INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE (ESCI 121)
Review for Quiz #3
Sanders
GEOTOURING POSTER PRESENTATIONS
* Explain to other students the geology of your state and what is geologically interesting about
the point you chose. On the quiz, you should be able to describe something interesting about
the geology of at least two different states.
ROCKS
* Describe the process by which each type of rock forms.
* Tell how the processes of formation relate to visible rock characteristics.
* Use visible rock characteristics and rock identification keys (including the attached flow chart)
to identify hand samples of these rocks:
IGNEOUS
Extrusive (Volcanic)
BASALT
andesite
rhyolite
pumice
obsidian
scoria
Intrusive (Plutonic)
GRANITE
diorite
gabbro
METAMORPHIC
Foliated
SEDIMENTARY
Clastic (Detrital)
SLATE
phyllite
SCHIST
GNEISS
COAL (anthracite)
CONGLOMERATE
SANDSTONE
SHALE
COAL (bituminous)
Non-Foliated (Recrystallized) Chemical
MARBLE
QUARTZITE
LIMESTONE
(var. COQUINA)
DOLOSTONE
ROCK GYPSUM
rock salt
THE ROCK CYCLE
* Draw a diagram that illustrates how rock material (MAGMA, IGNEOUS ROCKS, METAMORPHIC
ROCKS, SEDIMENTS, and SEDIMENTARY ROCKS) are connected by Earth processes.
GEOLOGIC MAPS
* On a geologic map, locate the following:
- earthquake faults (heavy black lines)
- areas where the predominant rock type is sedimentary (stripes, maple leaves)
- areas where the predominant rock type is igneous (blobs)
- areas where the predominant rock type is metamorphic (swirls)
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
* Draw a 360° circle and mark off the 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360° locations.
* Draw lines with angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°.
* On a sphere (navel orange) representing Earth, mark the location of the north pole (navel),
south pole, and equator.]
* Holding the orange at eye height, draw lines parallel to the equator and dividing the top half
of the orange into three portions of equal width. Do the same for the bottom half of the
orange. These are parallels, or lines of latitude. Mark them with their values: 0°, 30°, 60°.
Where would be 90°?
* Find the black X on the orange.
* Set the orange on the table, south pole end down, and the X on the side away from you. Look
at the orange from above. Setting the X as the zero point of a 360° circle, mark off the locations
of 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360°.
* Draw a line that extends through the X, from the north pole to the south pole. This is the
prime meridian. Tell its value of longitude.
* On the orange, draw a line of longitude at 180°.
* In the most commonly used system, we give longitude as being either to the west or to the
east of the prime meridian. The highest longitude value possible in this system is 180°.
* On a globe of the world, identify the locations of the north pole, south pole, equator, and
prime meridian.
* Find the red X on the orange. Determine its latitude and longitude. Be sure to specify if it is N
or S latitude, and E or W longitude.
* Using a globe or world map, determine the latitude and longitude of any point. Be sure to
specify whether the point is at a N or S latitude, and E or W longitude.
- What are the values of latitude at the equator, north pole, and south pole?
- Where is the longitude equal to 0°? 180°? 360°? 90°W? 90°E? -90°?
- Where is the prime meridian?
- Use latitude and longitude to locate a point.
* Use latitude and longitude to outline a rectangular area or "window". (Choose the area from
this list.)
HINTS:
- Be careful with notation of North vs. South, or East vs. West.
- Do you need negative signs, or not?
- Consider using Google Earth to complete this task. - Watch out for some of the pitfalls
illustrated in this diagram:
EARTHQUAKES
* Sketch a diagram that illustrates the meaning of the earthquake terms focus and epicenter.
* Explain the differences and similarities between P-waves and S-waves. (See a short video
here. Longitudinal waves are P-waves, and transverse waves are S-waves.)
* Tell how the S-P (or P-S) lag relates to distance traveled by earthquake waves.
* Explain how a seismograph works.
* Demonstrate how to read a graph that illustrates time and distance traveled by earthquake
waves.
* Given any travel time for a P wave or an S wave from its epicenter to a seismograph,
determine the distance the wave traveled.
* You were assigned a geotectonically active study site. Come to class with the top and bottom
latitude coordinates and the left and right longitude coordinates for a "window" or rectangular
area encompassing that study site. You should have the coordinates written down and ready to
hand in.
* Examine the Rapid Earthquake Viewer to see some recent seismograms (google "Rapid
Earthquake Viewer").
- Select one of the Recent Earthquakes at the left.
- Scroll down and click on a Station Code.
- Click the box for "Overlay estimated P-wave/S-wave arrival times".
- Under "Select Zoom" choose "Around P-wave".
- How long is the P-S lag?
* Given any travel time for a P-wave or an S-wave from its epicenter to a seismograph,
determine the distance the wave traveled. Worksheets for this exercise appear here. This
exercise is adapted from a version Copyright 2004 by Dave Robison and Steve Kluge. The full
version appears here.
* "The longer the P-S lag is, the smaller / larger (choose one) the distance is between the
earthquake epicenter and the seismograph."
* Create an earthquake map of your area. The steps are listed in this document. Warning: You
must follow these steps exactly, or your map won't work out.