5.7- Summary of Unit 5

What you did

You watched the Instructor Videos and Read the Canvas Content
You took 2 quizzes
You (may have) completed 2 extra credit assignments
You complete 3 homework assignments

What you learned

that our knowledge of the interior of the Earth primarily from the observation of seismic waves
that the inner core is solid iron and nickel
that the mantle has the largest volume of the the layers within the Earth
that the mantle itself has 3 layers: the mesosphere, asthenosphere and the lithosphere
that the asthenosphere is molten, tar like rock
that the lithosphere is the upper layer of the mantle along with the crust and is rigid rock
that the crust is 3 -20 miles thick
that oceanic crust is mafic, mostly basalt (which is an extrusive igneous rock), is more dense than the continents and thinner than continental crust
that the continental crust is felsic, mostly granite (an intrusive igneous rock), is less dense than the oceans and thicker than the oceanic crust
that minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic elements or compounds, have a consistent chemical structure and are arranged in a characteristic crystalline structure
that even though 1000's of minerals exist, only 20 are responsible for 90% of all rock
that there are three rock families: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
that igneous rock forms through the solidification of magma beneath the Earth's surface (intrusive igneous rock) or from the solidification of lava at the Earth's surface (extrusive igneous rocks)
that extrusive igneous rocks cool very quickly are fined grained and often dense: basalt, obsidian, pumice, tuft etc
that intrusive igneous rocks take 1000s of years to form as magma cools and are often coarse grained and maybe less dense: granite, diorite, gabbro etc
that sedimentary rocks are formed through the accumulation of large quantities of sediment or organic matter either mechanically or chemically lithified
that clastic sedimentary rocks are formed through the accumulation of sediments - sandstone, shale etc
that organically form sedimentary rocks are formed through the accumulation of dead plant and animal remains - coal, some limestone etc
that chemically formed sedimentary rocks form by precipitation of minerals from water. Precipitation is when dissolved materials come out of water - some limestones, chert etc.
that metamorphic rocks undergo chemical and chrystalline change through heat and pressure: limestone becomes marble, shale becomes slate, sandstone becomes quartzite etc.
that rocks can transform through time from one type of rock to another through the rock cycle
that these processes can take extremely long periods of the time - Geologic Time
about Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift - his evidence (what he got right) and what he go wrong
about Pangea
about the discovery of the the asthenosphere, the mid-oceanic ridges and the theory of Plate Tectonics
about sea floor spreading and subduction
about the correlation between plate tectonics and oceanic trenches, volcanoes and earthquakes
about the Ring of Fire
about the different types of Plate Boundaries and the landforms and geologic activity associated with them - convergent (there are 3 types of convergent plate boundaries), divergent, and strike-slip (transform)
about hot spots and the Hawaiian Islands and how they support the theory of Plate Tectonics
about diastrophism - deformation of the Earth's Crust
about broad warping and isostasy -the crust sinks under weight (like a huge glacier) and rebounds (like when the glaciers melted)
about folds - monoclines, synclines, anticlines etc
about faulting and the types of faults: normal, reverse, transform (strike-slip)
about intensity and magnitude -Mercalli scale and Moment Magnitude scale (logarithmic replace Richter)
about earthquake focus and epicenter
about the largest earthquakes
about tsunamis - they are caused by displacement of the ocean floor (not just cause it shakes)
about volcanoes - shield (Hawaii, basaltic lava, low viscosity - not sticky, gentle eruptions, shield shape, primarily made out of lava) and composite (Cascades, Mt Fuji etc, high viscosity, sticky lava, violent eruptions, tall steep sided, primarily made out of pyroclasts)
about intrusive volcanism - batholiths, laccoliths, veins, dikes, sills etc.

End of Semester Survey

This survey is completely anonymous and is optional. I am hoping for your feedback on what things you liked or you thought were helpful about this course and what things you think could be improved. I really value any suggestions you may have.

Thank you for sticking with class and putting up with my mistakes. I hope you all enjoy a nice vacation from your computers over Winter Break. Stay healthy and stay interested in the world that surrounds you outside!!