Santa Monica College Earth Science

GEOL 1 - Physical Geology

Exam # 1 Study Guide - Fall 2015

exam date: Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - 8:00 AM

Professor: Dr. Alessandro Grippo, Ph.D.
 
General InformationLast Updated  •  March 4, 2016
PLEASE NOTE:
Cellular phones, iPods, Blackberries, Bluetooth, headphones, computers, pocket calculators, dictionaries, translators or, in general, ANY KIND of electronic device CANNOT be used during the test.

All electronic devices MUST BE TURNED OFF: if a cell phone rings, if a light is visible, or a device is on while in class during test time, you will not be allowed to finish your test and your result will be invalidated.

You cannot use any book, text, manual, note, dictionary, pocket calculator, flash card, or any other source of information except your brain.

You will NOT need a ruler for this 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.
There is no additional information compared to what has been said, discussed, shown, illustrated in class.

It is YOUR personal responsibility to cover the materials listed below in the lecture textbook, on the web pages, and in your notes.

I would strongly recommend that you peruse your notes for completeness of information: some information that has been detailed in class is only mentioned briefly in the textbook, and you are responsible for covering 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 other fellow students if you find it useful.
Never hesitate to ask me questions.

ammonites
Jurassic ammonites from the Ammonitic Red Formation of the Italian Alps

Do not forget to study the lecture powerpoints available on the website!

 
Textbook chaptersLast Updated  •  March 4, 2016
Chapter 1 - Introducing Geology, the Essentials of Plate Tectonics, and Other Important Concepts
Review and study the whole chapter. You need to grasp the meaning of every concept in this chapter

  1. Read The Introduction
  2. Read Who Needs Geology
  3. Know Earth Systems
  4. Know An Overview of Physical Geology - important concepts
    Know the whole paragraph, and in particular:
    • Know Earth's layers, from both the physical and the chemical point of view, and how they differ one from the other
    • Be able to explain how did we get to know about their existence
    • Know about the magnetic field of Earth and its origin
    • Know about (internal and external) sources of heat and energy on Earth
    • Know about convection, plate tectonics, name and location of the seven main plates
    • Know all kinds of plate boundaries (divergent, convergent, transform), and what happens at each one of them
    • Know Hot Spots, what they are, and what happens at those locations
      (consider the cases of Hawai'i and Yellowstone, for example, but also the Afar hot spot)
    • Know the three kinds of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic), and their origin
  5. Know Geologic Time: be aware of the immensity of geologic time
  6. Read the section "In Greater Depth 1.4", pages 20-21: Plate Tectonics and the Scientific Method

Chapter 19 - Plate Tectonics

  1. Read the Introduction
  2. Know The Early Case for Continental Drift
  3. Know The Revival of Continental Drift
    (there will be no questions out of the section "Evidence from Paleomagnetism")
  4. Know Seafloor Spreading
  5. Know Plates and Plate Motion
  6. Read How Do We Know That Plates Move?
  7. Know Divergent Plate Boundaries
  8. Know Transform Plate Boundaries
  9. Know Convergent Plate Boundaries
  10. Know Do Plate Boundaries Move?
  11. Know Can Plates Change In Size?
  12. Know The Attractiveness of Plate Tectonics
  13. Know What Causes Plate Motions?
    (there will be no questions from the sections "Ridge Push", "Slab Pull", "Trench Suction", but only "Mantle Plumes and Hot Spots"
  14. Read A Final Note
  15. Read the section "In Greater Depth 19.1", pages 478-479: Indentation tectonics and "Mushy" Plate Boundaries

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