Earth Science Flashcards
apparent vs. actual motion
actual motion is the motion we know (to travel from point A to point B) while apparent motion is an optical illusion that causes stationary objects to appear moving due to one’s own movement
why are there seasons?
Earth’s axial tilt
what is the degree of Earth’s tilt?
23.5 degrees
How many days does a full moon cycle take?
29.5 days
list all of the lunar phases and the details
New moon (darkness), waxing crescent (sliver, occurs when moon is growing/waxing), first quarter moon (1/2 moon in the first quarter of cycle), waxing gibbous moon (wierd egg shape when moon is growing/waxing), full moon (whole moon can be seen), waning gibbous, 3/4 moon, waning crescent
what causes water tides and keeps the earth’s axis stable?
the moon (gravity)
why does a lunar eclipse happen?
when the earth is behind the sun and the moon is behind the earth
full vs. partial lunar eclipse
full means the earth’s shadow fully covers the moon which causes the moon to appear orange, partial means some sunlight directly reaches the moon.
why does a solar eclipse happen?
the moon’s shadow blocks the sun from shining on earth
total vs. partial solar eclipse
moon completely shadows the earth vs. moon partially shadows the earth
what part of the sun is only visible during a solar eclipse
the corona
what does weather result from
air masses moving from places of high air pressure to low air pressure
high vs. low pressure system
the high pressure causes air to disperse from its core which causes clear skies, while low pressure causes air to go to the core which causes more extreme weather
low pressure systems are associated with a ____ which is _____
front, which is a boundary that forms when air masses with different temperatures collide near the surface
warm front vs. cold front
a warm front occurs when a warm air mass goes into a cold air mass place; the warm air goes above the cold air. Cold front occurs when a cold air mass goes into a warm air mass palce
where is pressure highest and lowest and why
the poles have high pressure because the cool air sinks while the equator has low pressure because the warmer air rises
what causes wind currents?
air flowing from high to low pressure
prevailing winds, gyres
global wind patterns, giant rotational systems of ocean currents that form when smaller ocean currents combine
why do wind patterns and current patterns travel in curves; to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere? What is this phenomenon called?
the direction of Earth’s rotation, the Coriolis Effect
what causes surface currents in the ocean?
the wind driving the water
what are deeper ocean currents affected by and how to they move?
temperature and density, they move vertically
upwelling, overturning circulation
wind drags deep water to the surface, system of surface and deep water currents
continental vs. marine climate
continental climate has temperatures that vary much more than in a marine climate; this is due to water’s high heat capacity
rain shadow
a phenomenon caused by mountains that results in one side of the mountain getting less rainfall than the other (which is due to the mountains blocking warm air).
