Earth System History Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are the three components of Earth’s system History?
physical, chemical, biological
what is a system?
group of related elements that function together as a whole
what is a component
What is a physical component
tangible component of something
What is matter?
anything made up of atoms occupies space and has mass
What is chemical component?
identity, arrangement, ratio of elements making up a compound
What is a biological component?
living components
what is uniformitarianism?
the laws of nature have not changed over time
What is the principle of superstition?
oldest rocks and fossils ae at the bottom, new ones are on top
What is a strata?
layer of rock
what happens when there are no fossils in strata?
There was a mass extinction
when do gene pools change?
population shrinks, non-random mating, mutations in genes, movement in/ out of population, natural selection
why do populations shrink?
diseases, extinctions, introduction of better species, predators
what is non-random mating?
organisms choose strongest mate
why are there mutations in genes?
genes change, environment decides
What is Movement in/out of population?
immigration, geneflow
what is natural selection?
adaptations to the environment, ones that do good take over ones who do bad
how old is the universe
13.7 billion
what is the most widely accepted theory for the origin of the universe
The Big Bang Theory
What is recombination?
sub-atomic particles come together
what is inflation?
rapid expansion
what are the 4 eons
hadeon, archeon, Proterozoic, phanerozoic
What are the 3 eras?
Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
what are three eons in the Precambrian
Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic
