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Earth and Sky
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the layers of earth's interior? | inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust |
| describe the core | densest and hottest layer, made of iron and nickel, outer-liquid, inner-solid |
| describe the mantle | most of earth's mass/volume, denser and hotter than crust, uppermost lithosphere-similar to crust, asthenosphere-thick, plastic |
| describe the crust | outermost layer, thinnest, coldest, least dense |
| what is the difference between the crust and the lithosphere? | the lithosphere is not considered a layer, but a zone within two layers |
| describe the principle of superposition | the lowest is the oldest |
| describe the principle of original horizonality | layers are deposited horizontally |
| describe the law of crosscutting relationships | the cutter is younger than the cuttee |
| describe inclusions | inclusions are older than the formation they are in |
| describe the principle of lateral continuity | layers extend laterally in all directions |
| describe the principle of faunal succession | using fossils to identify rock age |
| how is relative dating different from absolute dating? | relative dating is in relation to something else, absolute dating is exact |
| describe index fossils | fossil used for relative dating |
| describe radiometric dating | using decay rates to determine exact age |
| what characteristics does a fossil have to have to be a useful indew fossil? | short lifespan, embedded in rock, abundance, small, easily recognizable |
| what factors does a geologist have to consider when choosing what type of radiometric dating method to use on a sample? | contamintation, gain or loss of isotopes |
| what are three reasons why a particular radiometric dating method may not work for a particular sample? | no radioactive isotopes, contamination, or metamorphosis |
| define fossil | preserved remains of an animal or plant |
| define the principle of uniformitarianism | natural laws that we see today have always been that way |
| define unconformity | a surface separating two rockmasses of different ages |
| what is the fossil record? | the preserved remains of traces of plants and animals from the past |
| what is the rock record? | only the rocks that currently exist |
| what are the limitations of the fossil record? | hard parts are over represented |
| what are the four main spans of geologic time? | Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic |
| what happened during Precambrian time? | single-celled organisms |
| what happened during Paleozoic time? | plants and intertebrates, mass extinction |
| what happened during Mesozoic time? | dinosaurs, mass extinction |
| what happened during Cenozoic time | human evolution |
| what is a mass extinction | a widespread death on earth |
| what are the five characteristics that all minerals have? | solid, crystalline structure, natural, inorganic |
| what are the two main types of minerals? | silicate and nonsilicate |
| what are the three main rock types? | igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic |
| how do igneous rocks form? | cooling of magma |
| how do sedimentary rocks form? | weathering/erosion, compacting |
| how do metamorphic rocks form? | heat and pressure |
| what is the rock cycle? | cycle of processes undergone by rocks |
| compare and contrast weathering and erosion | weathering is breaking down of rocks, erosion is transportation of sediments |
| what is physical weathering? | caused by physical interactions like sand or water |
| what is chemical weathering? | caused by a chemical reaction |
| what are the main agents of erosion? | water, wind, waves, ice, |
| how do s and p waves help us understand the interior layers of earth? | seismic waves travel more quickly through denser materials and more depth. |
| Why did Wegener's contemporaries reject his hypothesis of continental drift? | he was not a geologist, no driving force |
| describe the evidence that Wegener used to support his ideas of pangea? | continents match up like puzzle pieces, fossils and climate change |
| with regards to seafloor spreading, what is reversed polarity and how is it used to support the theory of plate tectonics? | earth's magnetic field reverses polarity occasionally, causing plate shifting to change directions |
| describe continental-continental boundaries | buckle or compress or sometimes subduct |
| describe continental-oceanic boundaries | oceanic plate goes under the continental plate, forming a subduction zone |
| describe oceanic-oceanic boundaries | create an island arc as one plate subducts |
| what is the difference between oceanic divergent boundaries and continental convergent boundaries? | divergent plates move apart, convergent plates moves closer |
| why do we often find transform boundaries and faults perpendicular to divergent plate boundaries, as seen along the Mid-atlantic ridge? | transform plates move in opposite directions, meaning one plate is moving away while another moves toward |
| describe that causes convection cells within the mantle and how they drive plate tectonics | heating of earth's core makes convetion cells in earth's mantle; heating of mantle rocks causes lower density so they rise |
| why type of boundary is the san andreas fault? | continental transform boundary |
| what is the basic water cycle? | evaporation, condensation, precipitation |
| in what ways is water spread throughout earth? | precipitation, infiltration, and runoff |
| what are the percentages of freshwater and groundwater on earth? | 2.5% freshwater, 0.6% groundwater |
| what is the water table? | an area below earth's surface that is saturated with water |
