EARTH Flashcards
How old is the univers?
13.8 BILLION YRS OLD
God created the Universe.
CREATIONIST THEORY
George Gamow ; Expansion will stop, return to its original form then another Big Bang will occur.
OSCILLATING UNIVERSE THEORY
The Universe has always been the same since the beginning and it remain that way forever
STEADY STATE THEORY
As the currently accepted theory of the origin and evolution of the universe. The universe expanded from a tiny, dense and hot mass to its present size and much cooler state.
BIG BANG THEORY
is the branch of science that studies the origin, evolution and fate of the universe
COSMOLOGY
Is large unimaginable expanse of gas, stars, dust clouds, and consists of planets and galaxy.
UNIVERSE
is the gravitationally bound system comprising the Sun and the objects that orbit around it, either directly or indirectly.
SOLAR SYSTEM
it is in constant motion, with the planets and their moons, comets, asteroids and other space objects revolving around the Sun.
SOLAR SYSTEM
made of materials with high melting points such as silicates, iron , and nickel ; rotate slower, have thin or no atmosphere
TERRESTRIAL
gas giants ; rotate faster ; have thick atmosphere
JOVIAN
what are the dwaft planets of the solar system
ERIS, CERES, MAKEMAKE, PLUTO, HAUMEA, EARTH’S MOON
INNERMOST AND SWIFTEST PLANET ; ALBEDO 0F 6% ;
DAYLIGHT & DARKNESS BOTH LAST 88 DAYS ; TEMPERATURE RANGE OF -300F TO 800F ; VERY LITTLE ATMOSPHERE
MERCURY
- SIMILAR IN SIZE, DENSITY AND MASS TO EARTH
- THICK CLOUD OF CARBON DIOXIDE
- SURFACE TEMPS OF 900F DUE TO GREENHOUSE EFFECT
- ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS 90 TIMES THAT OF EARTH
VENUS
- WHITE POLAR ICE CAPS
- HAVE GREAT RIFT VALLEY
- VERY DRY PLANET
- REDDISH ROCK, SAND AND SOIL
MARS
- 2 1/2 TIMES LARGER THAN ALL OTHER PLANETS COMBINED
- 1 DAY LASTS 10 HOURS DUE TO FAST ROTATION
- HURRICANE-LIKE STORM SYSTEMS WITH WINDS OF 1000 MPH - GREAT RED SPOT
- SURFACE OF LIQUID HYDROGEN OCEAN
- SOME MOONS [61] AS LARGE AS MARS
JUPITER
- 29 1/2 YEARS TO MAKE ONE REVOLUTION
- SYSTEM OF RINGS
- HIGH WIND SPEEDS 1000+ MPH
SATURN
- SURROUNDED BY POLAR CIRCLING RINGS
- KNOWN AS THE GREEN PLANET
- METHANE IN ATMOSPHERE
- ROTATES ON ITS SIDE
URANUS
- TWIN PLANET TO URANUS
- BY POLAR CIRCLING RINGS
- KNOWN AS THE GREEN PLANET
- METHANE IN ATMOSPHERE
- ROTATES ON ITS SIDE
NEPTUNE
- MAY NOT BE A PLANET BUT A TRANSITION BETWEEN COMET AND PLANET
- AVERAGE TEMP OF -350F
- LARGE DIRTY ICEBALL
- 248 YEARS TO ORBIT SUN
PLUTO
Often compared to large, “dirty snowballs”
Composition:
Frozen gases, Rocky and metallic materials, Frozen gases vaporize when near the Sun, Produces a glowing head called the coma, Some may develop a tail that points away from Sun due to radiation pressure and the solar wind
COMETS
- Irregular shapes AND Origin is uncertain
- Most lie between Mars and Jupiter
- Small bodies – largest (Ceres) is about 620 miles in diameter
- Some have very eccentric orbits
- Many of the recent impacts on the Moon and Earth were collisions with asteroids
ASTEROIDS
when they enter Earth’s atmosphere
meteors
when they are found on Earth
meteorites
Comprises the solid Earth and includes both Earth’s surface and the various layers of the Earth’s interior.
Geosphere
Gaseous envelope that surrounds the Earth and constitutes the transition between its surface and the vacuum of space
Atmosphere
Includes all water on Earth (including surface water and groundwater)
Hydrosphere
The life zone of the Earth and includes all living organisms, and all organic matter that has not yet decomposed.
Biosphere
the building blocks of rocks
Minerals
cooling magma causes minerals to crystallize
Crystallization from magma
Minerals dissolve out of evaporated water; precipitated
Precipitation
Change in pressure and temperature cause an existing mineral to recrystallize while still solid
Pressure and Temperature
A hot mixtures of water with substances dissolved in them. When they come in contact with existing minerals- a chemical reaction occurs forming a new mineral
Hydrothermal Solutions
contain carbon, oxygen, and one ore more metallic element
Carbonates
- formed from silicon and oxygen
- elements combined to form a silicon tetrahedron, 1 silicon atom and 4 oxygen atoms
- formed from cooling magma
- either near the surface (few crystals) or deep below surface (larger crystals)
Silicates
Minerals that contain oxygen and one or more other element(s)
Oxides
Minerals containing sulfur
Sulfates and Sulfides
minerals containing halogen ions plus one or more other elements
Halides
Minerals that exist in a relatively pure form.
Native Elements
are used to identify minerals based on specific characteristics.
Mineral Properties
color of a mineral in its powder form
STREAK
often not a good property for Iding
COLOR
how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral
LUSTER
tendency to break along flat, even surfaces (mica)
Cleavage
uneven breakage (quartz)
Fracture
ratio of a mineral’s density to the density of water
Specific Gravity
measure of resistance of a mineral being scratched
Hardness
any solid mass of mineral or mineral-like matter that occurs naturally as part of our planet
Rocks
are formed from magma that has cooled and hardened either beneath the surface or from a volcanic eruption
Igneous Rocks
form when magma hardens beneath Earth’s surface
Intrusive Igneous Rocks
form when lava hardens on the surface of the Earth
Extrusive Igneous Rocks
Weathering physically and chemically breaks rocks into small pieces called ; are moved
by wind, water, ice,
and gravity
Sedimentary Rocks
breaks rocks down
Weathering
involves weather and the removal of rock
Erosion
is the dropping of sediments
Deposition
is the process that squeezes the water out of the sediments. It is caused by the weight of the sediments.
Compaction
takes place when dissolved minerals are deposited in the tiny spaces among the sediments.
Cementation
form when existing rocks undergo change through heat and pressure
Metamorphic Rocks
forms when magma intrudes into existing rock
Contact Metamorphism
formed during mountain building process that occur over a large area
Regional Metamorphism
form when minerals recrystallize at right angles to the direction of force ; Causes a layered or banded appearance
Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
no banded texture ; Most contain only one mineral
Nonfoliated Metamorphic Rocks
A model where the earth is the center of the universe
Geocentric
A model where the sun is the center of the universe
Heliocentric
