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EOS 120 > Earth and the Solar System > Flashcards

Earth and the Solar System Flashcards

1
Q

What is the Earth System?

A

a dynamic body with many separate, interacting parts/spheres

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2
Q

What are the characteristics of the Geosphere?

A

solid rock and surface features
6400km to the centre
Lithosphere about 100km thick

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3
Q

What percentage of the surface does the hydrosphere occupy and what is its breakdown?

A

71% of surface

97% ocean, 3% freshwater

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4
Q

What are the characteristics of the atmosphere?

A

thin, gaseous envelope, 90% within 16 km of surface

integral to planet (weather, climate) and biosphere (breathing, UV protection, heat)

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5
Q

What are the characteristics of the Biosphere?

A

all life, contained near surface

organisms alter the makeup and nature of all spheres

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6
Q

what are some examples of natural resources in the earth system?

A

metals
water
food
materials

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7
Q

What are some examples of hazards in the earth system?

A

earthquakes
eruptions
flooding
forest fires

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8
Q

What are some examples of matter moving?

A

plate tectonic system
hydrological, atmospheric cycles
rock cycle, carbon cycle

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9
Q

What are some examples of energy flows?

A

external

internal

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10
Q

What are life webs?

A

network of relationships

connect all organisms with matter cycles and energy flows

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11
Q

Which is the thickest of the earths spheres?

A

Geosphere

around 6400km thick

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12
Q

What is the biggest source of the earth’s energy?

A 
sun
solar energy (shortwave radiation) contributes 99.985% of earths total energy budget
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13
Q

Where is solar energy more concentrated?

A

in the equatorial regions

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14
Q

Solar energy

A

powers processes acting on earths surface which are crucial for life eg photosynthesis
affects atmospheric circulation, ocean circulation, hydrologic cycle
the net effect of solar energy evens out surface topography

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15
Q

Where does earths internal energy come from?

A

very hot core

radioactivity in the mantle

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16
Q

What is nucleosynthesis?

A

the formation of elements by various means

eg. big bang, large stars, supernovae, cosmic rays, small stars

17
Q

What are the steps from gas to planet?

A 
gas
dust
grains
rocks
asteroids
planets
18
Q

What are condensing and accretion?

A

pulling together and adding together

19
Q

What is the evidence for condensing and accretion?

A

Meteorites: rocks from space, record condensation / accretion
Asteroid belt: ‘leftovers’ between Mars and Jupiter
Impacts & craters on Moon
Study of other star systems

20
Q

Earth was initially hot. Where was it hottest? Why?

A

compressional heating under gravity -> hottest at centre

21
Q

What heated earth more?

A

Accretion – shock heating

Radioactive decay – short lived isotopes

22
Q

What did high earth temperatures lead to?

A

melting and differentiation

23
Q

What are chondrites?

A

the most primitive meteorites

24
Q

What is the composition of a chondrite? What does it reflect?

A

same relative abundance of elements as the Sun

reflects ‘starting’ materials for planets

this means it was never part of a body large enough to undergo melting & differentiation

25
Q

Early earth was a …… ocean.

A

magma

26
Q

What is a good way to visualise the scale of the solar system?

A

If the Sun were an orange:
earth would be a grain of sand 9 metres away
Jupiter would be a pea 60 metres away
the nearest star would be 1600km away

27
Q

What are the terrestrial (rocky) planets?

A 
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Closest to the sun (inner planets)
Small
High mean density (4-5.5 g/cm³)
rock and metallic elements
28
Q

What are the jovian (gassy) planets

A 
Jupiter and Saturn (gas giants) 
Uranus and Neptune (ice giants)
Outer planets
Large
Low density (0.7-1.7 g/cm³)
gaseous (He, H₂)
29
Q

Where is the frost line?

A

between the terrestrial and jovian planets

30
Q

What are Venus’ characteristics?

A 
Rolling topography
Active volcanism
Cloudy, thick CO2-rich atmosphere
High surface temp (450 °C)
No water (runaway greenhouse effect)
Analogue of early/future Earth?
31
Q

What are Mars’ characteristics?

A 
Cold, windy
Tremendous topography
Volcanism
Small core
Ice caps (water & CO2)- Liquid water?
Life? (maybe)
32
Q

What are Earth’s characteristics?

A 
Water in 3 forms
Land, sea
Rivers, lakes
Continents
Topography
Temp gradient
Life, including Humans
33
Q

Why is earth unique?

A

has a water cycle

34
Q

Why is Earth so different?

A 
Just right distance from Sun to have water as solid, liquid, and gas
Water cycle (closed system) - Results in a young regenerated surface and Enables planetary-scale life to evolve (earth-atmosphere exchange of elements)
Internal heat– long-term (ongoing) radioactive decay of elements 
Convection (movement) in solid rocky interior (over long periods acts as a fluid)

EOS 120 (24 decks)

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