Chapter 8 & 9 - Earth and Moon Flashcards
Rank the following gases in terms of its contribution to the volume of Earth’s atmosphere
Argon
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Water vapor
Nitrogen - 1
Oxygen - 2
Argon - 3
Water vapor - 4
Carbon dioxide - 5
How many high tides occur each day?
2
Which of the following statements best describes one way the Moon is different from Earth?
- The Moon is not solid
- The Moon has no gravity
- The Moon has almost no atmosphere
- The moon receives little sunlight
The moon has almost no atmosphere
The Earth is terrestrial planet. What are the defining properties of terrestrial planets?
- Solid rocky surfaces
- They are smaller in size
- They are closer to the Sun
- They have thin or no atmosphere
- They have few or no moons
Why is it significantly colder on a winter night under a clear sky than under a cloudy sky?
More clouds mean more water vapor. More water vapor means more greenhouse gases which lead to warmer temps.
Name the order of atmospheric layers starting with the lowest.
Troposphere, stratosphere (the ozone is this layer), mesosphere, Ionosphere.
Can we get samples from the very center of the Earth?
No.
Name the layers of Earth’s interior starting at the center.
Inner core - made of solid iron and nickel
Outer core - made of liquid iron and nickel
Mantle - rich in magnesium and iron
Crust - coolest and least dense, where we live
Why is the sky blue?
Small particles in the atmosphere scatter shorter (more blue) wavelengths of light easier than longer (more red) wavelengths of light.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is when gases in a planet’s atmosphere trap heat from the Sun. Sunlight enters, hits the surface, and turns into heat (infrared radiation). Greenhouse gases like CO₂, methane, and water vapor keep some of that heat from escaping, warming the planet.
Why are so many people worried about the Greenhouse Effect?
Because co2 levels are rising making our planet warmer and warmer
Dynamo hypothesis
The dynamo hypothesis says that spinning, liquid metal inside a planet makes its magnetic field. As the planet spins, the flowing metal generates electric currents, which produce a magnetic field—like a giant electromagnet.
What are the oceanic tides?
Regular changes in the height of ocean levels
- there are two low tides and two high tides which occur each day.
- they show yearly monthly and daily patterns
Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon on the rotating Earth.
What is tidal friction?
Tidal friction is when the Moon’s gravity pulls on Earth’s oceans, making tides. This slows Earth’s spin and pushes the Moon a little farther away over time.
Describe the moon’s atmosphere or lack thereof
- Escape velocity is too low, gases can easily escape
- Slow erosion - erodes only from impacts
- No protection from radiation and impacts since it has no atmosphere
- No temperature regulation, extremely hot during the day and extremely cold at night
Layers of the moon - moon’s interior
- Core – solid iron rich inner core
- Outer core –molten iron rich outer core
- Inner mantle – semisolid rocky inner
- Outer mantle – solid rocky outer mantle
- Crust – rocky and solid
Features of the moon
Lunar highlands - lightly colored heavily cratered regions, older than lunar Maria
Lunar Maria - dark regions, formed by ancient lava flows - younger than lunar highlands
How did the Moon form? 4 hypothesis
- Sister/Co-formation - Earth and Moon formed at the same time
- Capture - Moon formed elsewhere and was caught by the Earth’s gravity
-Daughter/Fission - a rapidly spinning early Earth spun off material that formed the Moon - Giant Impactor - A large (Mars-sized) object hit the Earth and the debris formed the Moon (The most favored hypothesis)
