systematic collection NOT anecdotal information Direct observation is NOT needed 3 What is the difference between a hypothesis and a prediction A hypothesis has explanatory power while a prediction does not 4 What is the difference between evidence and data 5 What is peer review Other scientists the community reviewing your works A method of vetting articles Articles submitted to a peer reviewed publication are sent out to several scientists who work in the same field as the paper s author Those reviewers provide feedback on the article and tell the editor of the publication whether or not they think the study is of high enough quality to be published 6 When is a theory proven A theory does NOT prove things 7 Who are scientists and where do they work Work in big universities government agencies and industries 8 Where do scientists get the money for research and how do they use it Scientists get their money from industry consumers government grants and non profit organizations They use it to go back into research and to keep institutions going 9 Common reasons for misunderstanding scientific results i Causation v Correlation correlation does not imply causation ii Anecdotal evidence claiming non factual information based on experiences of a few people iii Confirmation bias the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one s existing beliefs or theories iv Common sense 10 What is geology and what do geologists study Geology is the study of the Earth and geologists study different aspects of the earth 11 Why is geology important To learn the history of the earth Geologists study the formation and composition of the earth causes of earthquakes and ice ages and practical problems such as groundwater contamination and how to find oil and minerals 12 What are some of the major geologic resources of Alabama Industrial mineral and coal oil and gas 13 How old are the universe and earth 13 7 billion years old universe 4 5 billon years old earth 14 How was the moon formed First dust and ice particles collide and stick together These balls of dust and ice continuously collide forming planets Gravity reshapes the earth into a sphere Soon after the earth forms a small planet collides with it blasting debris that forms a ring around the earth The moon forms from the ring of debris 15 What does the Big Bang theory explain How the universe was created 16 What are the three main pieces of evidence for the Big Bang 17 What are the major layers of the earth Crust mantle core 18 What are their major properties liquid solids hot cold i Crust is thin cool and crunchy ii Upper mantle is thicker warmer also crunchy iii Lower mantle is warm thick gooey iv Outer core is hot liquid v Inner core is super hot solid 19 How do we know the size and composition of the layers Seismology study of energy waves underneath the earth waves move differently through different materials velocity wave paths in the earth 20 What are the lithosphere and asthenosphere i Lithosphere crust and upper mantle ii Asthenosphere lower mantle outer core inner core 21 What is a tectonic plate A piece of lithosphere crust and upper mantle 22 What are the two types of tectonic plates Oceanic and continental 23 Name six pieces of evidence that tell us the continents moved i Shape of continents ii Paleozoic glacier deposits iii Ancient climate belts iv Distribution of fossils v Distributions of ancient rocks vi Paleomagnetism 24 What is sea floor spreading and continental drift and what is the evidence for them i Continental drift continents had once been joined together to form a huge supercontinent and had subsequently drifted apart ii Sea floor spreading new sea floor forms at mid ocean ridges above a band of upwelling mantle then spreads symmetrically away from the ridge axis Eventually the ocean floor sinks back into the mantle at deep ocean trenches 25 What are the categories and subcategories of plate boundaries and what happens at each i Divergent boundaries i Two plates move apart 1 Mid ocean ridge a Higher hotter rocks being made pushes down on the less dense rocks and the cooling creates topography 2 Continental rift a Divergent boundary in continents pieces of continent ripped in half b Heat rises and pushes volcanoes up spewing out oceanic crust ripping continents apart ii Convergent boundaries i Subduction Zone 1 Cold ridged piece of lithosphere oceanic crust sinks into earth and cracks and twists while getting pulled down under the earth creating earthquakes 2 Volcano formations ocean continent 3 Volcanic islands are within ocean ocean ocean ii Collision 1 Continent continent form giant mountain ranges continents being forced together iii Transform boundaries i Two plates sliding past one another 1 Mostly ocean ocean ii Fracture zones 1 Active is transform boundary 2 Inactive is no longer boundary part of plate 26 Why are there earthquakes and volcanoes associated with subduction zones 27 What is a hot spot volcano A spot of heat coming up from the earth and there s a volcano As a plate moves over the hot spot the volcano moves off and dies and a new volcano forms over the hot spot 28 What causes the movement of tectonic plates i Ridge push high stuff pushing down on low stuff i Gravity ii Slab pull in subduction zones i Gravity iii Influence of convection disputed 29 What are the parts of an atom Protons neutrons electrons and other subatomic particles 30 What is an isotope A chemical element that has more or less neutrons than it should and effects the weight 31 What are the four types of chemical bonds and how do they work i Covalent Bonds i Atoms share elections ii Ionic Bonds i Transfers of electron ii One atom positive iii Other atom negative iii Metallic Bond i