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Earth Science > Foundations of Earth Science > Flashcards

Foundations of Earth Science Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the four main branches of Earth Science?

A

1) Astronomy
2) Meteorology
3) Geology
4) Oceanography

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2
Q

What is astronomy?

A

The study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Before sophisticated instruments, astonomosts would describe the locations of objects in space in relation to each other. They study the universe, including Earth, its neighbors, and other bodies.

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3
Q

What is meteorology?

A

the study of the air that surrounds our planet. They study the forces and processes that cause the atmosphere to produce weather and try to predict the weather and how the changes may affect Earth’s climate.

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4
Q

What is geology?

A

The study of materials that make up the Earth and the processes that form and change these materials. Geologists identify rocks, study glacial movements, interpret clues to Earth’s history and determine how forces change our planet.

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5
Q

What is oceanography?

A

The study of Earth’s oceans. Study the creatures that inhabit salty water, measure physical and chemical processes in oceans, observe various processes in these bodies of water. Some study the effect of human activity on the oceans.

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6
Q

What to geologists do?

A

Identify rocks, study glacial movements, interpret clues to Earth’s 4.6 billion year history, and determine how forces change our planet.

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7
Q

What does a geochemist study?

A

Earth’s composition and the processes that change it.

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8
Q

What is the difference between the Earth’s lithosphere and Earth’s asthenosphere?

A

The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the planet that includes the crust, and the solid layer below, the mantle. The crust is made of granit (continental crust)while the oceanic crust is made of basalt. The mantle is composed of peridotite. Some of the upper mantle behaves like a solid, where other parts are partially molten and flow. This part is the astenosphere. The asthenosphere is not a part of the lithosphere, but they do still interact. In short, the asthenosphere turns into the lithosphere.

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9
Q

What are the subdivisions of the Earth’s hydrosphere?

A

The water in oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and the water in the atmosphere.

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10
Q

How much of Earths’ water exists as saltwater/

A

97%

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11
Q

How much of Earth’s water is freshwater?

A

3%

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12
Q

What fraction of all freshwater is in glaciers and icebergs? What is the rest stored as?

A

3/4 of all freshwater is is glaciers and icebergs. The rest is stored as groundwater.

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13
Q

What is the atmosphere?

A

The gaseous portion of the planet.

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14
Q

What is an eon?

A

The largest time unit on the geological time scale.

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15
Q

What is an era?

A

A major division on the geological time scale that is a subdivision of an eon.

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16
Q

What are fossils?

A

The remains or traces of orgnaisms preserved from the geological past.

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17
Q

What is the geological time scale/

A

The division of the Earth’s history into blocks of time–eons, eras, period, and epochs.

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18
Q

What is glaciation?

A

Covered with or affected by a glacier.

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19
Q

What are igneous rocks?

A

Rock formed by the crystallization of molten magma.

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20
Q

What was Pangea?

A

Proposed super continent, which 200 million years ago began to break apart and formed the present landmasses.

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21
Q

What is a paleontologists?

A

A scientist who studies fossils and the history of life on Earth.

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22
Q

What are periods?

A

A basic unit of the geological time scale that is a subdivision of an era.

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23
Q

What is Phanerozoic?

A

That part of the geological time represented by rocks containing abundant fossil evidence.

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24
Q

What are plate tectonics?

A

The theory which proposes that EArth’s outer shell consists of individual plates which interact in various ways.

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25
Q

What is Precambrian?

A

All geological time prior to th ePhanerozoic eon.

26
Q

What is radiometric dating?

A

A complex procedure of calculateign the absolute ages of rocks.

27
Q

What is relative dating?

A

A form of dating by placing rocks in their proper sequence.

28
Q

What are stromatolites?

A

Dome-like structures formed when sticky organic filaments of bacteria and algae trap mud.

29
Q

How do scientists discover information about the Earth’s past?

A

Studying and dating rocks iwht relative dating or radioactive dating. They Amy also use fossils and the fossil record.

30
Q

What is the geological time scale?

A

The geological time scale is the division of Earth’s history into blocks of time–eons, eras, periods, and epochs. A timeline dividing the Earth’s history into millions of years.

31
Q

What were some of the significan events, life forms, and environmental conditions that occured during the Precambrian?

A

Formation of Earth, force of gravity created the atmosphere, first plates were igneous, tectonic plates moved, bacteria microfossils as all life was bacteria, stromatolites, increase in oxygen near the end, all microorganisms wiped out in the end.

32
Q

Identify some of the sifnigicant events, life forms, and environmental conditions that occured during the Paleozoic era.

A

Oceans and shallow seas, 6 major continental landmasses, trilobite, tropical areas, mountain chains, climate stabilized, coral reefs, volcanic activity, glaciation, insects, trees, and forests, formation of low lands, swampss, ice sheets, increase in land habitat, Pangea formed, largest mass extinction.

33
Q

Identify some of the significant events, life forms, and environmental conditions that occurred during the Mesozoic era?

A

Pangea fractured, volcanoes erupted, arid and dry, dinosaurs appeared, Mountain building, oceans were full of fish, coast lines developed, Rocky Mountains formed, Atlantic lengthened, seasons became more pronounced, insects diversified, forests, f,owe ring plants, asteroid hit the Earth, 60% of all species disappeared.

