Geomorphology Flashcards
Who gave the “theory of expanding universe”?
Edwin Hubble
Every celestial object is constantly moving away from each other.
Geocentric World
Earth is the centre of the universe
Heliocentric World
Sun is the centre of the world
singularity
Around 13.7 billion years ago, everything in the entire universe was condensed in an infinitesimally small singularity, point of infinite denseness and heat
“Big bang” theory was given by
Le Maitre and Gammow
Earth spins on its axis from
west to east (counter-clockwise) rotation, and counter-clockwise revolution around the sun
Aphelion
Earth is at its maximum distance from the sun at aphelion (on 4 July ) aka July Aphelion
Perihelon
Earth is at its minimum distance from the sun at perihelon (on 4 January) aka January Perihelon
Apogee , Perigee
the point in the moon’s orbit where it is farthest from the earth is called apogee , while it’s closest approach is known as perigee
Summer solstice/June solstice
April-August
NH=> tilted towards the sun->longer days & shorter nights
SH=>tilted away from sun->shorter days & longer nights
21st June=> NH: Longest day
SH: Longest night
Arctic region will not experience night: continuous daytime
Antarctic region will not experience daytime: continuous night
Equinox
both hemispheres receive equal sunlight
equal length of day and night (equinox)
21st March (Vernal Equinox) & 23rd September (Autumnal equinox)
Winter Solstice/December Solstice
October-February
22nd December=>
NH: Longest night
SH: Longest day
NH is tilted away from sun => shorter days & longer nights -> winter season
SH is tilted towards the sun-> Longer days & shorter nights -> Summer season
Arctic region does not receive sunlight during this time-> continuous night
Antarctic region during these months does not experience night->continuous day
Name the major latitudes
Arctic circle 6634’ N
Tropic of Cancer 2326’N
Equator 0*
Tropic of Capricorn 2326’S
Antarctic circle 6634’S
The international dateline is not straight, why?
What happens when you cross the dateline?
The dateline runs from the North pole to the South pole and marks the divide between the western and eastern hemisphere.
It is not straight but zigzags to avoid political and country borders and to not cut some countries in half.
When you cross the International Date Line from west to east, you subtract a day, and if you cross the line from east to west , you add a day
What is a Milankovitch cycle
.Change in axial tilt
increases or decreases the rate of heating & cooling’ specially around polar regions (21½-24 , average 23½*)
.Orbit changes from elliptical to circular(eccentricity-every 100,000 years)
Asthenosphere
.semi-solid ,semi-molten state
.upper portion of mantle
.’astheno’:weak
.main source of magma that find its way to the surface during volcanic eruption
.presence of radioactive material like uranium and potassium
.excess heat produced due to a thermo-nuclear reaction [partially melts the substance]
Describe the interior of the earth alongwith the sources of information
Direct Source:
.Mining & Digging
.Volcanic Eruption
Indirect Source:
.Seismic waves[Energy waves generated during earthquakes]
.Meteorites
.Gravitational & magnetic field
*crust
*mantle
*outer core (molten)
*inner core (solid)→ despite of the very high temperature it is not allowed to expand owing to very high pressure & hence it is in solid state
Crust
.outermost solid part
.represent 1% of earth’s mass
.mean thickness of oceanic crust: 5km
continental crust:30 km {70 km thick in himalayan region}
.difference in density (OC is heavier than CC)
.CC composed chiefly of granite has a density of 2.7 g/cm³
.type of rock found in OC is basalt, mean density of material in OC is 3g/cm³
Mantle
.portion of the interior of earth beyond the crust
.represents about 68% of earth’s mass
.density around 3.4g/cm³ higher than crust portion
{Density increases as we move to a greater depth}
Core
.makes about 31% of the earth
.inner core solid state
.outer core is in liquid state sue to extreme pressure exerted from top which doesn’t allow the materials to expand
.core is made up of very heavy material constituted by “nickel & iron” hence, aka “nife” layer
Discontinuities inside the earth
.CONRAD DISCONTINUITY
between upper and lower crust
.MOHOROVICIC DISCONTINUITY
between lower crust and upper mantle
.REPITI DISCONTINUITY
between upper and lower mantle
.GUTTENBERG DISCONTINUITY
between lower Mantle and outer core
.LEHMANN DISCONTINUITY
between outer and inner core
Minerals in the interior of the earth
.earth as a whole
Iron>Oxygen>Silicon>Magnesium>Sulphur>Nickel>Calcium>Aluminum
.earth’s crust
Oxygen>Silicon>Aluminum>Iron>Calcium>Calcium>Magnesium>Sodium>Potassium
Igneous rocks
.primary rocks
.formed through the cooling and solidification of the magma or lava
.may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic: solidification of magma) rocks {e.g.: diorite, granite, pegmatite}
or in the surface as extrusive (volcanic: solidification of lava) {e.g.: basalt, tuff, pumice}, grain size is much smaller-> cooling is faster