exam 2

Question 1

mantle

Answer 1

a layer inside a planetary body bounded below by a core and above by a crust

Question 2

crust

Answer 2

thin outer, rocky layer of earth
thicker crust is more elevated than thinner crust

Question 3

core

Answer 3

the very hot, very dense center of our planet

Question 4

lithosphere

Answer 4

rigid, relatively cool outermost shell that consists of the crust and the uppermost mantle
- average thickness of 100 km
- more than 250 km thick below oldest portions of continents

Question 5

asthenosphere

Answer 5

• soft relatively weak layer of the mantle
• temp/pressure conditions are such that rock is near its melting point and is easily deformed

Question 6

lower mantle

Answer 6

lower relatively more rigid layer of the mantle
- increasing pressure results in increasingly stronger rocks between 660 km and 2900 km
- still some deformation of rocks

Question 7

outer core

Answer 7

liquid shell of iron nickel alloy that is 2260 km thick
- the flow of metallic iron in this zone generates the earths magnetic field

Question 8

inner core

Answer 8

solid sphere of iron nickel alloy with a radius of 1216 km
- temperatures high enough to melt iron but the immense pressure compresses it into a solid state

Question 9

continental crust

Answer 9

the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere that makes up the planet’s continents and continental shelves

Question 10

theory of plate tectonics

Answer 10

• the earths lithosphere is broken into numerous slabs called tectonic plates
• the plates are in continual motion, 2 inches per year
• rigid lithosphere plates move about on the asthenosphere which is softer and capable of gradual flow

Question 10

oceanic crust

Answer 10

the part of the Earth’s crust that makes up the seafloor

Question 11

bathymetry

Answer 11

measurement of ocean depths and charting of the ocean floor topography

Question 12

passive continental margins

Answer 12

are not
associated with tectonic plate boundaries.
Includes the continental shelf, slope and rise.

Question 13

continental shelf

Answer 13

the gently sloping, submerged perimeter of
a continent.
– Very gentle slope: 2 m per km (0.1 °)

Question 14

continental slope

Answer 14

a relatively steep structure that
marks the transition from continental to oceanic crust

Question 15

turbidity currents

Answer 15

gradual incline extending from the base of the continental
slope to the deep-ocean basin

Question 16

continental rise

Answer 16

gradual incline extending from the base of the continental
slope to the deep-ocean basin.

Question 17

active continental margins

Answer 17

areas where oceanic
lithosphere is being subducted beneath the leading edge
of a continent.

Question 18

deep ocean trenches

Answer 18

Surface expressions of subduction zones are

Question 19

subduction zone

Answer 19

areas where oceanic lithosphere is descending
(being subducted) into the underlying asthenosphere

Question 20

volcanic arcs

Answer 20

arc-shaped chain of volcanoes that forms
adjacent to a subduction zone.

Question 21

hotspot

Answer 21

areas of volcanism and high heat
flow associated with a rising plume of hot
mantle material

Question 22

accretionary wedge

Answer 22

sediments and pieces of oceanic crust
scraped from descending plate and plastered against edge of
the overriding continent

Question 22

how guyots and atolls form

Question 23

seamounts

Question 24

divergent plate boundaries are located

Question 25

plates pulling apart=

Question 26

why are mid ocean ridges elevated

Answer 26

a broad linear mountain system associated with a well developed plate boundary

Question 27

paleomagnetism

Answer 27

study of the record of earths magnetic filed preserved in rocks

Question 28

seafloor basalts recorded??

Question 29

paleomagnetism provided??

Question 30

what causes seasons?

Answer 30

When the earth's axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected.

Question 31

why do higher latitudes receive less solar radiation?

Answer 31

curvature of the earth, angle of solar radiation is smaller

Question 32

absorption

Answer 32

conversion to thermal equals increasing temperature

Question 33

reflection

Answer 33

radiation bounces back from an object at the same angle

Question 34

scattering

Answer 34

a beam of light is broken into a large number of weaker waves traveling in different directions

Question 35

atmosphere is a selective absorber of?

Question 36

how do greenhouse effect work

Answer 36

without the greenhouse effects earths average temp would be -18 c

Question 37

albedo

Answer 37

the fraction of the total radiation that is reflected by a surface

Question 38

how does albedo influence air temp

Answer 38

low albedo surfaces meet more infrared radiation which heats the air above high albedo surfaces reflect visible light which does not heat the air above

Question 39

why air temp above water us less variable than air temp above land

Question 40

how air temp is affected by altitude

Question 41

how air temp is affected by inland areas vs coastal areas

Question 42

how air temp is affected by differences in latitude (polar vs tropical)

Question 43

how will cloud cover will have on night and day temps

Question 43

what the most abundant gas is in atmosphere

Answer 43

nitrogen

Question 44

2nd most abundant gas in atmosphere

Answer 44

oxygen

Question 45

aerosols

Answer 45

suspended microscopic solid and liquid particles

Question 46

what is a ozone and why is it so important

Answer 46

concentrated in the stratosphere - blocks out harmful uv radiation from the sun making earth habitable for life

Question 47

how emissions of cfcs by human activity is harmful to the ozone layer

Question 48

atmospheric pressure

Question 49

air pressure decreases when?

Question 50

4 layers of atmosphere from lowest to highest

Answer 50

- troposphere - stratosphere - mesosphere -thermosphere -exosphere

Question 51

environmental lapse rate

Answer 51

The rate at which the air temperature changes with height in the atmosphere surrounding a cloud or a rising parcel of air.

Question 52

evaporation vs condensation of water

Question 53

how is relative humidity is calculated

Question 54

dew point temp

Answer 54

temp the air needs to be cooled in order to achieve a relative humidity

Question 55

orographic lifting

Answer 55

change to airflow when the elevated terrain such as mountains forces air upward

Question 56

cumulus

Answer 56

have the appearance of rising domes or towers and typically have a flat base

Question 57

stratus

Answer 57

layer or sheet like clouds that cover much or all of the sky

Question 58

cirrus

Answer 58

high thin clouds composed of ice crystals

Question 59

precipitation

Answer 59

water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, or hail

Question 60

rain

Answer 60

drops of water produced by cumulonimbus and nimbostratus

Question 61

drizzle

Answer 61

liquid water drops that are smaller than those of rain

Question 62

snow

Answer 62

ice crystals or clumps of crystals that fall from clouds

Question 63

sleet

Answer 63

small pellets of ice that forms when raindrops fall through a subfreezing layers of air

Question 64

glaze

Answer 64

a coating of ice generally clear and smooth formed on exposed objects by supercooled water droplets

Question 65

hail

Answer 65

precipitation in the form of hard rounded pellets or irregular lumps of ice

Question 66

how does a thunderstorm form large hailstones?

Answer 66

when raindrops are carried upward by thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freeze.