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Flashcards by matthew.friar, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by matthew.friar
over 8 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| What is Earth Science? | The study of the earth and of the universe around it. |
| What is Geology | The study of the solid earth |
| What is Oceanography | The study of the earth's oceans |
| What is Meteorology? | The study of the earth's atmosphere |
| What is Astronomy? | The study of the earth's atmosphere |
| How does Ecology affect the Geo-sphere and the Biosphere? | The earth of the Geo-sphere and the living organisms of the Biosphere interact with each other to create an Ecosystem. |
| What is Environmental Pollution? | The contamination of the environments with waste products or impurities. |
| Biodegradable | Objects that can be broken down by microorganisms into harmless substances over time. |
| What are the steps of the Scientific Method? | 1. State the problem 2. Gather information 3. Form a hypothesis 4. Test the hypothesis 5. State a conclution |
| What is the shape of the earth, and why? | The shape of the earth is an oblate spheroid. The fairly rapid rotation of the earth causes the bulging at the equator and the flattening at the poles. |
| What are the layers of the Earth | Crust Mantle Outer-Core Inner-Core |
| How much of the earth is hydrosphere? What are the percentages of fresh and salt water? | 71% of the earth's surface is covered by water. 97% of that water is salty sea water. 3% is the fresh water found in lakes, rivers, streams, glaciers, and ice caps. |
| Define Continental Drift How is it different from plate tectonics | Continental drift is the theory that the earth's continents drifted away from each other by moving through the surface of the earth. Plate Tectonics are shells on the earth's surface that can slide beside each other, creating things such as oceanic trenches. |
| Define Pangaea and what theory is it from | Pangaea is the name of the land that Alfred Wegener gave the land before the continents spread apart, in his theory. |
| What occurs at Mid-Ocean Ridges? | The convection currents in the earth's mantle form underwater mountain ranges, which are called Mid-Ocean Ridges. |
| Explain Paleomagnetism on the Ocean Floor | Paleomagnetism is the study of magnetism in the earth's rocks, and it can be linked to be the cause of seafloor spreading. |
| What are Seismic Waves and how do they help us study the inside of the earth? | Waves of energy that travel through the Earth. These waves can be recorded by a Seismograph, and used for scientific research. |
| What is the Moho, and in between what two layers is it located in? | The Mohorovicic is the boundary located in between the crust and the mantle. |
| What is a Shadow Zone? | An area in which Seismic Waves cannot be detected because of the change in the density of the material. |
| What is gravity and how is it measured? | Gravity is the force that attracts everything to the center of the earth, and it is measured by newtons (n). |
| In what direction does the Earth Rotate and Revolve? What shape is the Earth's orbit | The earth Rotates and Revolves from west to east, and the shape of its orbit is an Ellipse. |
| Define Perihelion, Aphelion, Perigee and Apogee | Perihelion: Closest point to the Sun Aphelion: Furthest point to the Sun Perigee: Closest point to the Earth Apogee: Furthest point to the Earth |
| Talk about the Summer solstice, winter solstice, autumnal equinox, and vernal equinox. | Look over your notes again in Section 2 |
| What is Precession of the earth and what causes it? | Precession is the slow, circular motion of the earth's axis - it is the earth's wobble. |
| What are time zones? | A time zone is an area of the earth that observes a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. There are 24 time zones in total, 1 for each hour of the day. |
| How wide in Longitude are time zones? | Each time zone is 15 degrees longitude wide. |
| Where is all time on Earth measured from? | All of Earth's time is measured based on the earth's rotation, otherwise known as the "Universal Time". |
| What is a natural satellite? | A natural satellite is an object in orbit around a body with a larger mass. (Not man made) |
| What is an artificial satellite? | is an object in orbit around a body with a larger mass. (Man made) |
| Explain a Satellite in a Geosynchronous Orbit | Geosynchronous Satellite is a satellite which orbits directly above the equator in synchronization with earth's rotation. |
| Explain a Satellite in a Polar Orbit | A satellite in polar orbit is on a path which carries it from pole-to-pole. |
| Name different types of Artificial Satellites and their jobs | Weather Satellites monitor Climate. Navigation Satellite Assists ships and submarines. Landsat Satellites provides data of Earth's landmasses. GPS provides location information in three dimensions: latitude, longitude, and altitude. VLBI is used in geodesy and allows the detection of small movement in the earth's crust. |
| Define the lines of latitude and longitude; what are their maximum number of degrees | Lines of latitude go from North to South on a map, and range from anywhere in -90 degrees and 90 degrees. Lines of longitude go from East to West on a map, and range from anywhere in -180 degrees and 180 degrees. |
