Geohistory & Plate Tectonics Study Guide
What should I use to study?
1. Geologic time scale (yellow)
2. Earth Viewer Activity Packet
3. Plate Tectonic and Plate Boundaries note sheet (green)
4. Google Earth Plate Tectonics Tour
5. Plate Tectonics Powerpoint and Notes
Geohistory
1. Formation and age of the Earth
2. 4 major eras
a. ex: Precambrian- approximately 88% of Earth’s history. Earliest
life forms developed
3. 11 major periods-major events within each period
a. ex: Quaternary- current period. Earliest humans. Ice sheets melted
4. life started in the ocean
a. ocean life -- insects - land plants (ferns) - fish, amphibians,
cone bearing plants - reptiles, large insects, fossil fuel deposits
formed  Pangaea, mass extinction- dinosaurs, cone bearing
trees, cycads  birds - mammals- humans
Plate Tectonics
1. Layers of the Earth (5)
a. Solid/liquid /hot/cool?
b. Order of the layers (think pizza slice)
2. Continental drift
a. 3 pieces of evidence
b. Scientist who proposed theory
3. Istostasy
a. What is it
b. Example
4. Convection
a. What does it explain?
5. Paleomagnetism
a. What does it explain?
6. Plate Movement
a. 2 types of plates
i. densitiy/example
b. 3 types of plate movement
c. 7 features/formations due to plate movement
i. How do they move? What is formed?