Earth Science (Chapter 21-24) Flashcards
Earth Science by Tarbuck, Lutgens, and Tasa
The “Golden Age” of early astronomy
(600 B. C.– A. D. 150) was centered in Greece
He calculated the circumference of Earth.
Erasthothenes
The two cities in Egypt where Erasthothenes measured the noonday angle of Sun.
Syene (present Aswan) and Alexandria
Erasthothenes measurement of Earth’s circumference.
250,000 stadia (39,400 km)
1 stadia is equal to
157.6 meters (517 feet)
The first Greek to profess a Sun-centered, or heliocentric universe was
Aristarchus
He determined the location of almost 850 stars, which he divided into six groups according to their brightness. (This system is still used today.) He measured the length of the year to within minutes of the modern value and developed a method for predicting the times of lunar eclipses to within a few hours.
Hipparchus
The author of the Ptolemaic System.
Claudius Ptolemy
Much of our knowledge of Greek astronomy comes from a 13-volume treatise, __________ (meaning “the great work”), which was compiled by Ptolemy in A. D. 141.
Almagest
Periodically, each planet appears to stop, reverse direction for a period of time, and then resume an eastward motion. The apparent westward drift is called
retrograde (retro = to go back, gradus = walking) motion
Rather than using a single circle for each planet’s orbit, Ptolemy proposed that the planets orbited on small circles called _______, revolving along large circles (________).
epicycles; deferents
Who expanded Hipparchus’s star catalog and divided the sky into 48 constellations—the foundation of our present-day constellation system.
the Arabic astronomers
Copernicus’s monumental work which set forth his controversial Sun-centered solar system.
De Revolutionibus, Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres)
The discovery that the planets actually have elliptical orbits occurred a century later and is credited to
Johannes Kepler
He was seized by the Inquisition, a Church tribunal, in 1600, and, refusing to denounce the Copernican theory, was burned at the stake.
Giordano Bruno
The apparent shift of the stars is called __________, and today it is used to measure dis tances to the nearest stars.
stellar parallax
A Danish nobility who aimed to dispute the Copernican theory but did not succeed. His observations, particularly of Mars, were far more precise than any made previously and are his legacy to astronomy.
Tycho Brahe
Considered as the the greatest Italian scientist of the Renaissance.
Galileo Galilei
The largest magnification of Galileo’s invented telescopes.
30
This led Galileo to conclude that the Sun was the center of the solar system.
His obervation that Venus goes through a series of Moonlike phases. Venus appears smallest during the full phase when it is farthest from Earth and largest in the crescent phase when it is closest to Earth.
Galileo’s most famous work that explains and supported the Copernican system.
Dialogue of the Great World Systems
Every body in the universe attracts every other body with a force that is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
law of universal gravitation
Because the solar system is “flat,” like a whirling Frisbee, the planets orbit the Sun along nearly the same plane. Therefore, the planets, Sun, and Moon all appear to move along a band around the sky known as the
zodiac
Divides the celestial sphere into coordinates that are similar to the latitude and longitude system we use for establishing locations on Earth’s sur face
equatorial system
Like latitude, it is the angular distance north or south of the celestial equator.
Declination
Refers to the point in the sky where the Sun crosses the celestial equator, at the onset of spring.
vernal equinox
The angular distance meas ured eastward along the celestial equator from the position of the vernal equinox. It is also analogous to longitude.
Right ascension
Refers to the gradual change in the orientation of Earth’s axis over a period of 26,000 years.
axial precession
The time interval from one noon to the next, which averages about 24 hours.
mean solar day
The time it takes for Earth to make one complete rotation (360 degrees) with respect to a star other than our Sun.
sidereal day (sider = star, at = pertaining to)
The sidereal day has a period of
23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (measured in solar time)
At perihelion (peri = near, helios = sun) it is __________ distant, which occurs about _______ each year.
147 million kilometers; January 3
At aphelion (apo = away, helios = sun) it is __________ distant, which occurs about _______ each year.
152 million kilometers; July 4.
