Cleveland High School Geology Final Study GuideDrawing upon your class lecture notes, labs, homework and readings from A Short History of Nearly Everything, be prepared to answer the following questions in detail. Answer these questions in the space provided. Turn in these answers at the beginning of the final for 25 points.__________________

Plate Tectonics1. The theory of plate tectonics was not readily accepted when it was first proposed. Give a brief timeline of the

development of this theory, what prominent geologists developed and supported it and their evidence for the theory. You may find the Bill Bryson book helpful for this.

2. What are the differences between oceanic and continental crust? How does this affect plate tectonics in regions where oceanic crust converges with oceanic crust compared to where oceanic crust converges with continental crust?

3. What areas of the world’s oceans have the newest sea floor? The oldest? Why?

4. What causes volcanoes to occur 100-200 miles inland from a subducting oceanic plate?

Earthquakes1. Calculate the time lag and between P and S waves

from the graph. How can you use this data to find the epicenter of an earthquake?

2. P and S waves: How does each move? Which can travel in solids? Liquids?

Rock Cycle 1. Identify the main differences between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Give an example of each

type of rock.

2. Describe uniformitarianism and how it compares to catastrophism.

3. Be able to identify granite and basalt without a key.

4. How does rate of cooling affect the texture and crystallization in igneous rocks?

Geochronology1. What are the early events that led up to the evolution of life on Earth? Be able to place major events in

Earth’s history in order.

2. How did the early Earth form? How did the oceans form?

3. What are some of the absolute and relative ways geologist date these events?

4. Complete the table for the half-life of carbon:What is the half-life of carbon-14? _______

After 11, 460 years, what percent of carbon-14 will be left? _______

After 5,730 years, what percent of daughter materials will be left? __________If you started with 100 grams of carbon-14, how much would you have after 11,460 years? ____________

Minerals1. What are the characteristics that we used to identify minerals?

2. List the differences between a mineral and a rock.

Glaciology1. Label the various geological features formed as a result of glaciers below:

Half-Life of Carbon-14 Mass Number of Years0 1 01 ½ 5, 7302 ¼345

Further concepts may be added at a later date.....attach additional pages as necessary.