Santa Monica College Earth Science

GEOL 1 - Physical Geology

Exam # 1 Study Guide - Fall 2007

exam date: October 3, 2007

Professor: Dr. Alessandro Grippo, Ph.D.
 
General InformationLast Updated  •  September 23, 2007
NOTE: Cell-phones, electronic devices of ANY sort, dictionaries CAN NOT be used during the test.

You will ONLY need to bring:

  1. one Scantron Form 882-E
  2. a number 2 pencil
  3. an eraser

    This study guide must be interpreted (literally) as a guide to the study of the subject and not as a listing of possible questions. It is YOUR responsability to cover the materials listed here on the lecture textbook, the lab textbook and your notes, including those you have taken during the projection of movies, if any.

    I would strongly recommend that you peruse your notes for completeness of information: some concepts have been expressed with much more detail in class than are explained on the book, and you are responsible for that; know what the key terms and concepts are (see the list at the end of each chapter on both your textbook and your lab manual); exercise with the questions for review also found at the end of each chapter.
    Read the summary at the end of each chapter, try to answer review questions, try to work with others if you find it useful.
    Never hesitate to ask me questions in class or during the lab

    ammonites


 
Study GuideLast Updated  •  September 23, 2007
Chapter 1
Review and study the whole chapter. While there will not be direct questions on a few paragraphs, you need to grasp the meaning of every concept

  1. Read Who needs Geology
  2. Know An overview of Physical Geology - important concepts
  3. Know Earth's layer, from both the physical and the chemical point of view, and how they differ one from the other
  4. Be able to explain how do we know about them
  5. Know about the magnetic field of Earth
  6. Know about sources of heat and energy on Earth
  7. Know about convection, plate tectonics, name and location of the main plates
  8. Know all kinds of plate boundaries, and what happens at each one of them
  9. Know the three kinds of rocks and their origin
  10. Know Geologic Time: be aware of the immensity of geologic time

Chapter 2

  1. Know Minerals
  2. Know Atoms and elements; the atomic structure, why atoms bond, and how (kinds of bond)
  3. Know about ions, and isotopes, atomic number and atomic mass
  4. Include section "In greater depth 2.1" on page 34
  5. Know about polar molecules, stable and unstable (radioactive) isotopes
  6. Know the eight most abundant element of Earth's crust, and their relative importance
  7. Know the main mineral groups present in Earth's crust
  8. Know about silicon tetrahedra, how they bond, why they are stable or unstable; know what kind of minerals with silicon tetrahedra have what structure
  9. Know what defines a mineral and the most important ones; know the chemical formulas of quartz, olivine and calcite
  10. Raed Variations in Mineral structures and compositions
  11. Read The physical properties of minerals and know color: there will be no direct questions on this paragraph but be sure to read it for completeness of information and to improve comprehension of the study material
  12. Know The many conditions of mineral formation

Chapter 3

  1. Know the Rock Cycle
  2. Know Igneous Rocks
  3. Know Intrusive Bodies
  4. Know Abundance and Distribution of Plutonic Rocks
  5. Know How Magma forms
  6. Know How Magmas of different Composition evolve (including Bowen's reaction series: there WILL be questions on it)
  7. Know Explaining igneous activity by plate tectonics

Chapter 4

  1. Know Pyroclastic Debris and Lava Flows
  2. Read Living with Volcanoes
  3. Know Extrusive Rocks and Gases, including composition and textures
  4. Know Extrusive Rocks
  5. Know the Types of Volcanoes
  6. Know about Lava Floods
  7. Know Submarine Eruptions

Chapter 5

  1. Know what Weathering, Erosion and Transportation
  2. Know Weathering and Earth Systems
  3. Know How weathering alters rocks
  4. Know Effects of weathering
  5. Know everything about Mechanical and Chemical weathering; be sure you know what the most important agents for both kinds are; be sure to know the consequences of both kinds of weathering on different rocks, and what the most common weathering products are
  6. Know all about Soils; be sure to know also about the properties of clay minerals

Chapter 6

  1. Know what a Sediment is (first paragraph)
  2. Know Types of Sedimentary Rocks
  3. Know all clastic (also known as detrital), chemical and organic sedimentary rock. Be able to classify rocks (i.e., define one)
  4. Know Origin of oil and gas
  5. Know Sedimentary Structures (see my Sedimentary Structures page for more illustrations)
  6. Know Fossils (see my Fossils page for more illustrations)
  7. Know Formations
  8. Know Interpretation of Sedimentary Rocks
  9. Know what transgression and regression are

 


Copyright © 1994-2007, Alessandro Grippo, All Rights Reserved.
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