HONORS EARTH SCIENCE FINAL EXAM REVIEW
You may use a 3x5 card on this exam (both sides) hand written only
OCEANS- chapter 14
1. Determine how ocean currents influence the climate of the U.S. (use current names)
2. Explain how surface currents form
3. Explain how deep currents (thermohaline) form
4. Describe the effects of El Nino (chapter 17)
MINERALS- CHAPTER 1
1. Identify common minerals
pyrite, magnetite, hematite, galena, quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite, calcite,
hornblende, muscovite
2. Identify and recognize mineral properties
Cleavage
conchodial fracture
hardness
3. Define a mineral using the scientific definition
4. Determine an atom’s number of protons, neutrons and electrons from its mass and number
5. Determine if an atom is an ion or isotope from the number of p, e, n,
6. Identify common facets
7. Determine a diamond’s value based on the 4 C’s.
ROCKS- CHAPTER 2
1. Interpret the rock cycle. Explain what needs to happen for one rock type to transform into
another rock type.
2. Classify igneous rocks based on color (felsic, mafic)
3. Which rock makes up the majority of the ocean floor? Continents?
4. Identify igneous rocks (pumice, granite, obsidian, basalt, rhyolite, scoria)
5. Match igneous rocks with the conditions where they formed
relate crystal size (texture) to cooling rate
intrusive vs. extrusive
volcano type
6. Identify common sedimentary rocks from description (limestone, sandstone, conglomerate,
shale, coal) AND explain how and where they formed ( see #7)
7. Recognize depositional environments of sedimentary rocks (ex. conglomerate= river)
8. Categorize a rock as either clastic, chemical or bioclastic
9. Identify common metamorphic rocks (marble, slate, quartzite, schist, gneiss)
10. Relate original rock type (parent rock) to metamorphic rocks
11. Explain the difference between contact and regional metamorphism
WEATHERING, SOIL AND MASS MOVEMENTS- CHAPTER 3
1. Recognize examples of physical weathering and chemical weathering
2. Describe the causes and effects (on various rocks) of acid rain
3. Describe beach preservation techniques (groins, seawalls, rip-rap)
4. Determine longshore current direction from groins
WATER- CHAPTER 4
1. Recognize depositional features of streams
2.Describe the 3 “loads” of a stream
3. Determine the age of a river (early vs. late stage)
4. Calculate a stream’s gradient from a topo map
5. Recognize flood plain from a diagram
6. Explain how wetlands help a watershed
7. Study the MI watershed map. What are the lines on the map called? What are the names
referring to?
8. Describe what an artesian well is and how it forms
9. Locate and describe the water table from a diagram
10. Describe what rocks make good aquifers
11. Describe the Ogallala aquifer
12. Locate a good place to bury toxic waste on a cross section
13. Define infiltration as it relates to groundwater
GLACIERS- CHAPTER 5
1. Recognize the pattern of Michigan moraines
2. Describe proof that Michigan was covered by glaciers
3. Recognize features the glaciers left behind and how they formed. (moraines, kettle lakes,
outwash plains, etc) Determine which are deposited and which were eroded.
4. Explain the formation of the Great Lakes
5. When did the last Ice Age occur? ( geo time period? years?)
6. Describe isostatic rebound
GEOLOGIC TIME- CHAPTERS 10 &11
1. Identify common fossils from descriptions or pictures
2. Describe the even that happened between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods.
3. Interpret a geologic cross section. Order events, age of events.
4. Determine the age of a sample from isotope data
5. What is the usefulness of carbon-14?
6. Define relative dating techniques (superposition, cross cutting, horizontality)
7 Describe dominate life forms during the 4 geologic eras
8. Recognize the 3 different unconformities
angular, disconformity, nonconformity
9. Explain how the MI basin formed. Where are the youngest and oldest rocks?
TECTONICS-CHAPTERS 6, 7, 8
1. Which layer of the Earth produces the magnetic field?
2. Describe the 4 layers of the Earth
3. Explain why the inside of the earth is so hot
4. Compare ocean crust with continental crust
5. Recognize what is happening along convergent, subduction, transform and divergent plate
boundaries. Give an example of each.
6. Determine the age of rocks on each side of a rift
7. Describe the theory which explains the movement of plates
8. Describe evidence to support the theory of Pangaea
9. Locate common earthquake zones and volcano zones
10. Describe the 3 types of earthquake waves and relate to interior of the Earth
11. Calculate the distance from the epicenter from seismograph data
12. Compare the Richter scale and the Mercalli scale
13. Relate the depth of an earthquake’s focus to plate boundaries
14. Recognize eruption characteristics of the 4 types of volcanoes
15. Relate plate boundaries and rock type to the 4 different types of volcanoes
16. Describe how the silica content of magma affects a volcano
17. Determine the age of hot spot islands and the direction of plate movement from a diagram
18. Describe where hot spot volcanoes form
19. Describe how volcanoes can effect Earth’s 4 spheres (atmo., geo, hydro., bio)
ECONOMIC GEOLOGY
1. Distinguish renewable resources from nonrenewable resources
2. evaluate the pros and cons of producing electricity from
Geothermal Coal Nuclear Wind Natural gas
3. Explain why MI has so many gravel pits
4. Recognize ores mined in Michigan
5. Explain the uses of petroleum and recognize oil traps