The University of the State of New York • THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT • Albany, New York 12234 • www.nysed.

gov

cm 1
Earth Science Reference Tables

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PHYSICAL CONSTANTS

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Radioactive Decay Data Specific Heats of Common Materials

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RADIOACTIVE DISINTEGRATION HALF-LIFE MATERIAL SPECIFIC HEAT
ISOTOPE (years) (calories/gram • C°)

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3 solid 0.5
5.7 × 10
{
14 14
Carbon-14 C N
Water liquid 1.0

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Ar
40 9 gas 0.5
Potassium-40 K
40
40 1.3 × 10
Ca Dry air 0.24

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9 Basalt 0.20
Uranium-238 U
238
Pb
206 4.5 × 10 Granite 0.19
Iron 0.11

8
10
Rubidium-87 Rb
87
Sr
87 4.9 × 10 Copper 0.09
Lead 0.03

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10
Properties of Water
Energy gained during melting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 calories/gram

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Energy released during freezing ............ 80 calories/gram

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Energy gained during vaporization ........ 540 calories/gram
Energy released during condensation . . . . . 540 calories/gram

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Density at 3.98°C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00 gram/milliliter

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EQUATIONS

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Percent deviation difference from accepted value
deviation (%) = × 100

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from accepted value accepted value

Eccentricity of an ellipse eccentricity = distance between foci

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length of major axis
change in field value
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Gradient gradient =
distance

change in field value

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Rate of change rate of change =

time
mass
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Density of a substance density =

volume
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2001 EDITION EURYPTERUS

This edition of the Earth Science Reference Tables should be used in the
24

classroom beginning in the 2000–2001 school year. The first examination

for which these tables will be used is the January 2001 Regents
Examination in Earth Science. New York State Fossil
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(Revised November 2006)

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Generalized Landscape Regions of New York State

S
AND
L
W

DS
GRENVILLE PROVINCE LO
E

AN
(HIGHLANDS) ENC
R
W
. LA
ST

INTERIOR LOWLANDS
ADIRONDACK
MOUNTAINS
CHAMPLAIN LOWL

LAKE ONTARIO
TUG
HILL
PLATEAU
E
C
ERIE–ONTARIO LOWLANDS IN
(PLAINS) V
RO
S

P S)
N DS

D ND
LAKE N A
ERIE LA HL
W LA

G G
OUNTAIN

EN (HI
ALLEGHENY PLATEAU
M
K LO

EW
N
IC

THE
CATSKILLS
– MO HAW
TACON

S
N

IG HLAND
) H
SO

DS SON
D

AN HUD NG
PRO
HU

PL TA N
(U HAT
U MAN
T EA
A
PL KEY

NA
Major Geographic Province Boundary IN

HI
L PLA

C
TA
S

Landscape Region Boundary OAS N

LA
I CC
ND

NT
A

PA
A
L K

State Boundary L

P
W R

AT

A
N

International Boundary
LO EWA

Earth Science Reference Tables — 2001 Edition (Revised November 2006)

 Generalized Bedrock Geology of New York State
modified from
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
1989

ara River
g
ia

Earth Science Reference Tables — 2001 Edition (Revised November 2006)

N

GEOLOGICAL PERIODS AND ERAS IN NEW YORK

CRETACEOUS, TERTIARY, PLEISTOCENE (Epoch) weakly consolidated to unconsolidated gravels, sands, and clays
LATE TRIASSIC and EARLY JURASSIC conglomerates, red sandstones, red shales, and diabase (in Palisades Sill) O UND
AND S
Dominantly ISL
PENNSYLVANIAN and MISSISSIPPIAN conglomerates, sandstones, and shales NG
DEVONIAN Sedimentary LO
limestones, shales, sandstones, and conglomerates
SILURIAN } Silurian also contains salt, gypsum, and hematite. Origin
ORDOVICIAN
limestones, shales, sandstones, and dolostones
CAMBRIAN }
CAMBRIAN and EARLY ORDOVICIAN sandstones and dolostones
Moderately to intensely metamorphosed east of the Hudson River.
} Dominantly
CAMBRIAN and ORDOVICIAN (undifferentiated) quartzites, dolostones, marbles, and schists Metamorphosed
Intensely metamorphosed; includes portions of the Taconic Sequence and Cortlandt Complex.
TACONIC SEQUENCE sandstones, shales, and slates Rocks
Slightly to intensely metamorphosed rocks of CAMBRIAN through MIDDLE ORDOVICIAN ages.
MIDDLE PROTEROZOIC gneisses, quartzites, and marbles
Lines are generalized structure trends. Intensely Metamorphosed Rocks
}
MIDDLE PROTEROZOIC anorthositic rocks } (regional metamorphism about 1,000 m.y.a.)

