Earth Science Flashcards
Conduction
The transfer of heat through matter, such that areas of greater heat move to areas of less heat
Earth returns heat to the atmosphere through conduction
Radiation
Heat transfer via electromagnetic waves
Units of geological time
Shortest Epochs Periods Eras Longest
Groundwater
The source of Americas drinking water
The Doppler Effect
Why pitches change (like sirens moving away)
-the change in frequency for its observer moving relative to the source.
Aurora Borealis
A phenomenon caused by particles escaping from the sun. Includes a mixture of gases, electrons, and protons, and are sent out at a force that scientists call solar wind.
Spring Tides
Especially strong tides that occur when the earth, sun, and moon are in line (a new moon)
-allow the sun and moon to exert gravitational force on the earth and increase tidal bulge height
Neap Tides
Occur during quarter moons, especially weak tides
Star Magnitude
The star’s brightness
Reflecting Telescope
Common in laboratory settings. Images are produced via the reflection of waves off of s concave mirror
Refracting Telescope
Use lenses to bend light to focus the images
AU
Astronomical Unit
The average distance between the earth and sun
Accretion
Clumping together of small particles into large masses into the same planets of our solar system
Sun spot
A region on the suns surface that has a lower temp than its surroundings
Umbra
The central region of the shadow created during a solar eclipse
Precession
Change in axial direction of the earth
Comets
Small icy bodies that orbit the sun and produce a glowing tail of gas
Asteroids
Small rocky worlds that orbit the sun
Meteoroids
A meteor in space. Are often asteroid fragments but do not have a specific orbit. Can become meteors or meteorites.
Supernova
The thin cloud of gas and dust from which the sun and planets are formed
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Shows the relationship between a stars color, temp and mass
Hot blue stars top left
Cool red stars bottom right
Supergiant stars
Massive and luminous 10 to 10000 times brighter than the sun
Dwarf Stars
Dying stars that have collapsed in size. Extremely dense.
Condensation Theory
Theory of star development that go through a specific sequence of stages of development.
Giant star
Large cool extremely luminous stars
White dwarf star
Small slowly cooling, extremely dense star
Black Dwarfs
One possible last stage a star can take. They are cold and dead
Binary star
Two stars in the same solar system capture hydrogen from companion, the temp of the white dwarf soars, and a nuclear explosion occurs, creating a Nova
Nova
A sudden brightening of a lower main sequence star caused by the explosion of a star
Supernova
The massive explosion of an upper main sequence star caused by the detonation of carbon within the star
Galaxy
A large group of billions of stars held together by a mutual gravitational attraction
Globular Clusters
Tightly grouped high concentration of stars
Galactic Shapes
Spiral Galaxy (MW)
Irregular Galaxy
Barred Galaxy
Elliptical Galaxy
Nebulae
Glowing cloud of interstellar dust and gasses where stars and galaxies form
Steady State Theory
Scientific theory that held that the universe was static and did not evolve. Popular in 50s and 60s
Geocentric Model
Original model of the universe in which earth was centered
Greek Celestial Model
Aristolian Model
Earth is still center but planets and sun are on different spheres orbiting around earth
Ptolemaic Model
Moon orbiting the sun in elliptical motion
Heliocentric Model
Sun is center
Parsec
Standard unit of measurement outside our solar system
206 k AU or 3.26 light years
Parallax
An apparent change in the position of an object due to a change in the location of the observer
Mid-Ocean Ridges
Great length and steep slopes, site of sea floor spreading
Aseismic Ridge
Formed by hot spots, islands, sea mounts, and guyots
Guyot
Flat topped undersea mountain
Trenches
Deepest parts of the ocean. Break the absymal plain and are found at subduction zones
James Hutton
Principle of Uniformitarianism
Dendrochronogy
Tree ring dating
Coriolis Force
The effect that the earths rotation has on the winds direction of travel
