1. Structure of the Earth: The early geosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere Flashcards
List all eight processes of the earth’s formation
- The Big Bang
- Nebula
- Shockwave
- Gravitational collapse
- Accretion
- Protostar
- Further accretion
- Ejection of remaining material
What was the big bang? When did it occur?
A spontaneous explosion which created all matter in the universe. The big bang occurred approximately 13 - 15 billion years ago.
What are quasars and how do they support the big bang theory?
Quasars are clusters of thousands of galaxies that occupy 1 light year’s worth of space.
Given their density, size and occupation of the surrounding space Quasars are only capable of being formed from an explosion as large and as intense as the big bang.
What is Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation is a small radio frequency prevalent in the universe.
What is redshift and how does it support the big bang theory?
Redshift is a law that states the further a celestial body is from the earth, the greater distortion in light there is. Scientists have observed that over time, light waves begin to distort, meaning that the universe is expanding.
What is a protostar?
A large ball of energy formed from accretion. The earth’s sun is an example of a protostar.
What was the nebula’s importance in forming the solar system?
The nebula contained material to form the planets.
What is catastrophism?
Large scale natural disasters defining the natural landscape of earth.
What is uniformitarianism?
The belief that the earth’s landscape was formed by smaller-scale, more frequent natural disasters.
Which view is generally accepted, catastrophism or uniformitarianism.
A combination of both views.
How was the atmosphere formed?
From volcanic emissions.
How was the hydrosphere formed?
The nebula which was disrupted by a supernova contained particles of ice in amongst the swirling dust cloud. Following the early earth’s formation, the ice particles were trapped underneath the earth’s surface, as the temperature was beyond boiling point.
It would take millions of years for the earth’s temperature to fall below 100 degrees, where water would finally evaporate, forming the oceans of today’s earth.
How was the geosphere formed?
During accretion, dummy.
What is the process of differentiation?
A chemistry term in which layers are ordered from densest to lightest.
What are seismic waves?
Waves that travel through the earth following an earthquake.`
What are the two types of seismic waves?
- Surface waves - Seismic waves that travel close to the earth’s surface.
- Body waves - Seismic waves that travel through the earth’s layers.