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Basic Science > Earth Science > Flashcards

Earth Science Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

atmosphere

A

the outermost sphere of the Earth is called the atmosphere which consists of the mixture of gases

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2
Q

asthenosphere

A

the lower layer of the mantle; it flows and moves Earth’s plates

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3
Q

Big Bang Theory

A

instant formation of the Universe in an enormous explosion billions of years ago

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4
Q

biosphere

A

all Earth’s living organisms, whether in the air, on the land, in the waters, or below the surface of the Earth

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5
Q

black dwarf

A

a white dwarf star that has used all its fuel and ceases to glow faintly thus becoming totally dark

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6
Q

black hole

A

a very small region of space-time that has a very intense gravitational field that nothing can escape

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7
Q

chromosphere

A

the thin middle layer of the sun’s atmosphere circuit containing an array of linked, or coupled, capacitors

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8
Q

convection zone

A

the outer layer of the sun’s interior where hot gases rise from the bottom of the convection zone and gradually cool

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9
Q

core

A

Sun the interior where all the energy is produced by nuclear fusion; Earth a very dense concentration of mostly iron and some nickel consisting of a solid inner core and a liquid outer core together 21,700 miles thick

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10
Q

corona

A

the outer most layer of the sun’s atmosphere extending about one million miles into space from the sun’s surface

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11
Q

crust

A

a layer of solid rock that forms the outer ‘skin’ of the Earth, including the ocean floor, water, land, soil, rocks and mountains

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12
Q

Doppler shift

A

a change in an observed wave frequency occurring when the source and the observer are in motion relative to each other; also called Doppler effect

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13
Q

elliptical galaxy

A

galaxies without spiral arms and with more of a round or egg-shaped to their center region

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14
Q

evapotranspiration

A

water loss from soil by evaporation and by transpiration from plants

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15
Q

evaporation

A

the process of becoming vapor

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16
Q

exosphere

A

the outermost atmospheric layer

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17
Q

half-life

A

the time it takes for a radioactive element to decay into one-half its original amount

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18
Q

Hubble, Edwin Powell

A

(1889-1953) American astronomer who showed that other galaxies exist and observed that the universe is expanding

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19
Q

Hubble’s Law

A

the faster a galaxy is moving away from Earth, the farther away it is

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20
Q

hydrosphere

A

Earth’s water (rivers, oceans, lakes, and ice)

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21
Q

igneous rock

A

rock form during the cooling process of Earth’s magma or lava

22
Q

ionosphere

A

atmospheric layer above the stratosphere; composed of electrically charged particles

23
Q

irregular galaxy

A

galaxies that have no regular spiral or elliptical shape

24
Q

latitude

A

the distance in degrees north or south of the equator

25
Q

lithosphere

A

Earth’s solid rocky outer layer

26
Q

longitude

A

the distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian

27
Q

mantle

A

located just underneath the Earth’s crust, the mantle consists of very hot rock in two layers: the lithosphere and the asthenosphere

28
Q

magnetic declination

A

the difference between true north and the direction that a magnetic compass points

29
Q

mesosphere

A

the third layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that protects the Earth’s surface from being struck by most meteoroids

30
Q

mesosphere

A

portion of the Earth’s atmosphere that lies between the stratosphere and the ionosphere

31
Q

metamorphic rock

A

rock formed when existing rock is altered by pressure, thermal energy, or chemical reactions deep under the surface of the Earth

32
Q

neutron star

A

the very small and very dense remains of a once very massive star

33
Q

nuclear fusion

A

a reaction in which individual atoms combine to form heavier atoms and in this process, release tremendous amounts of energy

34
Q

parallax measurements

A

the change in the position of a nearby object with respect to distant objects, dependent on the observer’s position changes

35
Q

photosphere

A

the inner most layer of the sun’s atmosphere, considered to be the visible surface of the sun

36
Q

planetary nebula

A

an expanding gas shell ejected by a red giant star in the later years of its life

37
Q

protostar

A

the early stage of a forming star

38
Q

quasars

A

spectacularly bright and very distant and oldest objects in the Universe; they look much like stars, but not the same; quasi means “something like” in Latin and hence, these objects were named quasi-stellar objects that became quasars

39
Q

radiation zone

A

the middle layer of the sun’s interior of very dense gas where the energy produced in the sun’s core is transferred in the form of electromagnetic radiation

40
Q

red giant

A

stars whose outer layers expand as they start to use up all the fuel

41
Q

sedimentary rock

A

rock formed when particles of other rock, plants or animal remains are pressed together for long periods of time

42
Q

spiral galaxy

A

galaxy shaped with a bulge in its center and arms that spiral outward in a pinwheel shape

43
Q

stratosphere

A

the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere where the ozone layer is and where ultraviolet radiation is absorbed

44
Q

supernova

A

a rare explosion of the most of a star’s material, which emits an extremely bright, short-lived object emitting vast amounts of energy

45
Q

thermosphere

A

the fourth and outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere extending from 50 miles above Earth’s surface upward without bound, gradually blending with outer space

46
Q

troposphere

A

the layer of Earth’s atmosphere closest to the Earth, where all weather occurs

47
Q

water cycle

A

the continuous process in which water moves from the atmosphere to Earth’s bodies of water, land, and living things and back to the atmosphere

48
Q

white dwarf

A

an aged star of low to medium original mass that has used up its fuel, whose outer regions grow larger and drift further out into space and whose remaining core cools

49
Q

Earth’s Layers order

A 
Exosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposhere
------------------Surface
Crust
Upper Mantle
Mantle
Outer Core
Inner Core
50
Q

condensation

A

the process of a gas or vapor changing to a liquid

51
Q

nebula

A

an immense volume of gas and dust covering an immense volume of space

Basic Science (12 decks)

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