Earth Science Flashcards
Outermost Layer of the Earth. 70km
Crust
2 Varieties of Earth’s Crust
Continental Crust - Felsic (rich in Silica) 20 - 70km thick.
Oceanic Crust - Mafic (rich in Iron and magnesium) 5 - 10km thick. More dense
The process where a piece of oceanic crust collides with continental crust, the oceanic crust slides beneath the continental crust.
Subduction
Widest section of the Earth. Solid but malleable.
Mainly composed of _________.
Mantle: lower - soft; upper - hard, rigid
Peridotite (ultramafic rock)
The layer surrounding the inner core. Composed of liquid iron and nickel. Exhibits convection which carries heat to the mantle.
Outer Core
Center and the hottest part of the Earth. Made up of solid iron and nickel. Rotates faster
Inner Core
Boundary between the crust and the mantle. Who was named after this boundary?
Mohorovičić Discontinuity (Moho) by Andrija Mohorovičić
Boundary that seperates the mantle from the outercore. Who was named after this boundary?c
Gutenberg Discontinuity by Beno Gutenberg
Boundary between inner and outer core. Abrupt increase of P-wave and S-wave velocities. Who was named after this boundary?
Lehmann Discontinuity by Dr. Inge Lehmann
What are the Subsystems of Earth?
Lithosphere - solid structure of the Earth (30%)
Hydrosphere - liquid portion of the Earth (70%)
Atmosphere - blanket of air (78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other gases)
Biosphere -all living things/organism
Mechanical Layers of the Earth
Litosphere
Asthenosphere - part of the upper mantle located below the crust of the Earth
Mesosphere
Outer Core
Inner Core
What are the layers of the Atmosphere?
Troposphere - lowest layer, where weather takes place (clouds)
Stratosphere - where the ozone layer is found
Mesosphere - where most meteors burn up
Thermosphere - absorbs high-energy x-rays and UV radiation from the sun (spacecraft)
Exosphere - outermost layer (satellites)
What are Rocks?
Generally made up of two or more minerals, mixed up through geological processes.
A naturally occuring crystallime solid, formed by geological processes, composed of elements or compounds, and characterized by a chemical formula
Minerals
What are the types of Rocks?
Igneous Rocks - formed by cooling of molten magma in the Earth’s surface.
- Intrusive rocks: rocks formed in magma
- Extrusive rocks: rocks formed in lava
Sedimentary Rocks - By deposition and cementation of mineral or organic particles on the ocean floor. Formed through weathering and erosion.
Metamorphic Rocks - From pre-existing rocks which undergo changes due to high temperature, pressure, or chemical reactions.
What are fossils?
Remnants or impressions of ancient organisms that are naturally preserved in stone. Are formed in sedimentary rocks. Body Fossils and Trace Fossils.
A temporary condition of atmosphere at any given time amd place
Weather
Describes the typical weather conditions in an entire region for a very long time - 30 years or more
Climate
What are the Oceans in our Planet?
Pacific - largest
Antlantic
Indian
Arctic
Antarctic
The tendency of water molecules to acttract one another or same kind of molecule
Cohesion
The tendency of water molecules to attract on other kind of molecule
Adhesion
The tightness in the droplet of water that surrounds it
Surface Tension
The rise of water in a narrow space
Capillarity
Energy that comes from heat deep below Earths’ surface
Geothermal Energy
Mechanical energy that comes from fast moving water that turns it to electricity
Hydroelectric Energy
Energy harnessed from the flow of the air
Wind Energy
Energy derived from the sun
Solar Energy
Energy from biological plants and animal materials
Biofuel Energy
A hard, black, colored subst made up of C, H, O, N, S. A mineral that doesn’t produce heat and takes years to produce.
Coal
Organic material, mostly algae, buried in mud at the bottom of sea and lakes. “Oil” “Crude Oil”
Petroleum
Naturally occuring hydrocarbon gas with methane. From sedimentary rock formation by forcing chemicals, water, and sand down a well under high pressure.
Natural Gas
A theory that explained how continents shift position on the Earths’ surface
Continental Drift Theory by Alfred Wegener
Who opposes Alfred Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift
Harold Jeffrey
States that the Earth’s crust is made of about 20 separate pieces, called tectonic plates, that slowly move due to currents of hear from the planet’s core.
Theory of Plate Tectonics
The areas in which tectonic plates meet
Plate boundaries
What are the three kinds of plate tectonics?
Divergent Boundary - plates move away from each other
Convergent Boundary - plates collide with one another
Transform Boundary - plates slide past each other
P Waves and S Waves
Primary Waves - can travel through liquids, solids, gases
Secondary Waves - only travel through solids