The apparent annual path of the Sun against the backdrop of the celestial sphere is called
ecliptic
The imaginary plane that connects points along the ecliptic is called
plane of the ecliptic
At the present time, the axis points toward the bright star Polaris. In A. D. 14000, it will point toward the bright star _______, which will then be the North Star for about 1000 years or so
Vega
The cycle of the Moon through its phases requires 29 1/2 days—a time span called the
synodic month (apparent period)
The true period, of the Moon’s revolution around Earth which takes only 27 1/3 days and is known as the
sidereal month
In what phase of the moon do solar eclipse occur?
new-Moon phase
In what phase of the moon do lunar eclipse occur?
full-Moon phase
An estimated _________ percent of the mass of our solar system is contained within the Sun.
99.85 percent
What planet has the highest orbital velocity?
Mercury (48 kilometers (30 miles) per second)
Planet that has the shortest period of revolution around the Sun.
Mercury (88 Earth-days)
The planets’ inclination with respect to the Earth–Sun orbital plane, known as the
ecliptic
These two planets had surface gravities sufficient to attract and retain large quantities of hydrogen and helium, the lightest elements.
Jupiter and Saturn
Outer planets or Jovian planets are also known as
gas giants
The terrestrial planets are dense, having relatively large cores of iron and nickel. The outer cores of Earth and Mercury are _______, whereas the cores of Venus and Mars are thought to be only ____________.
liquid; partially molten
Jupiter’s intense magnetic field is thought to be the result of
electric currents flowing within a spinning layer of liquid metallic hydrogen
All planets, except _______ and _________ , have significant magnetic fields generated by flow of metallic materials in their liquid cores, or mantles.
Venus and Mars
Jovian planets have very thick atmospheres composed mainly of______ and ________, with lesser amounts of water, methane, ammonia, and other hydrocarbons.
hydrogen and helium
By contrast, the terrestrial planets, including Earth, have relatively meager atmospheres composed of __________, ___________, and ___________.
carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen
Two factors explain the significant differences of the atmospheres between inner and outer planets.
solar heating (temperature) and gravity
How did Earth acquire water and other volatile gases?
Earth was bombarded with icy objects that originated beyond the orbit of Mars.
Earth’s atmosphere continues to leak hydrogen and helium (the two lightest gases) into space. TRUE OR FALSE?
TRUE
The speed required to escape a planet’s gravity
escape velocity
Earth’s atmosphere causes meteoroids with masses of less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) to lose up to ______ percent of their speed as they penetrate the atmosphere.
90 percent
These are unconsolidated debris derived from a few billion years of meteoric bombardment composed of igneous rocks, breccia, glass beads, and fine lunar dust.
lunar regolith
Mercury’s day–night cycle, which lasts ______ Earth-days, is very long compared to Earth’s 24-hour cycle. One “night” on Mercury is roughly equivalent to 3 months on Earth and is followed by the same duration of daylight.
176 days
Measured Mercury’s magnetic field in 2012. It found Mercury’s magnetic field to be about 100 times less than Earth’s, which suggests that Mercury has a large core that remains hot and fluid—a requirement for generating a magnetic field.
Mariner 10
The largest-known impact crater (1300 kilometers [800 miles] in diameter) on Mercury is
Caloris Basin
Found evidence of volcanism by revealing thick volcanic deposits similar to those on Earth in the Columbia Basin.
Messenger
Venus orbits the Sun in a nearly perfect circle once every
225 days
1 Venus day is equivalent to about ____ Earth days.
244 Earth days
surface temperature of Venus
averages about 450°C (900°F) day and night
Using radar imaging, the unstaffed spacecraft _______ mapped Venus’s surface in stunning detail.
Magellan
The longest known lava channel in the solar system, meanders 6800 kilometers (4255 miles) across the planet.
Baltis Vallis
The largest volcano on Venus, is about 8.5 kilometers high (5 miles) and 400 kilometers (250 miles) wide.
