earth science 2 Flashcards
if given a diagram of the earth, pick the one that looks most like a…
sphere
what is the true shape of the earth
oblate spheroid
the closer the isolines the…
steeper the gradient / slope
the basic elements of minerals are…
oxygen and silicon
physical properties of minerals depend on
the internal arrangement of atoms
the mineral and rock that react to acid are
calcite and limestone
rocks are classified on…
their origin / how they formed
how do igneous rocks form?
igneous rocks form from the crystallization / cooling of magma or lava
many igneous rocks have
intergrown crystals
intrusive igneous rocks form…
slowly under the earth surface - larger crystals
extrusive rocks form…
quickly above the earth surface - smaller crystals
sedimentary rocks form from…
sediments, the evaporation of water and organic remains
bioclastic - classtic - shell fragments
fossils are found in mostly only…
sedimentary rocks
contact metamorphism occurs when…
molten rock (magma/lava) comes into contact with other rocks - always igneous
regional metamorphism occurs…
over large areas - associated with mountain building
igneous rocks are classified on…
being coarse/fine, glassy or vesicular
sedimentary rocks are classified on…
clastic/ bioclastic - fossils
metamorphic rocks are classified on…
foliation
soils develop as a result of
weathering and biological activity
what is the primary force that drives agents of erosion
gravity
what is the most common agent of erosion?
running water
stream velocity depends on…
gradient and volume of water
the outside of a meander bend is
faster and erodes more
the inside of a meander bend is
slower and had more deposites
as stream velocity increases, the particle’s size able to be transported…
increases
streams carry sediments by
solution, suspension, bouncing and rolling
stream valleys are
v shaped bc of the intensity of the water eroding at the rock
the particles that settle first are
larger, most dense and roundest
verticle sorting is
when the biggest sediments are at the bottom
water and wind deposites are…
sorted by size and layered
glacial landscapes are
u shaped valley, scratched boulders and angular unsorted sediments
the area drained by a river is a
water shed
continents are…
made from granite and thick
oceans are
made from basalt and thin
plate tectonics are caused by
mantle convection currents
the further you get from the center of a ridge
the older the rocks get
the 3 types of plate boundaries are
diverging - moving away from each other - rdiges
converging - coming together and transform - sliding - faults
subduction is when…
plates sink under each other forming a trench
mid-ocean ridges…
new crust is created
trenches…
crust is destroyed
a seismograph gives you…
the epicenter distence
p waves are…
faster, first to get to the place, pass through everything
s waves are
slower, second to every place, can go through solids only - cannot go through outer core because it is a liquid
the bottom layer is always
oldest
faults, folds, and intrusions are…
younger than the rocks they are found in
index fossils are found…
over a wide area and they existed for a short period of time
what is an unconformity?
an unconformity is a buried erosional surface
what do unconformities represent
they represent a gap in the geological record
what is carbon 14 used to date
carbon 14 is used to date recent organisms
what surface absorbs the most amount of light
dark and rough surfaces absorb the most amount of light
what surface reflects the most light
light and smooth reflects the most amount of light
the earth absorbs mostly
short wavelengths and visible light energy
the earth radiates mostly
long wavelengths with infrared (heat) energy
what are the greenhouse gases
carbon dioxide, methane and oxygen
conduction is…
the heat transfer through molecules to molecule contact
convection is…
the heat transfer through fluids due to density differences
radiation is…
the need for no heat transfer - can go through space
energy moves from
high to low - sinks down
kinetic energy is
the energy of something in movement
potential energy is
the stored energy of that object - increases with height
there is no temperature change at
a phase change
good absorbers of energy are also
good radiators
water is the hardest thing to
heat up and cool down
water is the densest at
4 degrees as a liquid - density is 1
the season are caused by…
the tilt of the earth on its axis. and the revolution of the earth around the sun
as a planet gets closer to the sun
the planet has a faster orbit
in the us to see the sun at noon you have to be
facing south
what is the most intense angle of altitude for the sun
90 degrees
vernal -spring equinox is
march 21st
autumnal - fall equinox
September 23rd
in the fall sun rises in the … and sets in the …
the sun rises in the east and sets in the west
in the fall vertical rays hit…
o degrees at the equator
the duration of insolation in the fall is
when the whole earth get 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nightime
summer solstice is
june 21st
in summer sun sets
north of east and north of west
during summer suns altitude is
the highest for the year
in summer vertical rays hit
23.5 degrees north - tropic of cancer
the duration of insolation during summer…
new york is 16 hours and the north pole is 24 hours
winter solstice is
december 21
during winter the sun rise in the … and sets in the…
during teh winter the sun rises south of east and sets south of west
during winter the suns altitude is
at the lowest for the year
during winter the vertical rays hit
23 degrees south - tropic of Capricorn
during winter the duration of insolation is
ny gets 8 hours and north poles gets 0 hours
shadows get longer as the…
sun get lower
the equator always receives
12 hours of intense sunlight
as temperature increases, air pressure
decreases and hot air rises
as moisture increase, air pressure
decreases and clouds form in the rising air
as altitude/ latitude increases the air pressure
decreases
warm air is capable of
holding more water vapor than cooler air can
wind is named for the
direction it comes from
wind is caused by
the differences in air pressure - high to low
precipitation occurs when
warm and moist air rises expands and cools
a rising barometer means that
good weather is coming
a falling barometer means
bad weather is coming
a steady barometer means
no change is coming
fronts occur where
air masses meet
the most likely areas of precipitation are
the leading edges of air masses (fronts)
the circulation around a lower-pressure system is
counter-clockwise, its going towards the center where the air rises
the circulation around a high-pressure system is
clockwise and its moving away from the center where the air sinks
weather systems in the us mostly move
from west to east
hurricanes form over…
warm oceans in the summer and autumn
marine climates have
cool summers and warm winters
continental climates have
cold winters and hot summers
leeward side of the mountain is
dry and warm due to compression
windward sides of the mountain is
cool and moist due to expansion
porosity does NOT depend on the…
particle size
as a particles size increases the permeability
increase
as a particles size increases capillarity
decreases
moist and warm climates have
chemical weathering
moist and cold climates have
physical weathering
what is the proof that the universe is expanding
the red shift theory and background radiation
the earths orbit around the sun is
a slightly eccentric ellipse
all celestial objects appear to
rise in the east and set in the west
planets appear to move
backwards (retrograde motion)
geocentric
earths centered universe
heliocentric is when
the sun is centered in the solar system
what are the 2 proofs that the earth rotates
Coriolis effect and the Foucault pendulum
the earth rotates
west to east at 15 degrees per hour in 24 hours
the earth revolves
counter clockwise 1 degree per day and 365 1/4 days
the moon revolves
around the earth in an elliptical orbit- in ine month
a solar eclipse happens when
the moon is between the earth and sun and blocks out the sun
a lunar eclipse happens when
the earth is between the moon and sun and earth’s shadow hits the moon
earth is closest to the sun during what season
winter
the same substance always has the
same density
if you cut a piece in half it
does NOT change the density
the altitude of Polaris is
equal to your latitude in the northern hemisphere
the Coriolis effect deflects the winds and currents to th
right in the northern hemisphere
we see moon phases because
the moon revolves around earth
all weather moves to the
east
