Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Earth science |
-Study of the integrated earth systems -Study of the components of and interactions between spheres -Study if what interacts and how |
|
System |
Combination of related parts interacting in an organized fashion |
|
Geosphere |
The solid earth Minerals, rocks, soil, land masses, structures, etc.. |
|
Hydrosphere |
The liquid earth Water, ice, marine and freshwater systems, major oceans and seas, etc.. |
|
Atmosphere |
The gaseous earth Air, water vapor, weather systems, climate, etc.. |
|
Biosphere |
The living earth Life, organic matter, the human environment, etc.. |
|
Exosphere |
Beyond earth Materials and forces outside of earth Sometimes included as a component of earth, sometimes not |
|
Science |
Potential definitions: -Observation, identification, description, investigation, and explanation of natural phenomena -Process of exploration and discovery that increases our knowledge of the natural world Science is restricted to the natural world |
|
Observations |
-The lowest level in the hierarchy for science -Raw data; the building blocks for explaining natural phenomena -Should be independently measured and confirmed by others -Results should be replicated under the same experimental conditions -Not all are reliable |
|
Hypotheses |
-Second level in science hierarchy -Potential explanations for relationships within observed data -Good science relies on repeatedly trying to prove hypotheses wrong |
|
Theories |
-Top level in science hierarchy -Explanations that have withstood extensive testing and are overwhelmingly supported by all available evidence -The highest level of scientific understanding; not guess or hunches |
|
The big bang |
All matter and space was originally in a dense, hot point. This event caused a rapid expansion of space, distributing matter. After the initial expansion, temperatures decreased again and matter began to condense and "clump." |
|
Pillar 1: Red shift |
Pillar of the big bang -Deals with the behavior of waves -As waves approach us, wavelengths shorten -As waves move away, wavelengths become longer -Also happen with light: closer waves=blue, farther waves=red ---Other galaxies move away from us and are red |
|
Pillar 2: Background cosmic radiation |
Pillar of the big bang -Big bang predicted a large amount of radiation in "empty" space -Perfectly matched the properties of radiation predicted decades earlier |
|
Pillar 3: Relative abundance of light and heavy elements |
Pillar of the big bang -Big bang predicts that the universe should be dominated by light elements rather than heavy ones -This is observed and there is no other explanations for the pattern |
|
Pillar 4: Observations of galaxy structure and composition |
Pillar of the big bang -We see distant galaxies the way they were billions of years ago |
|
Criteria to be a planet |
-Orbit the sun (heliocentric orbit) -Roughly spherical in shape -Large enough to clear debris out of their orbit (Pluto was not large enough to do this) |
|
Terrestrial planets |
-Relatively close to the sun -Relatively warm -Relatively small -Solid and rocky with an internal core -Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars |
|
Jovian planets |
-Relatively far from the sun -Relatively cold -Relatively large (gas giants) -Gas dominated; little differentiation between core and crust -Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune |
|
Earth's moon |
-Orbits the earth -Formed via collision between earth and large asteroid -Responsibe for tides on earth -Riddles with impact craters |
|
Nuclear fusion |
-Under the intense heat and pressure in the interior of stars, simple elements fuse together into more complex elements -Hydrogens fuse together -Source of energy for the sun and other starts |
|
Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) |
-Small bodies drawn by gravitational attraction to the sun into a position close to earth -Asteroids, comets, and meteoroids -Representatives of the exosphere |
|
Asteroids |
NEOs -Small, irregular, rocky or metallic bodies that orbit the sun -Found primarily in the inner solar system |
|
Comets |
NEOs -Small, primarily icy bodies drawn toward the sun by gravitational attraction -Have a coma: a tail that shoots off the back |
|
Short period comets |
-Orbits are less than 200 years -Originate in the Kuiper Belt (basically a ring around the solar system) |
|
Long period comets |
-Orbits are longer than 200 years -Originate in the Oort Cloud which is very distant from the sun |
|
Meteoroids |
NEOs -Very small rocky and/or icy bodies in orbit around the sun -Likely pieces of asteroids or comets -Meteors if they vaporize in the atmosphere (shooting star/flash of light) -Meteorites if they land on Earth's surface |
|
Impact hazards at the site of impact |
-Complete vaporization -Ground zero for an explosion orders of magnitude larger than a nuclear blast |
|
Impact hazards near the site of impact |
-High pressure shockwaves -Major earthquakes -Massive tsunamis if near water -Blocks of solid material are transported rapidly along the ground -Ballistic ejecta |
|
Ballistic ejecta |
-Happens near the site of impact of an impact hazard -Chunks of solid rock blasted into lower atmosphere and rain down from above |
|
Impact hazards far from the site of impact |
-Global wildfires produced by shockwave and ejection of molten material -Global acid rain -Massive amounts of fine dust into the atmosphere -Molten material ejected from impact site rains down from above |
|
Simple craters |
Bowl-shaped depressions at the site of impact Produced by small impacts |
|
Complex craters |
Structures with central uplifts and ring fractures Produced by large impacts |
|
Inner core |
-Solid -Composed of iron and nickel -Most dense portion of the planet |
|
Outer core |
-Liquid -Also composed of iron and nickel -Slighly less dense than the inner core -Flow of fluid metal produces a field of charged particles, flowing between two poles, that surrounds the planet: magnetic field |
|
Mantle |
-Solid but with local melting -Less dense than core -Largest component of Earth's volume |
|
Crust |
-Solid -Very thin -Very low density material |
|
Oceanic crust |
-Found on the floors of major ocean basins -Denser than continental crust -Thinner than continental crust -Chemically similar to composition of mantle |
|
Continental crust |
-Found under large land masses -Less dense than oceanic crust -Thicker than oceanic crust -Very different from chemical composition of mantle |
|
Lithosphere |
-Crust uppermost mantle welded together -Solid and very rigid -Divided into a series of thin blocks (plates) |
|
Asthenosphere |
-Rest of the mantle, beneath lithosphere -Capped by local melting zones, which permits some flow |
|
Evidence considered for continental drift |
-Fit of continental margins -Bedrock geology between continents -Distribution of fossils -Distribution of mountain belts of equal age -Disrtribution of evidence for glaciation -Evidence for specific climatic conditions |
|
Trenches |
-Sites where old lithosphere, specifically oceanic crust, is brought down into the Earth's interior -The edge of one lithospheric plate where destruction of old crust is occurring to compensate for generation of new material at mid-ocean ridges -The process at trenches is subduction |
|
Subduction |
-One tectonic plate moves under an adjacent plate and sinks into the interior of the Earth -Oceanic crust sinks and continental crust floats -Volcanoes are found just inland of trenches -Deep earthquakes |
|
Divergent boundaries |
-Two adjacent plates move away from each other -Associated with rifting -Between 2 oceanic plates causes mid-ocean ridges -Between 2 continental plates causes rift basins |
|
Convergent boundaries |
-Two adjacent plates move toward each other -Associated with collision -Responsible for the destruction of crust |
|
Convergent boundaries between two oceanic plates |
-Relatively rare -The older oceanic plate is subducted under the younger one -Produced trenches -Produces volcanic island arcs |
|
Convergent boundaries between two continental plates |
-No trenches, no subduction, no volcanoes -Shallow earthquakes -Huge mountain ranges are pushed up |
|
Transform boundaries |
-Two adjacent plates slide alongside each other -No subduction or collision, no trenches, no volcanoes, etc.. -Lots of shallow earthquakes |
|
Passive margins |
-Two adjacent plates "lock" and move together in the same direction -No subduction occurs here |