GE 2000
Review Sheet- Exam 1
Minerals
- Know the characteristics that fulfill the definition of a mineral
- Know the definitions of the common physical properties used for identifying minerals
- Know the relative abundance of major elements in Earth’s crust and how it relates to minerals
- Know the composition of the major mineral groups
Rocks
- What is meant by the rock cycle?
- Igneous rocks
- magma vs. lava; intrusive vs. extrusive, plutonic vs. volcanic
- what is the source for magma; what are the mechanisms that trigger rock to melt at
depth?
- what are the different magma types and how do they compare in composition?
- what are the different processes that can affect a magma’s final composition (partial
melting, assimilation, etc.)
- know the major points of Bowen’s Reaction Series
- know how igneous rocks are classified
- Sedimentary rocks
- know the different processes involved in physical and chemical weathering
- know the major types of sedimentary rocks and how they are classified
- know what lithification means
- know how limestone forms
- know the sedimentary environments were particular sedimentary rocks are formed
- Metamorphic rocks
- know what causes rocks to metamorphose
- know the different things that can happen to a rock when it undergoes metamorphism
(i.e. change in texture, change in minerals)
- know how metamorphic rocks are classified
- know what foliation is
- know what is meant by metamorphic grade
- know the different types of metamorphism (i.e. contact, regional, etc.)
Plate Tectonics
- core vs. mantle vs. crust (dimensions, properties, and composition)
- lithosphere vs. asthenosphere vs. continental crust vs. oceanic crust (dimensions, properties, and
composition)
- know the concepts of the continental drift hypothesis
- know the concepts involved in seafloor spreading
- know the characteristics of the three major plate boundaries: convergent, divergent,
and transform
- know the characteristics of hot spots and rift systems
- know how paleomagnetism and polar wander curves have contributed to the theory of plate
Tectonics