Geology102:Flashcard-Unit01

Front

What is the difference between objective and subjective observations?

Back

Objective observations are based on facts; subjective observations are based on personal feelings.

Front

Igneous rocks form by __________.

Back

crystallization.

Front

What scientific method was used to determine the age of the Earth?

Back

Radiometric dating.

Front

What does it mean when scientific claims are described as falsifiable?

Back

They can be tested and proven false.

Front

What allows the tectonic plates to float and move about on the mantle?

Back

The flexibility of the upper mantle.

Front

Define igneous rock.

Back

A type of rock formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

Front

What is the rock cycle?

Back

The continuous process of rock formation, breakdown, and reformation through geological processes.

Front

Explain the process of lithification.

Back

The process by which sediments compact under pressure, expel fluids, and gradually become solid rock.

Front

What is the significance of radiometric dating in geology?

Back

It allows scientists to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Front

Define tectonic plates.

Back

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.