CHAPTER 12: EARTHS HISTORY AND INTERIOR Flashcards
How old is earth?
4.6 billion years
How old is the universe?
13.8 billion years
What is the anthropocene?
age of human transformation of earths physical systems
When did the anthropocene start?
1800’s, industrial revolution
Why did CO2 levels in the atmosphere rise?
Burnt coal and petroleum for energy
Why are sea levels rising and becoming more acidic?
Increase in CO2
How much has the sea level risen in the last century?
20cms
How much of earths freshwater run off is used by people?
1/2
How much of mammal biomass is made up of people and domesticated animals?
90%, only 0.1% 10000 years ago
What is a light year?
How long it takes to move at a speed of 300km per second
Edmun Hummel proposed which theory?
Expanding Universe Theory
Galaxies, stars and planets are all formed from?
Dust and gas
Solar System formed how many years ago and from what?
4.5-5 billion years by a nebula
How many planets revolve around the sun?
8
What orbits to the planets move around the sun in?
Elliptical orbits
How many planets is earth away from the sun?
3
What was earths atmosphere formed from?
Gases emitted by volcanoes
How did oceans form?
Water vapour and volcanic emissions condensed out of atmosphere
Example of a photosynthetic organism
Cyanobacteria
What are stromatolites?
Colonies of cyanobacteria, earliest form of life in fossil records
What is the Great Oxidation Event?
oxygen concentration increased, 2.4 billion years, ozonosphere formed
What makes life possible on earth?
Ozonosphere blocking UV Rays
Dinosaurs existed how many years ago?
240 million years
modern humans existed how many years ago?
200, 000 years ago
What are Eons?
largest division of time scales
What eon are we currently living in?
Phamnezobnic eon
What era are we living in?
Cenozoic era
What period are we living in?
Quaternary period
Which Eon accounts for 85% of geologic time?
Precambrian Eeon
Oldest rocks found on earth are how old?
4 million years old
What Epoch are we currently living in?
Holocene or anthropocene