Earth Science final 1 Flashcards
identify the difference between a hypothesis and a scientific theory.
A hypothesis is a testable explanation for a problem or phenomenon and a scientific theory is a well-tested, broad explanation of a natural phenomenon.
which of the colors on the visible spectrum has the longest wavelength?
red
what are the two most abundant gases in our atmosphere?
Nitrogen and oxygen
describe earths major spheres?
biosphere
atmosphere
hydrosphere
geosphere
what is the domaint force in the universe?
gravitational force
increased rainfall causing flooding of a river(which 2 apply)
a)atmosphere
b)geosphere
c)biosphere
d)hydrosphere
atmosphere and geosphere
What is the name of the process that explains the formation of the planest by colliding bodies?
Accretion
Briefly describe the origin of the moon
collision of earth and a mars sized object
What are the terrestrial planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Characteristics of the Terrestrial planets?
small, dense, and rocky, low gravity, thin atmosphere
What are the Jovian Planets?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Characteristics of the Jovian Planets?
High mass, low density, gaseous, high gravity, thick atmosphere
Pluto and 4 other planets are known as what group of planets?
Dwarf Planets
explain how stellar distance is measured?
light years
what factors control the brightness of a star?
size, temperature,distance
How does the color of the star relate to the temperature?
Hot stars are blue, average temp. stars are yellow, and cool stars are red
What are two properties of a star that are plotted on an H-R diagram?
Temperature and magnitude
What term is used to describe the collection of energy from stars that include gamma rays, x-rays, UV, visible light, IR, microwave, and radio waves?
Electromagnetic radiation
Which of the colors on the visible spectrum has the longest wavelength?
Red
Which of the colors on the visible spectrum has the shortest wavelength?
Purple
How does the Doppler shift help astronomers identify the mostions of objects in space?
The red shift shows if it’s moving away and the blue shift shows its moving toward.
What are the opposing forces that sustain the ¨life¨ of a star?
gravity and nuclear fusion
List the stages a typical star goes through in its life cycle.
nebula, ProStar, main sequence star, red giant, white dwarf
What element does the sun use for its primary source of fuel?
nuclear fusion
which phase of a star is the stable state?
main sequence star
What moves a star from the main sequence stage to the next stage in its cycle? What is the stage called?
fusion moves from the core outward to the star surface and becomes a red giant
What determines the final stage of a star? What is the final stage of the sun?
White dwarf and its mass determines the final stage
What is the dominant force in the universe?
gravity
Because other galaxies in the universe show a redshift, what does this indicate about the universe?
its expanding/moving away
define hubbles law
galaxies are moving away from each other at a speed that is proportional to their distance
define the big bang theory
approximately 14 bya the universe was very dense and hot and has since expanded and cooled and continued to do so
Describe earths major spheres
Hydrosphere-all water on earth
Biosphere-all life on earth
Geosphere- the solid earth, crust, mantle, core
Atmosphere- thin, gaseous envelope surrounding Earth
Differentiate between weather and climate.
Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place(constantly changing) and climate is based on the observations of weather that has been collected over many years(describes place/region)
What are the two most abundant gases in our atmosphere?
Nitrogen and oxygen
Which gases in our atmosphere influence weather and climate the most?
CO2
Which of the layers of the atmosphere is where the Earth´s weather occurs and which layer is where the ozone layer exists?
Troposphere-weather
Stratosphere-ozone layer
What does the ozone layer do to protect life forms on earth?
absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun creating a protective layer
identify the processes that move water from one state of matter to another.
Sublimation- solid to gas
Deposition-gas to solid
Melting-solid to liquid
Freezing-liquid to solid
Evaporation- liquid to gas
Condensation- gas to liquid
Explain how air temperature and water vapor capacity are related.
when the temperature and seasons change so will the humidity and water vapor
What region of the earth tends to have the highest amount of water vapor? Why?
