Chapter one Flashcards
What is geology ?
The science that studies the history of earth preserved by fossils.
Earth system : Solid earth
Consist of nonliving earth from the center to its surface, like the continents and seafloor.
Earths Systems: Atmosphere
Consist of the gaseous layer surrounding earth.
Earths Systems: Hydrosphere
Consists of all water on earth. Oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, ice in glacier and ice caps.
Earths system: Biosphere
Consist of all living organisms and their dead remains.
Earths Systems: Cryospshere
Glaciers and ice caps are sometimes put into this category.
greenhouse gases
Burning fossils fuels realizes greenhouse gasses, especially Carbon dioxide. greenhouse gasses traps solar radiation into the atmosphere.
Open System
Exchanges matter and energy with its surrounding environment.
Closed System
A closed system exchanges
energy (by temperature
changes) with its
surroundings.
Isolated system
An isolated system does
not exchange matter
Atmosphere
Gaseous; unevenly heated by the sun leading to
convection cells ( Modified by the Coriolis effect)
What are some Greenhouse gases
(carbon dioxide, methane and
water vapor
What’s the element most used on earth
Nitrogen.
Positive feedback
Promotes an effect
Negative feedback
Counters an effect
Principle of Superposition
states that:
younger rocks are laid down on top of older rocks.
Relative ages
meaning that something is older or younger then something else.
Principal of Crosscutting Relationships
a principle of geology that states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features
Principle of Faunal
Succession
s based on fossils
as evidence for ancient life,
It states that different groups of
fossils follow each other in a
characteristic sequence
Principle of Uniformitarianism
states that
processes we observe today have always operated; it
underlies all scientific inquiry.
Uniformitarianism is often stated as:
the present is the key to the past
