Chapter 1 Flashcards
What are the prominent lines of latitude on the Earth (name and degree)?
Arctic Circle (66.5N), Tropic of Cancer (23.5N), equator, Tropic of Capricorn (23.5S), Antarctic Circle (66.5S)
The four principal ocean basins (plus an additional ocean) on Earth are the _____.
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, Southern (Antarctic)
Which ocean is the deepest ocean in the world?
Pacific ocean
Which ocean is mostly, but not entirely, in the southern hemisphere?
Indian Ocean
Which ocean is the single largest geographic feature on the planet?
Pacific ocean
A tentative, testable statement about the general nature of a phenomenon is called a/an:
Hypothesis
Plate tectonics and evolution, which are held with a high degree of confidence because of rigorous testing and verification, are examples of _________.
Theories
The separation of the Earth into layers while it was molten was the result of the ________.
Density stratification
Which of the following statements regarding continental and oceanic crust is TRUE?
Oceanic crust is denser
Current scientific knowledge indicates that the most likely origin of most of Earth’s oceans was due to ________.
Water vapor released from volcanic outgassing
The mechanism by which populations evolve and new species develop is called _________.
Evolution
Earth is a layered sphere with the _______-density material found near the center of Earth and the __________-density material located near the surface.
Higher, lower
Based on chemical composition, Earth consists of ______ layers.
3, crust, mantle, core
Based on physical properties, Earth consists of ______ layers.
5, lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, inner core
Oceanic crust is predominantly composed of the igneous rock called _______.
Basalt
Continental crust is predominantly composed of the igneous rock called ________.
Granite
Although Earth’s oceans have existed since early in the formation of the planet, its _______ must have changed.
Chemical composition
According to the fossil record on Earth, the earliest-known life-forms were primitive ___________.
Bacteria
According to the fossil record on Earth, the earliest-known life-forms lived in sea floor rocks about 3.5 ______ years ago.
Million
The most likely place for the basic building blocks for the development of life to interact and produce life is in Earth’s ______.
Oceans
One of the reasons that free oxygen in our atmosphere is important to the development and maintenance of life on Earth is because oxygen ______.
Is necessary for humans, ozone protects from ultraviolet radiation
Oceans cover ____ of Earth’s surface.
70.8%
_____ of Earth’s surface water.
97.2%
When did life first originate on Earth?
Between 2,500 and 4,000 million years ago
The scientific study of all aspects of the marine environment:
Oceanography
Disciplines of oceanography:
Geology, geography, biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy
Density is defined as ______.
Mass per unit volume
The crust is composed of ______.
Silicate materials
The mantle is composed of _______.
High-density iron and magnesium silicate rock
The core is composed of _______.
Iron and nickel
The lithosphere is:
Cool and rigid
The asthenosphere is _____.
Plastic (high viscosity)
The mesosphere is:
Rigid
The outer core is:
Liquid
The inner core is:
Rigid
Basalt density:
3.0 grams per cubic centimeter
Oceanic crust thickness:
8 kilometers
Granite density:
2.7 grams per cubic centimeter
Continental crust thickness:
35 kilometers
Isostatic adjustment is the:
Vertical movement of crust
A scientific study of the floor of the ocean, the water itself, physical processes such as waves, currents, and tides, and the organisms contained within the ocean
Oceanography
A scientific field of study that incorporates two or more scientific disciplines
Interdisciplinary study
A model that describes the formation of the solar system by contraction of a nebula:
Nebular hypothesis
A layering based on density, where the highest density material occupies the lowest space:
Density stratification
