Planet Earth – Unit Final Review
Topic 1 – Earth’s surface undergoes gradual and sudden changes
1.1 A model for Earth
o What are the 4 layers of the Earth?
o How thick is each? What is each made of?
1.2 Sudden Earth Events
o Earthquakes
 What is the epicenter? Focus?
 What is the Richter scale? What is the difference between magnitude 6 and
7?
 What are p-waves, s-waves? Which arrive first? Why?
 What causes Earthquakes? Where are most located? Why?
o Volcanoes
 What is the difference between magma and lava?
 Where are most volcanoes located? Why?
 What does the inside of a volcano look like? P 360
1.3 Weathering and Erosion
o What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
o How are hoodoos formed? P 363
o There are 3 types of weathering: mechanical, chemical and biological. What are the
differences/similarities between them?
o Fluvial landforms are created by running water (ie. Rivers). Describe the different
shapes of rivers.
o What are glaciers? How do they carve our landscape?
Topic 2 – The rock cycle describes how rocks form and change over time
2.1 What are rocks and minerals?
 What are minerals? How many are there? Name some common examples.
 Some properties of minerals are: colour, lustre, streak, cleavage, fracture, hardness
– know what these terms mean.
 What is Moh’s Hardness test? What does hardness of 8 mean? Can it scratch a 7 or
a 9?
2.2 Three classes of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
 Igneous rock – formed from the cooling of melted rock (intrusive/extrusive)
o Examples: obsidian, basalt, granite
 Granite is made of the minerals quarts, feldspar, mica and hornblende
 Sedimentary rock – formed by compacting sediments on the earth’s surface
o Examples: Limestone, sandstone, shale, coal
 Metamorphic Rock – formed under the earth’s surface with intense heat and pressure
o Examples: slate, schist, gneiss
 Gneiss is made of quartz, feldspar, mica and hornblende
 Geology Tools and Techniques p 384
o Remote sensing – mapping of Earth’s surface
o Geophysical Prospecting – using instruments to detect what’s hidden deep
underground
o Geochemical Prospecting – analyzing samples
o Exploration – drilling holes
2.3 The Rock Cycle
o Rocks do not stay in one form forever, refer to the diagram on page 386. What
processes cause the cycle?
o What was Alberta like 70 million years ago? What type of rock was being formed? How
do you know?
o The oldest layer of rock in Alberta is the Precambrian Shield formed between 544 and
4500 million years ago. (World’s oldest)
Topic 3 – Landforms provide evidence of change
3.1 Continental drift
o Who first proposed the idea that continents move? What 4 pieces of evidence did he
use to support his theory?
3.2 Plate Tectonics
o The crust of the Earth is broken into how many large pieces?
o Where on the planet are there diverging boundaries? What happens at a divergent
boundary?
o Where on the planet are there convergent boundaries? What happens at those
boundaries? Hint – there are 2 different types
o What is a transform boundary? What happens there?
3.3 Mountain Building
o What is a mountain? Mountain range?
o How do mountains form? How did the Rockies form?
o There are several types of mountains: fold, fault, dome, volcanic, plateau
o What is the difference between anticline and syncline?
Topic 4 – The fossil record provides evidence of Earth’s changes over time
4.1 Tracing evidence of geologic change using fossils
o What is a fossil? How are they formed? Refer to diagram on page 412
o Is a fossil actually bone? What is it then?
o What is a trace fossil?
o What is the difference between a cast and a mould?
o I’m 12 years old (absolute age). I am younger than my teacher (relative age)
4.2 Methods used to interpret fossils
o What is amber? Why is it an important fossil bed?
o Layers of sedimentary rock are called strata. Which layer is the oldest? Youngest?
o How do paleontologists use strata to determine the age of fossils?
o Who was Joseph Burr Tyrell? What did he do?
4.3 Geologic Time
o How old is the Earth?
o The Earth’s history is divided into 4 main groups (Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic
and Cenozoic).
o What are these groups called?
o What happened at the end of each era? What was the cause of this?
o In which era did dinosaurs live?