The equator because its warmer and when the air is warm it has a higher capacity to hold water vapor
Define conduction
heat is transferred through contact
Define Convection
Heat is transferred by movement/circulation as a convection cell
Define Radiation
energy travels out in all directions
Describe the absorption and albedo levels of a dark field vs. a glacier
A dark field absorbs heat, increases temp and has a high absorption level while a glacier reflects heat, making temps cooler, and has high albedo levels
Explain what causes the urban heat island effect
vegetation is replaced by asphalt, concrete roads,buildings, other structures, these surfaces absorb rather than reflect the suns heat causing ambient temps to rise
What effect does the melting of arctic ice have as a result of climate change?
Ice reflects the heat rather than absorbing it, since heat is reflected, temps. are cool but if they are melted nothing is giving off cool air temp is higher everywhere
Which of the four laws of radiation was observed in both the albedo and absorption lap and the land and water heating lab?
Law 4:Objects that are good absorbers of heat radiation are good emitters of heat as well. The black can showed sand can absorb heat fast and also emitted if faster than the silver can/water
Explain what causes the seasons of Earth.
axis tilt and the revolution around the sun
differentiate between the summer solstice and winter solstice for the northern hemisphere.
summer solstice-farther form the sun
winter solstice-closer to the sun
Explain how direct vs. indirect solar radiation reaching the different latitudes on Earth influences temperatures on earth.
less direct-energy is spread out, cooler temps
more direct- energy is concentrated in smaller areas, warmer temps
Explain how land and water are in control of temperature
Land heats more rapidly, to higher temps, and cools more rapidly
Water warms more slowly, stores more heat, and cools more slowly than land.
Knowing how land and water heat and cool, explain how this affects the climate in various locations.
climate surrounded by water is more steady vs. over land it has more temp changes because the water holds the heat
What factors can change the density of ocean water?
temperature and salinity
Identify the processes that increase salinity.
evaporation and freezing
Identify the processes that decrease salinity.
precipitation, runoff, iceberg/sea ice, glaciers melting
Explain the relationship between ocean density and the ocean conveyor belt.
warm water from the equator flows towards the poles, as surface currents where it becomes dense and sinks due to low temps. and high salinity
Explain how ocean currents affect climate.
move temps from where they originate to another location affecting the weather/climate
Explain how global winds affect climate.
moving temps from where they originate to another location affecting the weather/climate
Describe the ocean conveyor belt and why it is important for weather and climate.
it influences global climate by converting warm water to cold water and releasing the heat to the atmosphere
Define the greenhouse effect
much of the energy from the sun is emitted as shortwave radiation is absorbed or reflected by various surfaces, keeps earth warm/livable, absorbed by greenhouse gases(long waves heat)
Of earth´s four major spheres, which sphere is part of the carbon cycle and is able to store carbon
all the spheres
What two factors can influence the amount of radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases?
type of surfaces and amount of greenhouse gasees
Define climate change due to global warming.
the increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long periof of time including precipitation, tempertature, and wind patters
List some of the effects of climate change on Colorado.
-decrease in the amount of water
-increase in the number of hot spells
-alpine forest sensitivity
-hotter, drier Co=water issues
-forest fire increase
-rate of seasonal transitions
the process of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
a)atmosphere
b)geoshphere
c)hydrosphere
d)biosphere
hydrosphere and atmosphere
stores groundwater and creates ocean basins (pick 2)
a)atmosphere
b)geosphere
c)hydrosphere
d)biosphere
hydrosphere and geosphere
heat exchange between spheres
a)atmosphere
b)geosphere
c)hydrosphere
d)biosphere
atmosphere and geosphere
a volcanic eruption ejecting ash and blocking sunlight
a)atmosphere
b)geosphere
c)hydrosphere
d)biosphere
atmosphere and geosphere
what is the greenhouse effect?
gases absorb infrared energy into the atmosphere
what two factors can influence the amount of radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases?
the type of surface and amount of gases
what are the ways that cause the climate to vary on short and long-term scales?
short scales
-plate tectonics
-miblakowtch
long scales
-el nino
-la nina
what are some of the effects of climate change on Colorado
the shorter winter season and hotter average climate
