Sonjia Leyva - PSci 183 Lecture Study Guide

Lecture Study Guide
PSCI 183: Earth Science For Elementary Teachers

DISCLAIMER: This is a study guide ONLY! Some of these concepts may appear on the test, some may not, and some concepts may be on the test that are not included here. Refer to your syllabus to know which chapters you will need to know for each exam! Please read the appropriate chapters in your text and review your lecture notes. You may also want to check out your textbook's website.

Touring the Solar Systerm (Chapter 15)

Discuss the origin of the solar system.
Know how our planet formed
Know what density stratification is
Describe the major features of the lunar surface
Know the names and order of the planets
List the distinguishing features of each planet in the solar system.
Describe the general characteristics of the two groups of planets in the solar system.
List and describe the minor members of the solar system.

Minerals (Chapter 1)

Define a mineral and list the characteristics that all minerals possess.
Explain the difference between a mineral and a rock.
Describe the basic structure of an atom, and explain how atoms combine.
Know what bonding is and be able to name/identify the four types
List the most important elements that compose Earth's continental crust.
Explain isotopes and radioactivity.
Know the definition of a mineral
Describe the physical properties of minerals and how they can be used for mineral identification.
Understand the silicate tetrahedron, what it is composed of, the type of structures they can form and an example of each
List the basic compositions and structures of the silicate minerals.
List the economic use of some nonsilicate minerals.
Distinguish between mineral resources, reserves, and ores.
Know which minerals are the most common in the Earth's crust

Plate Tectonics (Chapter 5)

Know the difference between a P and an S wave. Be able to identify which is which based upon a written description and a picture, and some of their properties
Know the layers of the Earth, both by composition (core, mantle, crust) and physical properties (inner core, outer core, mesosphere, asthenosphere and lithosphere), and be able to identify which is which based upon a written description and a picture
Know what continental crust is and what type of rock is compositionaly similar to
Know what basaltic crust is and what type of rock is compositionaly similar to
Know what continental drift is and some of the peices of evidence for it
Know what paleomagnetism is
Know what the theory of plate tectonics is
Be able to name and identify the three types of plate boundaries and be able to give an example of each (a geographic place, for example, not a definition - ie, divergent boundary = Mid Atlantic Ridge)
Know which plate CSULA is on (hint: it's NOT the North American Plate!)
Be able to name and identify the three types of convergent plate boundaries.
Know what a hot spot is and how they form

Igneous Activity And Rocks (Chapter 2 and Chapter 7)

Describe the relation between igneous activity and plate tectonics.
Know and be able to identify the four igenous rock compositions (felsic, intermediate, mafic, ultramafic)
Know how silica affects a magma's behaviour
List the factors that determine the violence of volcanic eruptions. List the factors that determine the violence of volcanic eruptions.
List the materials that are extruded from volcanoes
Describe the major features produced by volcanic activity.
List and describe the major intrusive igneous features.
Know the definition of an igenous rock
Know the three components of a magma
Know what factors affect crystal size
Igneous rocks are classified by origin (extrusive/volcanic, intrusive/plutonic), by composition (felsic, mafic, etc.,) and lastly, by texture (glassy, aphanitic, etc.). Know what each of these terms mean, and be able to give an example (ie - gabbro = mafic composition, phanertic texture)
Know and be able to identify the six igneous rock textures (aphanitic, phaneritic, porphyritic, pegmatitic, glassy and pyroclastic)
Some intrusive igneous rocks have extrusive equvalents. Know the following intrusive igneous rocks: granite, diorite, and gabbro and their extrusive equivalents: rhyolite, andesite, and basalt. Be able to determine the composition type of each (ie, felsic, intermediate, mafic), and which rock is aphantitic or phaneritic

Sedimentary Environments & Rocks (Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 )