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 Surface Ocean Currents

4 Earth Science Reference Tables — 2001 Edition (Revised November 2006)

 Tectonic Plates

Philippine
Plate

Fiji

Earth Science Reference Tables — 2001 Edition (Revised November 2006)

Plate

dge
Mid-Atlantic Ri

Sandwich
Plate

KEY: overriding
plate

Divergent Plate Boundary
(usually broken by transform
faults along mid-ocean ridges)
subducting
plate Transform Plate Boundary Complex or Uncertain Relative Motion Mantle
(Transform Fault) Plate Boundary at Plate Boundary Hot Spot
Convergent Plate Boundary
(Subduction Zone)

Mid-Ocean Ridge

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NOTE: Not all plates and boundaries are shown.
 Rock Cycle in Earth’s Crust Relationship of Transported
Burial Particle Size to Water Velocity
De 100.0
Compaction po
s it
n ion
tio BOULDERS
ta 10.0 25.6 cm
en COBBLES

PARTICLE DIAMETER (cm)

6.4 cm
m
Ce

SEDIMENTS 1.0 PEBBLES

SEDIMENTARY 0.1 0.2 cm

Erosion
ROCK

Weathering & Erosion

We (Up SAND
athe lift)
ring 0.01
Heat and/or Pressu

& Er 0.006 cm
osio
Metamorphism

Melting

n
0.001 SILT
/or Pressure
t a nd
Hea tamorphism

(Uplift)
0.0004 cm
Me 0.0001
CLAY

lift) io n IGNEOUS
0.00001
os
re

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

(Up & Er
ring ROCK STREAM VELOCITY (cm/sec)
the
Wea
lting *This generalized graph shows the water velocity needed to
METAMORPHIC Me

ion
maintain, but not start, movement. Variations occur due to
at
ROCK ic if differences in particle density and shape.
li d
So
Me
ltin
g MAGMA

Scheme for Igneous Rock Identification GRAIN TEXTURE

SIZE

crystalline
Obsidian Non-
Basaltic Glass

Non-
(usually appears black) vesicular
ENVIRONMENT OF FORMATION

Glassy
EXTRUSIVE
(Volcanic)

Pumice Vesicular Basaltic Glass Vesicular

IGNEOUS ROCKS

(gas
Vesicular Rhyolite Vesicular Vesicular pockets)
Scoria
less than
Andesite Basalt

1 mm
Fine
Rhyolite Andesite Basalt
larger 10 mm
Dunite
10 mm 1 mm

Peri- Non-
INTRUSIVE

Granite Diorite Coarse

to

Gabbro
(Plutonic)

dotite vesicular

Very
or

Pegmatite Coarse
CHARACTERISTICS

LIGHT COLOR DARK

LOW DENSITY HIGH

FELSIC (Al) COMPOSITION MAFIC (Fe, Mg)
100% 100%
Potassium
feldspar
(pink to white)
MINERAL COMPOSITION

75% 75%
Quartz
(Relative by Volume)

(clear to
white) Plagioclase feldspar
(white to gray)
50% 50%
Pyroxene
(green)
Biotite
(black)
25% Olivine 25%
(green)
Amphibole
(black)

0% 0%

6 Earth Science Reference Tables — 2001 Edition (Revised November 2006)

 Scheme for Sedimentary Rock Identification
INORGANIC LAND-DERIVED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TEXTURE GRAIN SIZE COMPOSITION COMMENTS ROCK NAME MAP SYMBOL

Pebbles, cobbles, Rounded fragments Conglomerate

and/or boulders
embedded in sand, Mostly
silt, and/or clay quartz, Angular fragments Breccia
feldspar, and
Clastic Sand clay minerals; Fine to coarse Sandstone
(fragmental) (0.2 to 0.006 cm)
may contain
fragments of . . . . .
Silt Very fine grain Siltstone . . . .
(0.006 to 0.0004 cm) other rocks . . . . .
. . . .
and minerals
Clay Compact; may split
Shale
(less than 0.0004 cm) easily

CHEMICALLY AND/OR ORGANICALLY FORMED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

TEXTURE GRAIN SIZE COMPOSITION COMMENTS ROCK NAME MAP SYMBOL

Varied Halite Rock Salt

Crystals from
chemical
Crystalline Varied Gypsum precipitates Rock Gypsum
and evaporites
Varied Dolomite Dolostone
Cemented shell
Microscopic to coarse Calcite fragments or precipitates Limestone
of biologic origin
Bioclastic
Varied Carbon From plant remains Coal

Scheme for Metamorphic Rock Identification

GRAIN TYPE OF
TEXTURE SIZE COMPOSITION METAMORPHISM COMMENTS ROCK NAME MAP SYMBOL

Fine Regional Low-grade Slate

metamorphism of shale
FOLIATED

ALIGNMENT
MINERAL

(Heat and Foliation surfaces shiny from

Fine pressure Phyllite
microscopic mica crystals
to increase
AMPHIBOLE

with depth)
MICA

medium
FELDSPAR
QUARTZ

Platy mica crystals visible from

GARNET

metamorphism of clay or Schist

PYROXENE

feldspars
BAND-

Medium High-grade metamorphism;

ING

to some mica changed to feldspar; Gneiss

segregated by mineral type
coarse into bands

Contact Various rocks changed by

Fine Variable heat from nearby Hornfels
(Heat)
magma/lava
NONFOLIATED

Quartz Metamorphism of quartz Quartzite

Fine sandstone
to Regional
coarse Calcite and/or Metamorphism of
or Marble
dolomite limestone or dolostone
Contact
Various minerals Pebbles may be distorted
Coarse in particles Metaconglomerate
or stretched
and matrix

Earth Science Reference Tables — 2001 Edition (Revised November 2006) 7