Transcript Geologic Evolution Vocabulary

Biological Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 5, 2011
• Charles Darwin- a naturalist that proposed
that over time, new species
developed from pre-existing
species.
• Natural Selection – a theory of Charles
Darwin’s that populations of species
evolve into new species through
adaptation and variation.
Geological Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 6, 2011
• Alfred Wegener – a German Scientist that
observed that the continents
on Earth appeared to fit together
like a big jigsaw puzzle.
• Continental Drift- Wegner’s proposal that
the continents had once been a large
single landmass (Pangaea) that has split
apart and moved.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 7, 2011
Plate Tectonics – the theory that Earth’s
lithosphere is broken into large sections
(tectonic plates) that move and change
over time.
Asthenosphere- the molten layer of the
Earth on which the tectonic plates float.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec 8, 2011
• Convergent Plate Boundary-where crust is
destroyed as one plate dives under
another.
• Divergent Plate Boundary- where new
crust is generated as the plates pull away
from each other.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 9, 2011
• Transform Boundaries- plates of the Earth
that slide past each other. Earthquakes
result from movement at transform
boundaries.
• Richter Scale- the scale used to measure
the intensity of earthquakes.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 12, 2011
• Eon- A geologic eon is the largest division
of time in geology, and is generally
considered to be around a billion years.
• Era- A division of geologic time marked by
new life forms and ending in extinction of
the primary species. (millions of years
long)
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec 13, 2011
• Period- A portion of an era, usually
thousands of years, that are denoted by
the emergence of significant life forms,
land movement, and/or extinction.
• Epoch- A geologic epoch is a span of time
smaller than a "period" and larger than an
"age", on the geologic time scale.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 14, 2011
• Absolute time- Dating fossils using
radioactive particles. (Using amount of
radioactive material left to approximate
age.) ex. Carbon 14
• Relative Time- Dating fossils using
position underground and “Index fossils”
found in the sediment.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 15, 2011
• Law of superposition- geologist use this
law to determine relative rock age. Older
rock layers lie under younger rock layers.
• Ice Cores- Samples of ice drilled from
Antarctica that contains bubbles of air that
show the history of Earth’s climate over
time.
Geologic Evolution Vocabulary
Dec. 16, 2011
• Geologic Evolution- The change in land forms
over Earth’s time.
• Biological Evolution- The change in life forms
over geologic time.
• Technological Evolution – the change in
technology in response to societal and business
needs.