Earth Flashcards
What is the most dense planet in our solar system?
Earth
How much of Earth’s surface is covered in water?
70%
Which of the following has the strongest tidal effect on Earth?
The moon
What is at the center of the earth?
The heaviest elements
Convection in the ___ causes weather on Earth.
troposphere
What other planet has about a 24 degree tilt on its axis just like Earth?
Mars
What is the average air pressure on the surface of the Earth?
14.7 pounds per square inch
Choose the second-most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere:
Oxygen
What two principal gases make up Earth’s atmosphere?
Oxygen and Nitrogen
When did Earth’s secondary atmosphere first appear?
4 billion years ago
Besides heating from sunlight, what else contributes to the Earth’s average temperature being higher than one would expect?
Carbon dioxide (and other gases) in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect.
The Earth’s interior is not uniform. The materials have been separated by density through a process known as _____?
Differentiation
What are the layers of Earth in order from the innermost layer to the outermost layer?
Inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
What differentiates the surfaces of the Earth and the Moon?
Earth has volcanoes and mountain ranges, whereas the Moon has craters.
The center of the earth is about the same temperature as:
The surface temperature of the Sun
Where did the heavy elements that make up the bulk of the earth originate?
In a supernova
What is the geological process that explains the movement of continental and oceanic plates, which cause earthquakes?
Plate Tectonics
How do you measure the density of Earth?
Mass/volume
The mass of the earth is made up mostly of which two elements?
Iron and Oxygen
What are earthquakes fueled by?
Energy from the Earth’s core
How many degrees warmer is Earth with the greenhouse effect?
33 degrees
What is the geological process that explains the movement of continental and oceanic plates, which cause earthquakes?
Plate Tectonics
What causes the magnetic field found on Earth?
Electric currents created by the flow of molten iron in the outer core
