Study Questions Week 4

What is the driving force of plate tectonics?

What role does radioactivity play in determining a planets structure?

Describe what the magnetization of the ocean floor tells us about the history of Earth's magnetic field, and also about the motion of plates.

Describe the formation of an impact crater. Describe what is meant be the terms "hypersonic" and  "shock wave" with regards to the formation of an impact crater.

Describe the morphology and features of an impact crater. (See Figure 9.7 of handout)

Define the terms: primary crater, secondary crater, ejecta blanket, rays, simple crater, central peak, complex crater, multiring basin.

How are secondary craters formed?

Explain the differences between simple craters, complex craters, and multiring basins.

What factors govern a crater’s size and morphology?

What is meant by "crater saturation equilibrium"?

Explain in a general way how crater counts are used to date surfaces.

Explain how radioactive dating is used to determine ages.

What is superposition and why is it important?

Review and Discussion 

Ch. 7: 1, 7, 8a, 10, 11 ("left over" from last week's maaterial)

Study questions from other weeks:

week 1 | week2 | week 3 | week 4 | week 5 | week 6 | week 7 | week 8 | week 9 | week 10 | week 11 | week 12 | week 13 | week 14