Science outline - Test Wednesday

1. Describe the difference between a mountain's elevation and a mountain's actual height.
    • elevation - height above sea level
    • actual height - distance from base to peak

 

2. Describe what a relief map is used for.
    • shows changes in altitude

 

3. Give examples of mountain ranges and a mountain system.
    • mountain range - group of nearby mountains
                                   - Blue Ridge
    • mountain system - group of mountain ranges
                                    - Appalachian

 

4. Give two examples of mountain references in the Bible.

Mount Sinai, Mount Ararat

 

5. Describe how mountains are formed from the following processes:
-deposition: volcanoes, sand dunes, glacial deposits (ex: moraines, drumlins); formed by the accumulation of rock
-erosion: formed from erosion of a plateau (ex: mesas, buttes)
-folding: when force is applied there are bends in the strata (anti-cline: rainbow shaped bends; syncline: smiley face shaped bends)
-faulting: caused by earthquakes; jagged peaks; Sierra Nevadas

 

6. Identify a notable mountain in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

North America - Mount McKinley

South America - Aconcagua

Europe - Matterhorn

Asia - Mount Everest

 

7. Explain the Pangaea theory. What evidence gives it credibility?

Alfred Wegener introduced his theory of continental drift and said that the continents could have been one continent because they fit together like a rough puzzle

8. Which tectonic plate does Mt. Pleasant rest on?

North American plate

 

9. Describe how a seismograph works and how the Richter scale is used to measure earthquake activity.

• seismograph- a flexible rod moves when the earth does and draws zigzagged lines on paper to show seismic activity.

• Richter scale- it shows the magnitude of the earthquake  (look at the hand out sheet with the scale)

10. How are the focus and epicenter of an earthquake determined?

• focus-the center of the earthquakes activity, usually several miles underground

• epicenter- the place on the earth's surface directly above the focus

• the epicenter is the point on the ground directly above the focus

 

11. Describe P waves, S waves, and L waves.

• P waves- first waves to arrive at seismic station, can travel through core
• S waves- second to arrive, can travel through outer core
• L waves- last to arrive, travel along surface of the earth

 

12. Explain how San Francisco and Los Angeles may some day be at the same latitude along the San Andreas fault.

San Fransisco and Los Angeles are along the San Andreas fault and when a major earthquake hit large portions of the coast could fall into the ocean

 

13. How does a volcano erupt?

magma builds up pressure below the volcano. then the magma flows up through the vent (hole in the top) and comes out (then the substance is called lava)

 

14. Describe the vent(s) and crater(s) of a volcano.
    • vent - cylindrical opening that connects the surface of the earth with a source of molten rock
    • crater - opening in the cone caused by pressurized magma

 

15. Identify the destructive forces in earthquake eruptions.

ash, cinders (large ash), bombs (solid lava), lava, gases

 

16. Identify the regions with the greatest volcanic activity.

places along the plate boundaries have major volcanic and earthquake activity (ex: "The Ring of Fire" around the Pacific Ocean)