The following are questions made up by me, information which I think is going to be relevant to study for the final.  This does not mean you should only focus on this and not the other information which is not covered here, it is your responsibility to study all the material.  Use these questions as more of a practice to what may or may not be on the exam.

Part 1.

1. We studied that the earth's layers are different in their physical properties and chemical composition.  What is the difference between the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core, and how does can this be used in our interpretation of these layers and earth's formation as a whole?

2. What is the difference between the Lithosphere and the Crust?  How about the Asthenosphere and the Mantle?

3. What is the characteristic signature of the Asthenosphere?

4.  Convergent, divergent and transform boundaries are "where the action is".   Make sure you understand the three.   How do these boundaries work? What drives them?  What is the physical process associated with each?  Look at each boundary and think of all the associated geology which is caused by this tectonic setting.
eg:  In convergent boundaries we see a lot of volcanoes and earthquakes, also the rocks are the way they are because of this environment, both on the surface and inside the earth.

5.  Rocks are made of minerals.  Explain how temperature and pressure plays an important role in how mineral grow and form rocks.  How does chemical composition of the magma source play a role in what kind of rock is formed?

6.  Most rocks belong to which group?  Why is this group the most abundant?
 

Part 2
 

7. Know that the three major rock classifications are.  Know the rock cycle like a story.   What are the two major igneous rocks?  How do they differ in physical appearance, chemical composition, give an example/

8. If you were out in the field (somewhere in California) and came across a coarse grained felsic granite and then walked some more and found a section of a real nice gneiss.  What could you say about these two rocks in as much detail as possible?  Now focus on the bigger picture... what's going on in this environment, tectonics etc?
 

9.Discuss the difference between basaltic and andasitic lavas.  How are they created differently, what was the environment? How is that related to where you can find the two and tectonic settings?

10.Sedimentary rocks are closely associated with weathering.  How?

11.  If you pick up a sedimentary rock such as a limestone here in FL, what can you say about the geology, the environment, and the way it was formed?  How does climate (chemically and physically) play a role in the weathering?

Part 3

12.  Explain both the process and the condition in which a limestone is formed.

13.  Name two sedimentary features which may be present in sedimentary rocks and describe them and how they formed.

14.What are the most important processes which control metamorphism?

15. How does regional and contact metamorphism relate to subduction zones?

16. In the same region in the field we find both foliated and non foliated metamorphic rock, how did this happen?

17. What a strike and dip, what do they tell us?

18. How can you relate tectonic settings to structural features?  Depending on the deformation, what can you say about the physical characteristic of the material?  ie: folding, faulting and other deformation is related to plate tectonics.

19. What are the controls on mass wasting?

20. What’s the difference between porosity and permeability?  Describe a rock with has great porosity and horrible permeability.

21. The water table responds to many geologic controls such as:  what?  What non-geologic controls?  How does ground water control the geology? Give an example.
 
 

Finally, Part 4 (last one)
 
 

22.  Remember: water is the major weathering agent.  How do streams carry sediment? How does it settle from suspension?

23.  How can we use the longitudinal profile to study the effects of a river?
 

24. The fluvial environment is a dynamic system, it changes quickly over time.  Does this effect the formation and destruction of features and the feature stability?  What about learning the behavior of a fluvial system?

25. The coasts are dominated by two major processes, what are they and how did they happen?
 

26. How can fault investigations be made using seismic surveying?

27. Know how to locate the epicenter.
 

28. Relate the earth interior, seismic waves, plate tectonics, volcanoes, rocks and earth’s climate.
(I know that’s the biggie)

29. How are rates of plate movements calculated?
 

Good Luck!!!