Chapter 8 Earth

Question 1

Aberration of starlight

Answer 1

The apparent shift in the direction of all the stars that is caused by the motion of the earth

Question 2

Aerosol

Answer 2

liquid droplets and solids suspended in the atmosphere

Question 3

aesthenosphere

Answer 3

the partially melted portion of the mantle 70-250km deep

Question 4

aurora australis and aura borealis

Answer 4

southern lights and northern lights caused by energetic electrons striking nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen atoms and molecules.

Question 5

basalt

Answer 5

most common igneous rock

Question 6

bow shock

Answer 6

where the slowing of solar wind takes place at the front of the planet

Question 7

Coriolis effect

Answer 7

Fictitious force caused by earth rotation. appears to curve the path of objects and currents to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere

Question 8

differentiation

Answer 8

the gravitational separation of the interior of a planet according to its density

Question 9

dynamo

Answer 9

rotation of the earth causes electrical currents to flow in liquid, electrically conducting portions of the planets interior. results in a magnetic field

Question 10

greenhouse effect

Answer 10

warming of the planet because its atmosphere prevents infrared radiation from easily escaping into space

Question 11

ionosphere

Answer 11

the lower thermosphere

Question 12

lithosphere

Answer 12

region at the top of the mantle. solid and ridged. 70km deep. together with crust.

Question 13

magnetopause

Answer 13

marks the outer boundary of the magnetosphere

Question 14

magnetosphere

Answer 14

part of the atmosphere dominated by earths magnetic field. top layer

Question 15

mineral

Answer 15

solid chemical compound

Question 16

oblate

Answer 16

not a perfect sphere. wider at the equator.

Question 17

outgassing

Answer 17

the release of gas from the interior

Question 18

ozone

Answer 18

oxygen atoms react with other O2 molecules to produce O3 (ozone)

Question 19

primeval atmosphere

Answer 19

original atmosphere which has been almost entirely lost

Question 20

secondary atmosphere

Answer 20

current atmosphere

Question 21

silicates

Answer 21

most common minerals on earth. combine silicon and oxygen

Question 22

solar wind

Answer 22

hot plasma that flows outward from the sun

Question 23

stratopause

Answer 23

boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere

Question 24

stratophere

Answer 24

After troposphere and before mesosphere. 10-50 km altitude.

Question 25

thermosphere

Answer 25

Above mesosphere and below magnosphere. Split into lower thermosphere (ionoshpere) and upper thermosphere

Question 26

tropopause

Answer 26

boundary between troposphere and stratosphere.

Question 27

tropophere

Answer 27

lowest atmosphere region. 10km altitude. weather happens here.

Question 28

Van Allan belts

Answer 28

two doughnut shaped regions where where charged particles are trapped by earths magnetic field.

Question 29

Mesophere

Answer 29

Above stratosphere, below thermosphere

Question 30

Mesopause

Answer 30

boundary between mesosphere and thermosphere

Question 31

Magnetotail

Answer 31

magnetosphere being stretched by solar winds millions of kilometers into space.