For Multiple Choice Section
1) What astronomical processes made the elements H, He? What about the other elements?
2) How old is the Universe? How did our solar system form? How do we know this?
3) What do we know about the meteoroid that perhaps killed the dinosaurs? When, how big, etc.
4) What's the difference between a Comet and an Asteroid? What is a meteor? A meteorite?
5) How big a meteoroid (diameter) would wipe out most of humanity? How fast do they travel?
6) About every century, a meteor of what size hits earth? What level of damage will it cause?
7) Know the four primary evidences for a super-continent. How long ago did it break apart?
8) What evidence suggests the magnetic field on Earth switches from time to time?
9) What is plate tectonics? What happens when plates meet? Know continental versus oceanic.
10) What drives plate tectonics? Which mechanisms heat Earth? Which are still at work?
11) Know plate boundaries: mid-ocean ridges (divergent), subduction, transform and examples.
12) What happens at these plate boundaries? How and where is the continental crust created?
13) Why is the ocean floor so young? How and where is the oceanic crust created?
14) What is an isotope? What defines an element? (review lecture 4 quiz, page 17 of notes)
15) What evidence exists that the early Earth had a thick atmosphere? Where did it come from?
16) Know the three eras of the Phanerozoic eon, their date ranges and their dominate species.
17) What is the fundamental difference between pre-Cambrian and Phanerozoic rocks?
18) What significant events happened 3.5 b.y.a? About 2.5 b.y.a? 570 m.y.a? 65 m.y.a?
19) How does changing temperatures of the Earth's ocean affect carbonate formation rates?
20) How does the carbon cycle keep the earth from extreme temperature changes?
21) What was the pre-biotic Earth like? When was oxygen introduced? How?
22) What are stromatolites? What are they made of? Is this form of life extinct?
23) What evidence suggests there may have been life as far back as 3.8 b.y.a?

Concepts for Essay Section I will ask you exactly ONE of these sets of questions from the following topics. You'll need to know them all to be fully prepared. Full sentences are required, though tabular presentations are fine, too.

[Geological Eons] List the names of the four geological eons and their approximate date ranges (in years ago). What was the nature of the earth's land, ocean and air during these four eons? What was the nature of life during these four eons?

[Plate Tectonics and the Earth's Crust] How is continental Crust created? How has the amount changed with time? What drives Plate Tectonics? Why is all the oceanic crust so young? What are divergent, transform and subduction sites? Give examples of each on Earth.

[Carbon Cycle] What molecules are involved? What are the stages? How does the Carbon pass through the various stages? How has the Carbon Cycle been important to the development of Life on Earth? How has fossil fuel burning changed the balance?

[Near-Earth Objects] What size object hit the Earth when the dinosaurs became extinct? How often do such collisions occur? How often do objects like that causing the Tunguska incident occur? What type of devastation comes from such a hit? How large an object will likely cause 25% loss of humanity? How often do such collisions occur?