Earth Science College Prep
Final Exam Review
General Earth Science Knowledge
1. Identify which piece of lab equipment is used for which task
2. Match Earth Science careers with their science
Chapter 10 – Plate Tectonics
1. Internal structure of the earth: variations in temperature, pressure, density and composition
2. Identify how we know the layers of the interior separate
3. Alfred Wegener’s concept Continental Drift over the past 250 million years
4. Sea Floor Spreading and evidence supporting (magnetic reversal, dating of ocean floor, etc.)
5. Convection currents driving plate tectonics.
6. Plate boundaries: divergent (ocean vs. continental), convergent (ocean-ocean vs. ocean-cont. vs.
cont-cont) and transform boundaries (what happens at each boundary and resultant features)
Chapter 13 - Volcanism
1. Various igneous intrusions and the resulting features.
2. How volcanoes form and why (give settings)
3. Describe the three types of volcanoes: shield, cinder cone and composite volcanoes
4. Composition (felsic vs. mafic), structure, magma (tephra, gas), nature (explosive or not) of each
volcano.
5. Events associated with volcanoes along the Pacific Rim – Ring of Fire.
6. Recall locations of various volcanoes studied (i.e. Eldfell (Iceland), Mt. St. Helens, Kilauea, HI)
7. Effect of volcanoes on humankind and our response to volcanoes
Chapter 12 – Earthquakes
1. Define Earthquake and compare the effect of different large earthquakes
2. Identify the different seismic waves (Body (P & S waves) and Surface (L-waves) associated with
earthquakes
3. Triangulation (using seismic stations to locate the epicenter of an earthquake)
4. Estimate the distance from the epicenter of an earthquake using the difference in arrival time of P
and S waves (time travel graph)
5. Relative motion of the earth’s crust with the different seismic waves.
6. Factors that determine earthquake damage (Mercalli Scale)
7. Explain the changes in P and S wave velocities inside the Earth
8. Describe the energy / intensity involved with the Richter Scale (magnitude)
Chapter 30 - Stars, Galaxies and the Universe
1. Electromagnetic spectrum
2. Describe the life cycle of a star – from nebula to black hole.
3. Explain the relationship of color to temperature
4. Interpret the H-R Diagram.
5. Balance of forces – main sequence star – gravity and electromagnetic radiation
6. Distinguish between absolute and apparent magnitude
Chapters 29 – Sun-Earth-Moon Relationship
1. Distinguish between revolution and rotation
2. Describe the phases of the moon
3. Explain the sun-moon-earth alignments effect on tides
4. Compare the different eclipses – Solar and Lunar
5. Seasons as a result of the Earth’s orbit and tilt of the Earth’s axis
Chapter 19 - Atmosphere
1. Temperature variations in the atmosphere, and its structure
2. Heat transfer to and within the atmosphere (3 types of heat transfer)
3. Composition of the atmosphere: especially regarding ozone and carbon dioxide
4. Evaporational cooling and condensational warming
Chapters 20 & 21 – Water in the Atmosphere and Weather
1. Compare and contrast the rate of warming and cooling of parts/types of surfaces
2. Dew point and the relationship of dew point and the formation of clouds
3. Differential heating of the earth’s atmosphere
4. Effect of air pressure and humidity levels affects us and the weather
5. Explain cloud formation and development, and the relationship with condensational warming
6. Air masses, fronts and how they are pictured on a weather map
7. Different pressure systems, their rotation.
8. Air mass temperature patterns across the US
9. Define Relative humidity
10. Winds associated with air pressure and Coriolis Effect
Chapters 8 Rock Record (Geologic History)
1. Describe relative and absolute dating
2. Different types of fossils and their origins
3. Describe unconformities
4. Relative dating of rock layers based on position and fossils
5. Describe unconformity
6. List and describe Laws (Principles) regarding relative dating