34
Q

Explain what type of events, life forms, and environment conditions that are happening durin ght Cenozoic Era.

A

Atlantic basic opened, continents moved to where they are today, volcanoes, mountains, ice sheets, seasons became more pronounced, mammals appeared, ice ages.

35
Q

Identify what types of events, life forms, and environment conditions have triggered the mass extinction of many life forms on the Earth?

A

Meteorites, humans, volcanoes, hurricanes, diseases, ice ages, warming of the Earth.

36
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Precambrian Eon?

A

Geological Setting: Tectonic plates of the lithosphere formed and moved; large land masses appeared.
Climate:
Life: All life was bacterial; near the end ther was an increase in oxygen which allowed for the explosion of algae, fungi, protists, and animals.

37
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Cambrian Period?

A

Geological Setting: Oceans and shallow seas covered most of the Earth; there were six major continental landmasses.
Climate: Mild and probably warmer than today.
Life: Marine invertebrates flourished as they were adapted to the shallow waters; these marine invertebrates are relatives to modern crabs.

38
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Ordocivian Period?

A

Geological Setting: Land was collected together; volcanic activity; uplifts took place in areas that had been under shallow seas.
Climate: Major glaciation happened late in this period; lack of oxygen in the water; less appearance of tropical areas.
Life: Blastoids, coral, clams, and snails appeared for the first time; some environments were tropical; 100+ families of marine invertebrates didn’t adapt.

39
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Silurian Period?

A

Geological Setting: Large glacial formation and rise in seas levels; major mountain building resulting in mountain chains.
Climate: The climate became more stabilized.
Life: Tropical seas and coral reefs made their first appearance; many changes in the populations of fish occured such as the rise of jawless fish.

40
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Devonian Period?

A

Geological Setting: 3 major continental landmasses; volcanic activity and earthquakes.
Climate: much like present; near the end glaciation took place again.
Life: First land vertebrates were the amphibians; first wingless insects, trees, and forests appeared.

41
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Carboniferous Period?

A

Geological Setting: Tropical swamp forests and terrestrial habitats became more common and widespread.
Climate: More tropical and humid than today.
Life: There was an increase in land habitat.

42
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Permian Period?

A

Geological Setting: Earth’s crustal plates arranged in the supercontinent known as Pangea; mountain building took place; dry interior; many volcanic eruptions.
Climate: as glaciers receded the climate became arid; seasonal changes and extremem temperatures; some portions received rainfall allowing for tropical climates.
Life: Largest mass extinction known took place with 90% of marine species becoming extinct; populations of primitive reptiles increased; cone and seed bearing plants appeared.

43
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Triassic Period?

A

Geological Setting: Mountains formed on the west coast of North America; continents were of a higher elevation so there were no more shallow seas.
Climate: most of Earth experienced dry and arid climate conditions.
Life: New animal life forms; first dinosaurs; first primitive mammals; true cone bearing trees.

44
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Jurassic Period?

A

Geological Setting: Process of mountain building uplifted the Nevada range on the North American continent.
Climate: Dry and warm, perfect for animals.
Life: Abundant life forms; herbivores and carnivores; largest and most common of meat eaters was the Allosaurus; Pterosaurs were the first to adapt to fight; oceans were full of fi

45
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Certaceous Period?

A

Geological Setting: Coastlines developed from Pangea splitting; Rocky Mountains and Alpine-Himalayan Mountains formed; Atlantic lengthen and widened and the Indian Basin formed.
Climate: Seasons became more pronounced and the global climate became cooler.
Life: First cerotopsian appeared and the most common of the dinosaurs were the herbivores; first flowering plants were primitive; insects diversified.

46
Q

What was the geological setting, climate, and life for the Cenozoic Period?

A

Geological Setting: Rocky and Appalachian mountains grew; Alps and Pyreenes mountains were formed; Colombian plateau and cascade mountain range.
Climate: Climate was warm and humid; by the mid-era temperatures became cool.
Life: Mammals survived the Certaceous extinction and appeared throughout the Cenozoic era; mammals such as Wooly Mammoth and mastodons grew to huge sizes and increased the population; these mammals then died off during the ice age.

47
Q

When did oceans and continents starts to form?

A

4400 million years ago

48
Q

When was the first evidence of life?

A

3500 million years ago

49
Q

When was the initial of atmospheric oxygen?

A

2400 million years ago

50
Q

When was the evolution of eukaryotic (non-bacterial) life?

A

1800 million years ago

51
Q

When was the Cambrianradiation of animals?

A

542 million years ago

52
Q

When did plants move on to land?

A

450 million years ago

53
Q

When did animals move on to land?

A

430 million years ago

54
Q

When was the Permo-Triassic mass extinction–largest known?

A

251 million years ago

55
Q

When was the evolution of mammals?

A

195 million years ago

56
Q

When was the opening of the Atlantic Ocean?

A

160 million years ago

57
Q

When as the extinction of the dinosaurs?

A

665 million years ago

58
Q

When was the rise of the Himalayan mountains?

A

20 million years ago

59
Q

When was the evolution of our species, Homo sapiens?

A

200 000 years ago

60
Q

When was th extinction of the wooly mammoth?

A

10 000 years ago

Earth Science (20 decks)

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