TASC SCIENCE STUDY PACKET DAY 2: Earth and Space Science

Good Day TASC takers. Here is day 2 out of a 7 day science prep course. If you prefer to work offline and need to download the entire study file click on the link below:

TASC 7 DAY SCIENCE STUDY GUIDE 

Remember to pay special attention to vocabulary. Many questions on the science exam can be better understood and therefore correctly answered if you know your vocabulary. Take the time look up words and understand their meaning so that you are not surprised by them on the exam. In most cases I have underlined key vocabulary that you should know. However, feel free to look up anything that stumps you. 

Earth and Space Science Day 2: Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. 

The Earth is made up of several different layers. We live on the outer most layer known as the crust. The crust that we live on was once part of the Asthenosphere, a section of the earth that is filled with liquid molten rock beneath the crust known as magma.  

The theory of plate tectonics or continental drift as developed by Alfred Wegener explains that Earth’s crust and lithosphere are divided up into rigid, slowly moving pieces called tectonic plates that move through a convection (heat) process. Gravity also contributes to the movement of the plates by the force that it exerts on the crust.

Wegener theorized that all of earth’s plates were once one mega land mass that he called Pangea. The theory of plate tectonics teaches us a lot about Earth. It describes how the mantle and crust of Earth interact with each other. It makes clear why mountains, ocean basins or continents form where they do. It also explains why volcanoes and earthquakes so often appear on plate boundaries.

At transform boundaries, two plates slide past each other horizontally. Transform boundaries are associated with faults and devastating earthquakes. When transform faults bend, one of two different structures will form. A pull-apart basin that has a long, narrow depression that collects sediment or fills with water. On the other hand, plate motion may cause blocks of crust to jam together, creating ridges and folds called transverse ridges.

Hint: It is important to know the direction that the plates are moving in order to answer the questions on the TASC exam. Be sure to associate the vocabulary with the arrow movement (direction that the plates are moving) and the effects of the movement. 

At convergent boundaries, plates move together. There are two types of convergent boundaries, collisional and subduction zones. Collisional boundaries occur when two plates bearing continental crust are colliding and are  associated with large mountains and earthquakes.

Subduction zones occur where dense oceanic crust moves under, or is subducted, below less-dense crust. Subduction zones are associated with island chains, ocean trenches, earthquakes, mountain ranges, and volcanoes.  

Divergent boundaries are places where plates move apart. Most divergent boundaries occur along mid-ocean ridges. These areas are also where new crust is formed as magma escapes from the Asthenosphere into the Lithosphere. The magma cools and becomes solid rock, adding to the existing crust.

Day 2 Practice

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Day 2 Practice Quiz