Weathering & Soils
- Know the different types of mechanical weathering: frost wedging, unloading, thermal expansion and biological activity. Be able to identify which is which
- Know the different types of chemical weathering: dissolution, oxidation, hydrolysis
- Know the factors which affect the rates of weathering: rock characteristics, climate, differential weathering
- Know what soil is and how it forms
Sedimentary Environments
- Know the types of sedimentary environments
- Know what erosion is and how water transports sediments
- Describe the process of streamflow and list the factors that influence a stream's ability to erode and transport materials.
- List and describe the major features produced by stream erosion and deposition.
- Understand how lateral and vertical erosion differ, and the types of streams & valleys each produces
- Distinguish between the different types of drainage patterns.
- Describe the types and locations of glaciers.
- Discuss glacial movement.
- Describe the features produced by glacial erosion and deposition.
- List the types of glacial drift.
- Describe the climatic conditions that produce arid and semiarid regions.
- Discuss the role of water in arid climates.
- Know how wind transports sediments
- Describe the features produced by wind erosion.
- List the types of wind deposits.
- Know the ways marine sediments can be classified
- Understand the relationship between the enery of the enviroment and how and where sedments are either deposited or eroded.
Sedimentary Rocks
- Know the definition of a sedimetary rock
- Know the two catagories of sedimentary rocks
- Know what the four chief constituents of detrital rocks are
- Know the two ways recipitation of material occurs to form chemical rocks
- Know the relative sizes of grains (ie, boulders are larger than silt, etc.)
- Know the three types of sedimentary rock environments, and be able to give an example of a rock you might find in each
- Know what a sedimentary facies is
- Know what a sedimentary structure is, and be able to identify them
- Know what a fossil is and why they are important
- for the following rocks, be able to identify whether they are detrital, chemical or biochemical in origin: shale, limestone, sandstone, coquina, conglomerate, dolostone, chert, breccia, conglomerate, coal, and evaporites

Metamorphic Environments & Rocks (Chapter 2 and Chapter 6)

Know what metamorphism is
the following terms: force, stress, strain, differential stress, compressional stress, tensional stress, shear.
how rocks deform and under what conditions they deform
Know the the three types of metamorphism
Know the four "Agents of Metamorphism"
Know what orogenesis means
Know how mountains are formed: 1) Subduction of oceanic crust; 2) Continent - Continent Collisions; 3) Collision and accretion of small bits of crust
Understand the difference between Andean-type mountain building and Aleutian-type mountain building
Be able to discuss what isostacy is
Know the types of folds and how they form
Know the four types of metamorphic textures
for the following forms, be able to identify whether they are folliated or non-folliated, and their parent rock: slate, phyllite, shist, gneiss, dolomarble, marble, and quartzite
Be able to identify the metamorphic environments based upon the descriptions (like in the worksheet)
Know what an index mineral is and be able to give an example of an index mineral.

Earthquakes and Mountain Building (Chapter 6)

What is an earthquake
types of faults (dip-slip: normal, reverse; strike-slip: right and left lateral)
what footwall, hanging wall, horst, & grabens are
know the following terms: focus, faults, epicenter, hypocenter, elastic rebound, foreshock, mainshock, aftershock
wave types: Body and Surface. ESPECIALLY know what Love and a Rayleigh waves are!
how earthquakes are measured
where earthquakes occur
what a seismogram and a seismograph are, and how they work

Geologic Time (Chapter 8 )

Know the six Principles used to establish relative ages for rock units
Understand what an unconformity is (and the three types of unconformities)
Explain correlation of rock layers.
Describe fossils, fossilization, and the uses of fossils.
Know what radioactivity is and the three types of radioactive decay
Describe the geologic time scale.
divisions of the time scale (eon-era-period-epoch)

Oceans Part I (Chapter 9)

Understand how and why the ocean is layered
Know what salinity is
Know the following: thermocline, pycnocline, halocline
Know the chemical composition of ocean water.
Explain the ocean's layered temperature and salinity structures.
Be able to describe the major features of active and passive continental margins.
Know the types of sea floor sediments.

Oceans II & Oceans III (Chapter 10)

Understand how gyres form and their function in the ocean
Understand what deep-ocean circulation is and its function
Know how waves form and the parts of a wave
Understand the effect waves have on a coastline
Understand longshore current and longshore drift
Know what beach erosion is and the steps that have been taken to try to reduce it

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature (Chapter 11)

Know how and why we have seasons
Understand what the atmosphere is, what it is composed of, and its function
Explain the difference between weather and climate.
List the most important elements of weather and climate.
Know what albedo is and what it does
Know: ozone, areosol, greenhouse gasses

Clouds & Precipitation (Chapter 12)

Know what latent heat is
Understand the processes that cause water to change from one of state of matter to another
Understand the basic cloud-forming process
Know what water vapor is, and how temperature and humidity are affected by it.
Know: saturation, vapor pressure, specific humidity, relative humidity, and dew point

The Atmosphere in Motion (Chapter 13)

Understand air pressure, how it is measured, and how it changes with altitude.
Be able to describe the movements of air associated with the two types of pressure centers.
Know how El Nino and La Nina form, the "normal" and El Nino conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and what ESNO is.
Know how sea and land breezes form
Know how Santa Ana winds form.

Lecture Study Guide PSCI 183: Earth Science For Elementary Teachers

Lecture Study Guide
PSCI 183: Earth Science For Elementary Teachers