QPA2 REVIEWRocks, Minerals, Fossils, Energy, Weathering, Soil,

Erosion & Deposition

Ch.2 Rocks and Minerals

1. What are the five characteristics of a mineral?

1. What are the five characteristics of a mineral?

(Mneumonic strategy: SCIND) Solid, Crystalline Structure, Inorganic, Naturally Occurring, Defintite Chemical Compostion.

2. Each mineral is different because it has unique properties. What are the properties we use to identify minerals?

color, streak, luster, cleavage/fracture, hardness, crystal system, density, special properties (ex: – fluorescence, chemical reaction, optical properties, taste, smell, magnetism, radioactivity.)

3. What is a rock?Rocks are made of minerals. They are identified by color, mineral composition, texture (grain size, grain shape, and grain pattern)

4. There are three types of rocks and each of them form in their own unique way. Name the three types and give a

brief description of how each of them forms.

igneous – melting and cooling (intrusive/extrusive)

metamorphic – heat and pressure (foliated, Nonfoliated)

sedimentary – erosion, deposition, compaction & cementation (clastic, chemical, organic)

5. Rocks can undergo many processes such as weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, melting, cooling, heat and pressure. This causes them to change from one type of rock

into another. What is this process called?

The rock cycle

6. Can any type of rock change and become any other type of rock? YES Explain. Looking at the chart, you can see how one form can

change into another form

SEDIMENTARY

SEDIMENTARY

IGNEOUS

IGNEOUS

METAMORPHIC

METAMORPHORIC

Ch.8 Fossils

1. In what ways can fossils form?

Molds/Casts Petrified Trace Carbon Actual Remains

2. What are trace fossils? They provide evidence of activities,

behavior and size of the organism Examples: footprints, trails, dung, burrows

3 What are index fossils? Fossils of widely distributed organisms that lived during only one short period.

4. What is the relative age of a rock or fossil and how do geologists determine the relative

age? The age of a rock compared to the ages

of rock layers.

5. What is the absolute age of a rock or fossil and how do geologists determine the absolute

age?

The age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed.

6. Why do we study fossils?What do they help us learn about the Earth’s

past?

* how Earth’s surface has changed, * what the past climate and environment was like* evidence of how life has changed over time.

Chapter 9 Energy

Energy plays an important role in our lives and we can create energy using many different natural resources.

Name as many energy sources as you can.

Solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, nuclear, fossil fuels

2. Some of these resources are renewable sources and some of them are nonrenewable sources. What is the

difference between them?

Renewable- Energy from sources that cannot be used up, like solar energy.

Nonrenewable resources - Energy from sources that can be used up like fossil fuels.

3. Currently our production of energy largely comes from fossils fuels. What are the three types of fossil

fuels?

Coal, natural gas, petroleum/oil

4. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable energy resource and they contribute to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. If that is the case, why do we still rely

on them so much?

Because renewable resources are very expensive to produce and Non-renewable sources are cheap and easy to use

5. As fossil fuels become less available, we will have to look toward other sources of energy like solar, wind,

and hydroelectric. These sources are renewable. What is currently keeping us from using these resources

instead of fossil fuels?

Research, development and expense

6. Whatever energy resource we are using,

we want it to be an efficient source of energy. What is

energy efficiency?

Energy conservation is reducing or going without a service to save energy. Most of what is defined as energy efficiency is actually energy intensity. Energy intensity is the ratio of energy consumption to some measure of demand for energy services. Energy efficiency is simply the process of doing more with less. The goal is to accomplish the same tasks and functions as before while using less energy.

7. In order to protect our energy resources, both nonrenewable and renewable, we must

practice energy conservation. What is energy conservation?

efforts made to reduce energy consumption

8. List some ways that we can conserve our energy resources.

turn off the lights when you’re out of the room take showers instead of baths. use recycled materials when possible Walk or ride a bike instead of car Carpool

Weathering – Chapter 6

1.Weathering is the breaking down of rocks and other materials on Earth. There are two forms of weathering, mechanical weathering and chemical weathering. Explain how these two types of weathering affect materials on

Earth.

Chemical: Breaks down rock through chemical changes.

Mechanical: Physically breaks rock down into pieces.

2. The rate of weathering is not the same everywhere on Earth. There are three factors that determine how fast or slow weathering occurs. What are

these factors?

Rate of Weathering Climate – both chemical and mechanical

weathering occur faster in wet climates. Rock Type and Composition – how easily they

react with water, CO2, oxygen, etc. Surface Area - more surface showing means more

is exposed to weathering and breaks down quicker.

List the different forms of mechanical weathering.

5 Main causes: *Temperature – cold climates allow ice to get

into cracks and expand. *Pressure – as pieces of rock are removed,

pressure is reduced – flaking in layers *Plant growth – roots get into cracks, grow

and expand *Abrasion – Particles carried by wind, water &

ice scrape off pieces. *Animal activity - animals burrow in ground

breaking apart rocks.

List the different forms of chemical weathering.

*Water – dissolves minerals *Oxidation –Oxygen mixes with metal to

make rust *Weak acids - break down rock * carbon dioxide * acid in plant roots * acid rain

Soil – Chapter 6

1. Soil covers the entire surface of Earth, takes a very long time to form, and is considered a valuable natural

resource. What is soil?

The top layer of the earth's surface, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with organic matter

Soil begins with the weathering of bedrock. As the rock breaks down other materials are mixed into the soil (organic material, water, air,

earthworms, etc) and layers called horizons form. Draw the picture of the four horizons of soil. Label each layer and list what is found

in each layer.

Because without soil, there is no agriculture, and without agriculture, there are no veggies, or plants, or wine, or fruits, etc..., and without those, no food for farm animals, and without farm animals, no food for humans...Soil is a vital part of the food chain, all the way down at the base.

Humus is a very important part of soil. What is it?

A brown or black organic substance consisting of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter that provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water.

Humus is important because it helps the soil retain moisture and encourages the formation of a good soil structure. They also bind the plant nutrients, making them more available

Since soil is considered a valuable natural resource, it is necessary to conserve it just as it is important to conserve

energy. During the 1930’s, farmers did not practice soil conservation and as a result the Dust Bowl occurred. We now know of several ways to protect and conserve soil. List and

describe the three types of soil conservation we discussed in class.

* Contour plowing: Farmers plow fields along the curves of a slope* Crop rotation: Farmers plant different crops in a field each year* Terracing: Farmers cut level areas into the sides of mountains* Windbreaks: Trees are planted to block wind and rain from crops

Erosion & Deposition – Chapter 7

Erosion is the movement of the rock and soil particles that were created during the weathering

process. What are the four main agents of erosion?

* water, ice, wind, and gravity.

List some of the features found both on the surface of the Earth, as well as underground, that are created as a result of

the agents of erosion you listed in question #1

*water – Caves, Valleys, Oxbow Lakes, meandering rivers, Canyons, Waterfalls *gravity – mass movement*ice - glaciers, till, moraine*wind – sand dunes

Deposition is the laying down, or settling, of rock and sediment that is carried by the agents of erosion. What would cause rock and sediment to be deposited instead

of continuing to move?

• The agents water, wind, ice and gravity are no longer working on the rock or sediment.

4. What features are created when the following deposit sediment? Keep in mind that some of

these features may be found below the surface as well as on it.

a. running water (rivers and streams) rill, tributaries, gully streams, alluvial fan, meander, oxbow lake, delta,b. waves: headland, beach, spit, sandbars, barrier beachesc. wind: sand duned. glaciers: : moraine, kettlee. mass movement: landslides, mudflows, slump, creepf. caves: stalactites, stalagmites