🪨 Geology — Intermediate#

Scope — Plate tectonics, rock formation processes, and surface‑shaping mechanisms.

Key concepts#

• Plate tectonics — movement of lithospheric plates driving earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain building.
• Weathering and erosion — breakdown and transport of rock by physical, chemical, and biological processes.
• Sedimentary processes — deposition, compaction, and cementation forming layered rocks.

Seed Q&A triads#

• Q: How does plate tectonics explain the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes?
  A: Most occur at plate boundaries where plates collide, separate, or slide past one another.

• Q: What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
  A: Weathering breaks rock down in place; erosion transports the broken material elsewhere.

• Q: Why do sedimentary rocks often contain fossils?
  A: They form at or near Earth’s surface where organisms live and sediments can bury and preserve remains.

Short exercises#

• Map major plate boundaries and identify the dominant geological hazards associated with each type.