GEOL 1121
Study Guide for Exam 1
These are the guideline topics to be used in studying for exam one. Use this guide in correlation with your book, class notes and
the lecture notes. This guide by no means covers everything you need to know. It is meant to guide you in studying for the
exam. Please study all of your notes AND the textbook!
NOTE: DO NOT rely on only one source for studying! Use all of your available resources: lecture notes, class notes AND the
textbook!
Also: know examples of many of these concepts, such as... hot spots: Hawaii and Iceland, or superposition: Cretaceous beds
will be above Permian beds.
Chapter 1: "An Introduction to Geology"
1. Geology is the science that pursues an understanding of the planet Earth, as well as other planetary bodies…
2. Two broad categories of geology:
a. Physical
b. Historical
3. What are some problems and issues addressed by geology?
4. The Earth is 4.54 billion years old
5. Geologic time is vast and many of the processes that occur within the Earth are gradual
6. The nature of the Earth and the overall modes of change in the Earth have been studied for centuries; know them…
a. Catastrophism
b. Uniformitarianism
7. Measuring geologic time
a. Relative dating
b. Superposition
8. The scale of geologic time is vast; human history only encompasses a small portion of the Earth’s history.
9. Know the order of geologic time divisions from largest to smallest: eon, era, period and epoch
10. Know the geologic time scale (page 10 in your textbook); be familiar with these divisions of Earth’s history:
a. Phanerozoic Eon
i. Cenozoic Era
1. Quaternary Period
a. Holocene Epoch
b. Pleistocene Epoch
ii. Mesozoic Era
1. Cretaceous Period
2. Jurassic Period
3. Triassic Period
iii. Paleozoic Era
1. Permian Period
2. Carboniferous Period
3. Devonian Period
4. Silurian Period
5. Ordovician Period
6. Cambrian Period
b. Proterozoic Eon
c. Archean Eon
d. Hadean Eon
11. The Proterozoic, Archean and Hadean Eons comprise the vast span of time known as the Precambrian
12. Principle of fossil succession—fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order.
13. What is the nature of scientific inquiry?
a. Explain hypothesis
b. Explain theory
14. What is meant by the statement “Earth is a system”? Define system. What are the subsystems?
15. Feedback mechanisms:
a. Explain negative feedback
, b. Explain positive feedback
16. Understand the interfaces between cycles in Earth's systems, specifically that between the rock cycle and
the hydrologic cycle.
17. Understand:
a. Lithosphere
b. Hydrosphere
c. Atmosphere
d. Biosphere
18. What is the nebular hypothesis? What occurred during the origin of the Earth?
19. How did Earth's layered structure form?
20. Define layers by composition:
a. Core
b. Mantle
c. Crust
21. Define layers by physical properties:
a. Inner and outer core
b. Mesosphere
c. Asthenosphere
d. Lithosphere
22. Earth's surface:
a. Continents
b. Oceans
23. Continents
a. Mountain belts: most prominent feature of continents
b. The stable interior: cratons composed of shields and shield platforms
c. Know where mountain belts, stable platforms and shields are on the Earth
24. Oceans
a. Continental margins:
i. Continental shelf, slope and rise
b. Deep ocean basins:
i. Abyssal plains, oceanic trenches and seamounts
c. Ocean ridge system
i. Understand the ocean ridge system
ii. What is MOR?
iii. What is MORB?
25. Rocks and the rock cyle
a. Igneous
b. Sedimentary
c. Metamorphic
Chapter 3: "Matter and Minerals"
1. Define mineral
2. Define rock
3. Understand: atoms and elements
4. Atomic structure
a. Nucleus
i. Protons
ii. Neutrons
b. Electrons
i. Electron shells
5. Chemical bonding
a. Ionic bonding
i. Outermost (valence) electrons
ii. Example of ionic bonding
6. Covalent bonding
, 7. Metallic bonding
8. Isotopes and radioactive decay
9. Minerals consist of an orderly array of atoms chemically bonded to form a particular crystalline structure.
10. The internal atomic arrangement in ionic compounds is determined by ionic size.
11. Define: polymorph
12. Define: phase change
13. Diagnostic properties of minerals are used to identify hand samples minerals. These are observations and simple
tests. Know them.
a. Crystal form
b. Luster
i. Metallic
ii. Nonmetallic
c. Color
d. Streak
e. Hardness
i. Moh's scale of hardness
f. Cleavage
i. Common cleavage directions
g. Fracture
h. Specific gravity
i. Other properties:
i. Magnetism
ii. Reaction to hydrochloric acid
iii. Malleability
iv. Double refraction
v. Taste
vi. Smell
vii. Elasticity
14. Mineral groups: nearly 4000 minerals have been named
15. What are rock forming minerals?
16. What are the eight most abundant elements in the Earth's crust? Oxygen and silicon are the two most
abundant.
17. Silicates
a. The silicon-oxygen tetrahedron: SiO4-4
b. Silicate structures
i. Isolated tetrahedra
ii. Ring structures
iii. Single- and double-chain structures
iv. Sheet or layered structures
v. Complex three-dimensional structures
18. Feldspar group
a. Plagioclase
b. Orthoclase
19. Quartz
20. Muscovite
21. Clay minerals
22. Olivine
23. Pyroxene group
a. Augite
24. Amphibole group
a. Hornblende
25. Nonsilicate minerals: comprise only 8% of the Earth's crust
a. Carbonates
i. Minerals: calcite, aragonite and dolomite
Study Guide for Exam 1
These are the guideline topics to be used in studying for exam one. Use this guide in correlation with your book, class notes and
the lecture notes. This guide by no means covers everything you need to know. It is meant to guide you in studying for the
exam. Please study all of your notes AND the textbook!