| What is a Great Circle and what is it used for? | A great circle is any line circling the earth which divides the globe into two equal halves. Great circles can run in any direction (up, down, diagonally) as long as they divide the globe equally. |
| What is the difference between the Geographic North and South Pole. How are they the same? | Geographic north is where the true north is, but geomagnetic north may vary depending on your location. |
| Give four examples of Continental Drift | Mid-Atlantic Ridges Seafloor Spreading Magnetic Reverse Orientation Reversed Polarity |
| Where are Mid-Ocean Ridges located? | They are located where two plates are moving oceanic crust away from each other. |
| How is crust formed at a MOR (Mid-Ocean Ridge) | The oozing molten rock wells up to create new oceanic crust (which is new seafloor) and also the mid-ocean ridges. |
| Explain Paleomagnetism of the Ocean Floor | Rocks on the bottom of the ocean become magnetized overtime. |
| What evidence is there of reversed magnetic fields on the Ocean Floors? | Scientists have found plenty of rock whose magnetic orientation is south. This can only mean that earth's magnetic field orientation - called polarity - has reversed itself in the course of earth's history. |
| Compare Ocean and Continental crusts. | Continental crust has granite, while oceanic crust has basalt rock. |
| What causes plates to move? What are convection currents? | The intense heat in the earth's core causes plates to move, and the convection currents is the movement of the matter when he plates move. |
| Name 3 Lithospheric boundaries and give an example of each. | Oceanic-Continental (Subduction zone) Continental-Continental (High mountain ranges) Oceanic-Oceanic (Deep Ocean trench) |
| What is the theory of suspect terranes? | The Suspect Terrane theory posits that many terranes, or small pieces of the Earth's lithosphere, make up each of the continents. |
| What are the characteristics of a Terrane | A terrane is a piece of land that is different from other pieces of land in: ○ Rock type ○ Rock Age ○ Fossil remains ○ Magnet Properties |
| Explain Primary Waves | P - Waves • Travel through solids, liquid, and gases • Travel faster than S-waves • Travel faster through more rigid materials. • Speed and direction changes as the material in which the travel changes. |
| Explain Secondary Waves | • Transverse or shear waves • Travel only through solids • Slower than P-waves • Travel faster through more rigid materials Speed and direction changes as the material which they travel changes. |
| How are volcanic mountains formed? | Volcanic Mountains are formed when molten rock (magma) deep within the earth, erupts, and piles upon the surface. Magma is called lava when it breaks through the earth's crust. |
| What are Shadow Zones? Where are they found? | Shadow zones are areas in which seismic waves cannot be detected. Shadow zones are usually located on ground in which the waves cannot travel through. |
| What causes a Tsunami to form? | Tsunamis can result from an earthquake, an underwater landslide, or a volcanic eruption. |
| What is Tephra? Name several types of it. | Tephra or pyroclastic are the solid rock pieces thrown into the air from a volcano. ---------- Dust and Ash-- ○ Volcanic dust - particles < 0.25 mm in diameter. ○ Volcanic ash - particles 0.25 to 2.0 mm in diameter. -------------- Cinders and Lapilli-- ○ Cinders - particles 2.0 mm to 25 mm in diameter. ○ Lapilli - particles 25 to 64 mm in diameter. |
| Identify Mafic and Felsic Lava | ----------- Mafic Laval ○ Dark in color ○ Rich in iron and magnesium ○ Thin and Watery ○ Dissolved and compressed gases escape easily. ○ Undersea volcanoes emit mafic lava. ○ Not associated with explosive eruptions. ---------- Felsic Lava ○ Lighter in color ○ Rich in silica ○ Also contains iron and magnesium ○ Thicker in texture. ○ Contains more compressed gases, especially Co2 and water vapor. Associated with violent eruptions. |
| Name and define 3 types of volcanic cones | --------------Shield cone § Gentle slopes § Broad base § Usually results from non-explosive eruptions. § It is a gradual build-up of hardened lava outflow. § Example: The Island of Hawaii --------------- Cinder cone § Steep slopes (around 40 degrees) § Not very high § Usually the result of explosive eruptions. § Composed of piled-up tephra - a pile of rocks! -----------------Composite cone or stratovolcano. § The highest of volcanic mountains § It is the result of alternating explosive and non-explosive eruptions. |
| How do scientists know if a volcano might erupt? | They may look at signs such as very small earthquakes beneath the volcano, slight inflation, or swelling, of the volcano and increased emission of heat and gas from vents on the volcano. |
| Define the Craters, Calderas and vents of a vocano | Crater: The pit on top of the volcano. Caldera: The whole upper portion of a volcano. Vent: A whole in a volcano in which lava and smoke come from. |
| What other planets are known to have volcanic activity. | The Moon (not anymore), Io, Mars, Venus and Jupiter's moons. They have more violent eruptions than earth's volcanoes. |
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