Maat Mons
Recent data collected by the European Space Agency’s Venus Express suggest that Venus’s highlands contain__________ rock.
silica-rich granitic rock
Composition of the Martian atmosphere.
carbon dioxide (95 percent), with small amounts of nitro gen, oxygen, and water vapor
The reddish color of the Martian landscape is due to?
iron oxide (rust)
Located along the Martian equator is an enormous elevated region, about the size of North America, called the
Tharsis bulge
Along the eastern flanks of the bulge, a series of vast canyons called _________ developed.
Valles Marineris (Mariner Valleys)
The largest identifiable impact structure on the planet, is about 2300 kilometers (1400 miles) in diameter and has the planet’s lowest elevation.
Hellas
The largest-known volcano in the solar system.
Olympus Mons
Currently, the dominant force shaping the Martian surface is
wind erosion
Opportunity rover investigated structures similar to features created by water on Earth—including
- sedimentary rocks, playas (salt flats), and lake beds 2. detection of hydrated sulfates 3. detection of small spherical concretions of hematite, dubbed “blueberries”
Lord of the Heavens.
Jupiter
The warmest, and lowest, layer of Jupiter’s cloud is composed mainly of ______ and appears blue-gray; it is generally not seen in visible-light images.
water ice
The middle layer of Jupiter’s cloud, where temperatures are lower, consists of brown to orange-brown clouds of __________ .
ammonium hydrosulfide droplets
Jupiter’s convective flow produces alternating dark colored belts and light-colored zones. The______________ are regions where warm material is ascending and cooling.
light clouds (zones)
The _________ represent cool material that is sinking and warming.
dark belts
The largest storm in Jupiter.
Great Red Spot.
How many moons of Jupiter have been discovered until present?
67
A Jupiter satellite that has a dynamic core that generates a strong magnetic field not observed in other satellites.
Ganymede
The most volcanically active body in our solar system.
Io
Smallest Galilean satellite that is covered by frozen ocean.
Europa
The main ring is composed of particles believed to be fragments blasted from the surfaces of ______ and ________ two small moons of Jupiter.
Metis and Adrastea
The elegant planet.
Saturn
The ring nature of Saturn was determined by Dutch astronomer ________.
Christian Huygens
Three of Saturn’s satellites showing evidence of tectonic activity, where internal forces have ripped apart their icy surfaces.
Rhea, Dione, and Tethys
Saturn’s impact-Pummeled Satellite. Planetary geologists think its surface is so weak and porous that impacts punch into its surface.
Hyperion
Larger than Mercury and is the second-largest satellite in the solar system.
Titan
Is another unique satellite of Saturn—one of the few where active eruptions have been observed
Enceladus
The volcanic-like activity in Enceladus occurs in areas called “__________” that consists of four large fractures with ridges on either side.
tiger stripes
The volcanic-like activity on Saturn’s satellite Enceladus is thought to be the source of material for the ____-ring.
E ring
A region 4,800 km (3,000 mi) in width between Saturn’s A Ring and B Ring. It is a clearly visible gap that arises from the gravitational pull of Mimas, one of Saturn’s moons.
Cassini Division
A small moon about 30 kilometers in diameter that orbits in the Encke gap, located in the A ring. It is responsible for keeping the Encke gap open by sweeping up any stray material that may enter.
Pan
A potato-shaped moon, acts as a ring shepherd. Its gravity helps confine the moonlets in Saturn’s thin F ring.
Prometheus
The sideways planet.
Uranus
Enumerate the literary moons of Uranus.
Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon
The innermost of the five largest moons of Uranus, was recently geologically active—most likely driven by gravitational heating, as occurs on Io.
Miranda
Refers to an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them.
occultation
The windy planet.
Neptune
The recorded wind speed in Neptune.
exceeding 2400 kilometers/hour
Neptune’s largest moon and is the only large moon in the solar system that exhibits retrograde motion.
Triton
What planets have retrograde rotation?
Venus and Uranus
Describes the eruption of magmas derived from the partial melting of ice instead of silicate rocks.
Cryovolcanism
Composed of rocky and/or metallic material with compositions somewhat like the terrestrial planets that are larger than 100 meters (60 miles) in diameter.
Asteroids