NOTE: DO NOT rely on only one source for studying! Use all of your available resources: lecture notes, class notes AND the
textbook!
Also: know examples of many of these concepts, such as... hot spots: Hawaii and Iceland, or superposition: Cretaceous beds
will be above Permian beds.
Chapter 1: "An Introduction to Geology"
1. Geology is the science that pursues an understanding of the planet Earth, as well as other planetary bodies…
2. Two broad categories of geology:
a. Physical
b. Historical
3. What are some problems and issues addressed by geology?
4. The Earth is 4.54 billion years old
5. Geologic time is vast and many of the processes that occur within the Earth are gradual
6. The nature of the Earth and the overall modes of change in the Earth have been studied for centuries; know them…
a. Catastrophism
b. Uniformitarianism
7. Measuring geologic time
a. Relative dating
b. Superposition
8. The scale of geologic time is vast; human history only encompasses a small portion of the Earth’s history.
9. Know the order of geologic time divisions from largest to smallest: eon, era, period and epoch
10. Know the geologic time scale (page 10 in your textbook); be familiar with these divisions of Earth’s history:
a. Phanerozoic Eon
i. Cenozoic Era
1. Quaternary Period
a. Holocene Epoch
b. Pleistocene Epoch
ii. Mesozoic Era
1. Cretaceous Period
2. Jurassic Period
3. Triassic Period
iii. Paleozoic Era
1. Permian Period
2. Carboniferous Period
3. Devonian Period
4. Silurian Period
5. Ordovician Period
6. Cambrian Period
b. Proterozoic Eon
c. Archean Eon
d. Hadean Eon
11. The Proterozoic, Archean and Hadean Eons comprise the vast span of time known as the Precambrian
12. Principle of fossil succession—fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order.
13. What is the nature of scientific inquiry?
a. Explain hypothesis
b. Explain theory
14. What is meant by the statement “Earth is a system”? Define system. What are the subsystems?
15. Feedback mechanisms:
a. Explain negative feedback
, b. Explain positive feedback
16. Understand the interfaces between cycles in Earth's systems, specifically that between the rock cycle and
the hydrologic cycle.
17. Understand:
a. Lithosphere
b. Hydrosphere
c. Atmosphere
d. Biosphere
18. What is the nebular hypothesis? What occurred during the origin of the Earth?
19. How did Earth's layered structure form?
20. Define layers by composition:
a. Core
b. Mantle
c. Crust
21. Define layers by physical properties:
a. Inner and outer core
b. Mesosphere
c. Asthenosphere
d. Lithosphere
22. Earth's surface:
a. Continents
b. Oceans
23. Continents
a. Mountain belts: most prominent feature of continents
b. The stable interior: cratons composed of shields and shield platforms
c. Know where mountain belts, stable platforms and shields are on the Earth
24. Oceans
a. Continental margins:
i. Continental shelf, slope and rise
b. Deep ocean basins:
i. Abyssal plains, oceanic trenches and seamounts
c. Ocean ridge system
i. Understand the ocean ridge system
ii. What is MOR?
iii. What is MORB?
25. Rocks and the rock cyle
a. Igneous
b. Sedimentary
c. Metamorphic
Chapter 3: "Matter and Minerals"
1. Define mineral
2. Define rock
3. Understand: atoms and elements
4. Atomic structure
a. Nucleus
i. Protons
ii. Neutrons
b. Electrons
i. Electron shells
5. Chemical bonding
a. Ionic bonding
i. Outermost (valence) electrons
ii. Example of ionic bonding
6. Covalent bonding
, 7. Metallic bonding
8. Isotopes and radioactive decay
9. Minerals consist of an orderly array of atoms chemically bonded to form a particular crystalline structure.
10. The internal atomic arrangement in ionic compounds is determined by ionic size.
11. Define: polymorph
12. Define: phase change
13. Diagnostic properties of minerals are used to identify hand samples minerals. These are observations and simple
tests. Know them.
a. Crystal form
b. Luster
i. Metallic
ii. Nonmetallic
c. Color
d. Streak
e. Hardness
i. Moh's scale of hardness
f. Cleavage
i. Common cleavage directions
g. Fracture
h. Specific gravity
i. Other properties:
i. Magnetism
ii. Reaction to hydrochloric acid
iii. Malleability
iv. Double refraction
v. Taste
vi. Smell
vii. Elasticity
14. Mineral groups: nearly 4000 minerals have been named
15. What are rock forming minerals?
16. What are the eight most abundant elements in the Earth's crust? Oxygen and silicon are the two most
abundant.
17. Silicates
a. The silicon-oxygen tetrahedron: SiO4-4
b. Silicate structures
i. Isolated tetrahedra
ii. Ring structures
iii. Single- and double-chain structures
iv. Sheet or layered structures
v. Complex three-dimensional structures
18. Feldspar group
a. Plagioclase
b. Orthoclase
19. Quartz
20. Muscovite
21. Clay minerals
22. Olivine
23. Pyroxene group
a. Augite
24. Amphibole group
a. Hornblende
25. Nonsilicate minerals: comprise only 8% of the Earth's crust
a. Carbonates
i. Minerals: calcite, aragonite and dolomite
