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Mid-ocean ridges
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Radiometric dating
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History of Earth 2
NYS Earth & Space Sciences
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Mid-ocean ridges | Underwater mountain ranges where new oceanic crust is formed through seafloor spreading. |
| Radiometric dating | A method of determining the age of rocks and materials using the predictable decay of radioactive isotopes. |
| Half-life | The time required for half of a radioactive sample to decay into its daughter products. |
| Meteorites | Rocky or metallic objects from space that survive passage through Earth's atmosphere and reach the surface. |
| Lithosphere | The solid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of several large plates that fit together like puzzle pieces. |
| Seafloor Spreading | The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges through volcanic activity, pushing older crust away from the ridge as it spreads outward. |
| Constructive Processes | Activities that build or create new landforms or features on Earth's surface, such as volcanism, tectonic uplift, and deposition. |
| Destructive Processes | Activities that break down or remove existing landforms or features, including weathering, subduction, and coastal erosion. |
| Volcanism | The eruption of magma onto the surface, forming new landforms such as volcanoes and lava fields. |
| Tectonic Uplift | The rising of the Earth's crust, forming mountains, plateaus, and other highland areas. |
| Deposition | The process of accumulating sediment and debris in a specific location, resulting in the formation of new landforms such as deltas and beaches. |
| Weathering | The process of breaking down rocks and minerals into smaller pieces through mechanical, chemical, or biological means. |
| Subduction | The process when one tectonic plate is forced beneath another, leading to the destruction of the descending plate and the formation of mountain ranges. Occurs in subduction zones. |
| Mantle Convection | A process that involves the movement of heat and material within the Earth's mantle, driving the movement of tectonic plates. |
| Mid-Ocean Ridge | An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where new oceanic crust is created. |
| Canadian Shield | The ancient core of North American continental crust, formed about 2.5 billion years ago and surrounded by younger rocks from plate interactions. |
| Solar Nebula | A giant cloud of gas and dust from which the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago. |
| Accretion | How planets and other celestial bodies formed in the early solar system. Small particles stuck together due to gravity and electrostatic forces, eventually building up into larger and larger objects. |
| Protoplanet | A large, partially formed planetary body in the early solar system that developed through accretion but had not yet reached its final size or structure. These objects continued to grow by colliding and merging with other protoplanets and smaller debris. |
| Solar Nebula | The massive cloud of gas, dust, and ice that existed about 4.6 billion years ago and eventually collapsed under its own gravity to form the Sun and solar system. |
| Differentiation (of Earth's layers) | The process by which Earth's interior separated into distinct layers based on density during the planet's early formation. Heavier materials like iron sank toward the center to form the core, while lighter materials rose to form the mantle and crust. |
| Inner Core | The solid, innermost layer of Earth composed primarily of iron and nickel. Despite extremely high temperatures (over 5,000°C), it remains solid due to intense pressure from the overlying layers. |
| Outer Core | The liquid layer of Earth surrounding the inner core, composed primarily of molten iron and nickel. The movement of this liquid metal generates Earth's magnetic field through the geodynamo process. |
| Mantle | The thick, hot layer of rock between Earth's crust and core, making up about 84% of Earth's volume. Composed mainly of silicate minerals, it behaves like a very thick fluid over geological time scales, driving plate tectonics through convection currents. |
| Heavy Bombardment Period | A period approximately 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago when the inner solar system experienced intense impacts from asteroids and comets. This bombardment helped shape planetary surfaces and may have delivered water and organic compounds to early Earth. |
| Outgassing and Earth's Atmosphere | Volcanic activity and impacts released gases trapped within Earth's interior, forming Earth's early atmosphere. Produced water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and other gases that eventually led to oceans and a breathable atmosphere. |
| Theia Hypothesis | The leading scientific theory explaining the Moon's formation, proposing that a Mars-sized protoplanet called Theia collided with early Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. The impact ejected material that eventually coalesced to form the Moon. |
Created by:
etucci