Exam 1 part 1 Flashcards
Study for the first exam
What kind of planet is Earth?
It is small and self contained, dynamic/active
What are Earth’s four spheres?
1) Hydrosphere (water)
2) Atmosphere (Air/gases)
3) Biosphere (Life)
4) Geosphere (Solid rock)
What do the spheres have to do with one another?
They interact, you cannot have one sphere without the other.
What is the aim of Earth Science?
To study the Earth as a system composed of numerous interacting parts, subsystems.
What does it mean to study the earth interdisciplinary?
It means to study all of the different spheres.
What is a system?
Any size group of interacting parts that for a complex whole.
What do you need to have a complete system?
You need matter moved by energy making it a dynamic system.
What are the energies moving our Earth?
Solar energy and internal heat
What are the three things that make up the Earth’s internal heat?
1) Gravity
2) Meteor Bombardment
3) Radioactive elements
What exactly does solar energy do for the Earth?
It moves both the hydrosphere and the atmosphere, the earth’s surface.
How long has the Earth been in operation?
4.6 Billion years
What is the goal of science?
To discover patterns in nature and use the knowledge to make predictions
How do scientists collect data?
Through observations and measurements.
What period are we in?
Inter-glacial period
What a hypothesis?
A tentative or untested explanation
What is a Theory?
A well tested and widely accepted view that the scientific community agrees best explains certain observable facts
What involves the Scientific Method?
Gathering facts through observations and formulating and hypothesis.
What are the three internal structure layers of the Earth?
1) Crust
2) Mantle
3) Core
What are the four layers of the earth that are defined by physical properties?
1) Lithosphere (1st)
2) Asthenosphere (2nd)
3) Mesosphere (3rd)
4) Inner and outer core (4th and 5th)
Which of the three internal structure layers of the earth is the largest?
Mantle
What is the core of the earth composed of?
Iron alloy.
What is the density of core’s iron alloy?
11 grams per cubic volume
What is the mantle composed of?
Peridotite
What is Peridotite?
It’s silicate rock
What are the 7 elements that silicate is composed of?
Silicon dioxide, iron, magnesium, Calcium, sodium, Potassium, aluminum.
What is the two types of crust?
Oceanic crust and continental crust
What is the oceanic crust composed of and what is the continental crust composed of?
Basalt and Granite
Which of the two crusts is denser than the other?
Oceanic Crust
What is the states of matter for the inner core and the outer core?
Inner core is a solid and the outer core is a liquid/plastic type state
What controls water’s state?
Temperature
Why is it that the inner core is a solid even though it is hotter than the outer core?
Because the inner core, while it is hotter than the outer core, it has more pressure being put on it than the outer core, making it a solid.
What does our magnetic field do for our planet?
Our magnetic field protects us from solar winds from the sun when it flares up
What is charging our magnetic field?
Our liquid core. The outer core.
What is the matter state of the asthenosphere and the mesosphere?
The asthenosphere is a liquid/plastic like state while the mesosphere isn’t as fluid
What are the three rock types?
1) Igneous
2) Sedimentary
3) Metamorphic
What are two examples of igneous rocks? One intrusive and one extrusive.
Intrusive: Granite
Extrusive: Basalt.
What are detrital sedimentary rocks and what are chemical sedimentary rocks?
Detrital: Sandstone
Chemical: Limestone
What does detrital and chemical sedimentary rocks mean?
Detrital sedimentary rocks are from preexisting rocks and chemical rocks are settled out of water after precipitation
What are metamorphic rocks made from?
Preexisting igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic rocks.
How are Metamorphic rocks formed?
Through heat and pressure without melting or breaking the rocks UNDERGROUND
What are some examples of metamorphic rocks?
Gneiss and marble
What is the rock cycle?
One of earth’s subsystems when one type of rock turns into another type of rock
What is the most prominent feature of the earth’s surface?
The mountain belts.
What is the stable interior of the earth?
Craton, it’s composed of shields and platforms.
What is the most prominent topographic feature on Earth?
Ocean Basins
What are ocean basins mostly composed of?
Igneous rock that has been fractured and uplifted.
What is apart of the continental margins?
Includes the continental shelf, continental slop and the continental rise.
What is a seamount?
A little volcano under the ocean
What is relative dating?
It means that the dates are placed in their proper sequence/order without knowing their age in years.
Did the planets form at different times than the earth?
No, all the planets formed at essentially the same time.
