1. How are 'stratigraphy' and the fossil record used to unravel past events and changes in the geologic record?
2. Mass extinctions refer to the dying off of a significant fraction of the fauna in relatively short time intervals. These changes in the types of animals (and plants) have historically been used to define the geologic time scale. Explain what this means.
3. There are several geologic processes or combinations thereof that have been invoked to explain mass extinctions, including such things as (1) changes in seafloor spreading rates, sea level changes, sizes and distributions of continental land masses, volcanic effects on atmospheric composition, global climate changes in general related to volcanism and/or ocean composition, and extraterrestrial impacts. Be able to describe each of these factors and provide an example of how each has contributed to mass extinctions.
4. What is the role of mass extinctions in the overall evolution of life forms on the planet?
5. In the book it is asserted that we are currently in the midst of a mass extinction event. Explain this statement and describe the role of humans in this process.
1. Water has a remarkable ability to absorb and release heat. Describe the changes in water that cause heat to be absorbed or released. What are the natural events for which this characteristic of water is important? What is water's role in these events?
2. Why does the earth's atmosphere need to redistribute heat? What are some characteristics of the atmosphere that perform this task?
3.What types of weather are often associated with a low pressure area in the United States? What types of weather are often associated with a high pressure area in the United States? What are the common wind circulation patterns in the vicinity of low and high pressure areas?
4. What are the coditions for the formation of a tornado? When and where do tornadoes usually form?
5. What is the Coriolis effect and what roles does it play in weather patterns.
6. What is lightning? How does it work? What is thunder? How does it work?
7. What is relative humidity? How does the humidity of air masses affect how they interact with other airmasses and with the types of weather they my produce?
1. Where do hurricanes eventually affecting the east coasts of the US and Mexico usually form? What conditions are necessary for the formation and development of a hurricane?
2. Decribe the typical life-cycle of a very destructive hurricane.
3. What types of damage is a very destructive hurricane likely to do?
4. What is Storm Surge and how does it affect coastal areas?
5. What is a long-shore current and how can it affect sand distribution on beaches? What is the typical pattern of beach sand movements in the summer and the winter? What happens to beach sand during a large storm?
6. What are some ways that humans try to modify beach processes? Are these modifications successful? In your answer consider the short term and the long-term.
1. Draw a stream hydrograph for a flash flood and another for a regional flood. Make sure to label the axes of your graphs. Discuss the differences between the two hydrographs.
2. What does a typical stream profile look like? Why is onepart of the stream profile steeper than the other? Where on your stream profile would meandering streams be most likely to form? Where on your stream profile would braided streams be most likely to form?
3. Why does a stream meander? How does a meander form? (Make a sketch of a meander. Show where water is moving faster and slower. Show where sand is being eroded and where it is being deposited.)
4. What is a levee? How can levees fail? What happens if a levee fails?
5. How does urbanization affect the potential for urban flooding? How are cities trying to deal with these issues?
6. Comment on the following statements:
a) Floodplains are a great place to build a town.
b) Floodplains are a great place for agriculture.
c) Floodplains are a great place for golf courses and parks.
d) Floodplains should be avoided for all human uses.
7. A merchant makes the statements: "My business is built just outside the 100 year flood plain. We had a really bad flood 2 year ago; they said it was a 100 year flood. Now I sleep well at night because I do not have to worry about flooding affecting my business during my lifetime." What do you think about his comments?
8. Draw a cross section of a large river, showing and labeling the following, the river channel, the floodplain, natural levees, and bluffs.