| how does groundwater movement result in the development of caverns? | carbonic acid in groundwater dissolves limestone |
| describe 3 ways flowing water erodes a stream channel | hydraulic action of water, water corrodes sediments, particles in water strike bedrock |
| where does most deposition occur in a stream and why? | the point bar because it is in the bend of a stream |
| compare and contract deltas and alluvial fans | alluvial contain gravel, sand and small rocks; delta contain sediments from flowing water |
| what is a dune? | a mound of sand formed by the wind |
| what factors affect the shape and size of a dune? | sand supply, wind directions |
| what conditions are necessary for a dune to form? | wind, vegetation, sand |
| what is a glacier | slowly moving mass of ice |
| what two processes affect the size of a glacier? | mass balance and precipitation |
| what has to happen for a glacier to get bigger or smaller? | snow fall to make it bigger, warmer climate makes it smaller |
| how is the valley formed by an alpine glacier different from the valley formed by a river or stream? | glaciers form u-shaped valleys and rivers form v-shaped valleys |
| describe striations | linear marks |
| describe a cirque | bowl-shaped rock valley on the side of a mountain |
| describe an arete | knife-like ridge of rock between two u-shaped valleys |
| describe a horn | a sharp peak of three or more cirques |
| describe a hanging valley | a valley that joins a main valley |
| describe a roche moutonee | a rock formation created by the passing of a glacier |
| what is moraine | parallel debris on the side of a glacier |
| describe an esker | a winding ridge of sand and gravel |
| describe a kettle lake | a shallow, sediment filled body of water |
| describe a drumlin | an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon |
| what are the 3 most common gases in earth's atmosphere and their percentages? | nitrogen 78%, oxygen 21%, argon <1% |
| what is the difference between humidity and relative humidity? | humidity is actual measure of water vapor, relative humidity is the ratio |
| list the layers of the atmosphere | troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere |
| what takes place in the thermosphere that results in the high teperatures associated with that layer? | the themosphere absorbs solar radiation |
| in which part of the atmosphere do we find the ozone layer? | stratosphere |
| what is absorbed by the ozone layer? | UV light |
| why is the greenhouse effect important for life as we know it to exist on earth? | it keeps the earth warm |
| what are some actions that can result in an increase in the greenhouse effect? | burning fossil fuels, deforestation |
| what are the negative effects of an increasing greenhouse effect? | too much radiation, earth would overheat |
| what effect does the coriolis effect have on hurricanes? | wind directions are reflected to the right or left. without it, the wind would blow right into the eye of the storm and there would be no circulation |
| what is the underlying cause of the various types of atmospheric circulation such as the trade winds and jet streams? | uneven heating of earth's surface causes changes in air movement and atmospheric pressure |
| with regards to the atmosphere, what is the relationship between temperature and pressure? | pressure is directly proportional to temperature; both are maintained in the atmosphere during storms |
| how is the relationship between pressure and temperature related to the kinetic-molecular theory? | the last postulate explains that as temperature increases, the kinetic energy increases |
| describe the air movement in a cold front and in a warm front | cold fronts are fast and sloped, warm fronts are slow and lifted toward cooler air |
| what is the source of energy released by a hurricane? | large latent heat of water |
| is a hurricane considered a cyclone or an anticyclone? | cyclone |
| what is a cyclone? | a storm or winds that rotate around a center of low atmospheric pressure |
| what is an anticyclone? | a system of winds that rotate around a center of high atmospheric pressure |
| why must as air mass rise in order to produce precipitation | to cool it down. cold air cannot hold as much moisture, so it rains |
| is severe weather more likely to be associated with a cold front or a warm front and why? | cold fronts because they move more quickly and have more rapid uplift |
| what are the source regions of air masses for North America? | cT, cP, cA, mP, mT |
| explain cT | continental tropical; warm |
| explain cP | continental polar; very cold |
| explain cA | continental arctic; poles very dry and cold |
| explain mP | maritime polar; cold |
| explain mT | maritime tropical; warm |
| how do ocean waves form? | wind |
| describe the movement of ocean water as waves pass by | vertical circle |
| why do waves break along a shoreline? | the base cannot support the top of the wave |
| what factors determine the directionsof ocean surface currents? | wind direction, coriolis, surrounding landforms |
| what factors determine the directions of deep ocean currents? | density differences |
| why does water at the poles sink? | water is cooler and denser; saltwater is denser than freshwater |
| why do surface water currents in the northern and southern hemispheres flow in opposite directions? | coriolis force |
| what causes coriolis force? | rotation of earth |
| how can ocean surface currents affect the climate of a region? | water cools or heats the air |
| what is upwelling? | rising of seawater, magma, or other liquid |
| why is upwelling important? | brings nutrient-rich waters to the surface |
Created by:
cgibbs906
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