Deep Time Flashcards
Hadean
4.56Ga
Earth Formed
Archean
4.0Ga
Oxygen producing cyanobacteria (boundary of Archean and Protozoic).
Early bacterias
Phanerozoic
0.546Ga
Cambrian
5.46Ma
Main plant Phyla
Ordovian
485Ma
Land plants (upper of the period)
Silurian
444Ma
Jawed fishes (lower of the period)
Devonian
419Ma
Devonian (upper of the period)
Carboniferous
358Ma
Reptiles
Permian
289Ma
Triassic
252Ma
Mammals (boundary with Jurassic)
Jurassic
201Ma
Dinosaurs (lower Jurassic/Triassic boundary)
Birds (middle of Period)
Cretaceous
145Ma
Paleogene
66Ma
Neogene
23Ma
Primates (Miocene)
Quaternary
2.58Ma
Paleocene
66Ma
Eocene
58Ma
Miocene
23Ma
Priamates
Pliocene
5.8
Pleistocene
2.58Ma
Holocene or recent
0.0018Ma
How many moons and planets are there?
160 moons and 8 planets.
What is the Nebular Theory
The Nebular Theory states that the bodies of our solar system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called, Solar Nebula.
How old is Earth?
About 4.56Ga
How old is New Zealand?
About 0.5Ga
How old is the oldest Crystal and what is it?
Zircon and 4.3Ga
What do Ga and Ma stand for?
Giga annual and Mega annual
In order, what is the evolution of Earth?
Hint: 13 steps
- The Big Bang (13.7/14 Ga) - the origin of the universe.
- Early Inflation (helium and hydrogen atoms created).
- Our galaxy forms 10Ga.
- Heavy elements synthesized by supernova explosions (gravity causes Clumping).
- Solar nebula begins to contract 4.7Ga.
- as material collects to form protosun rotation flattens nebula.
- Acceleration of planetesimals to form Earth and other planets.
- Continual bombardment and the decay of radioactive elements.
- produces magma ocean.
Gravity causes clumping. - Mars-sized object impacts young earth 4.6Ga.
- Debris orbits the Earth and accelerates.
- Formation of Earth-moon system 4.5Ga.
- Outgassing produces Earth’s primitive atmosphere
Explain the Nebula
Hint: Started - elements
The Nebula started to gravitationally collapse and contracted into a rotating disc that was heated by the conversion of gravitational energy to thermal energy.
The cooling caused rocky and metallic material to condense (outer portion, covered in a thick layer of ice: CO2, H2O, methane and ammonia.
What did the cooling of the Nebula do?
Hint: Cooling of rocky and metallic material
The cooling caused rocky and metallic material to condense (outer portion, covered in a thick layer of ice: CO2, H2O, methane and ammonia.
What and when did the first elements form?
About 13.7 billion years ago, the universe began to expand and cool, causing the first elements, hydrogen and helium to form to then condense into stars and galaxies.
What would the temperature be if Earth didn’t have an atmosphere?
Earth would be 60oF colder.
What is Earth’s atmosphere made up of?
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
1% Argon
What happened to hydrogen and helium present in Earth’s atmosphere?
Although hydrogen and helium were present during the formation of Earth, they escaped into space as Earth’s gravity was too weak to hold them.
In saying that, they are still the most abundant elements in the universe.
How were the oceans formed and what was the result?
Hint: weather and life.
As Earth cooled, water vapour condensed formation clouds, and torrential rains began to fill low-lying areas (oceans).
Here PHOTOSYNTHESIS BACTERIA began to release O2 in the water. It accumulated on the seafloor (Precambrian 3.5-2 billion years ago), called branded ion formations.
O2 levels in the past
- 2 billion years ago, there were significant levels of O2 in the atmosphere.
- 5billiob years ago there were stable levels of O2 in the atmosphere.
Protozoic
2.5Ga
Early multicellular life
What is the new geological Epoch which reflects change?
not official yet
Anthropocene
- Approximately starts in the 1950s
- Widespread nuclear testing and radioactive
- It is also known as the Great Acceleration (economy speed up).
- For the first time humans have made a lasting imprint.
