Kahn Academy Earth and Space Science Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What two variables is Gravity Influenced by?

A

Mass and the distance between objects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are Mar’s two moons?

A

Phobos (fear) and Deimos (dread)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Mars’ atmosphere

A

Thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the Oort Cloud?

A

Space at the very edge of the solar system that is filled with comets made of ice and dust.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How often does Halley’s Comet come near Earth?

A

Every 75 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is Jupiter’s atmosphere made of?

A

Hydrogen and Helium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How many moons does Jupiter have?

A

50

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How was the Solar System formed?

A

By a huge cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Common features of terrestrial planets

A

Thin atmospheres, solid surfaces, few or no moons, no rings.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Common features of Gas Giant planets

A

Thick atmospheres, no solid surfaces, many moons and rings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Natural Satellite

A

Naturally occurring body that orbits a planet.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How long does the moon take to orbit Earth?

A

27 days

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How long does it take for the moon to orbit on it’s axis?

A

27 days (the same amount of time it takes for it to orbit Earth, hence, the same side of the moon is always facing us)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Waxing Moon

A

Phases when the moon is growing bigger.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Waning Moon

A

Phases when the moon is growing smaller

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

The 8 Moon Phases

A

New, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

New Moon

A

When the lit side of the moon is facing completely away from Earth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Lunar Eclipse

A

When the moon is covered by Earth’s shadow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Why do lunar eclipses only occur during full moons?

A

It’s the only time in Earth’s orbit where the Earth is between the sun and moon.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Why isn’t there a lunar eclipse every full moon?

A

Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.

This means the moon passes just above or below Earth’s shadow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How old is Earth’s water?

A

4.6 billion years old

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What percent of water on Earth is Ocean?

A

95%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Transpiration

A

Evaporation of water from plants- water is absorbed through plant roots and through transpiration, turns into water vapor and leaves directly through the leaves through tiny pores called stomata and return to the atmosphere.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What force drive evaporation and transpiration?

A

The sun’s energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What force drives precipitation?

A

Gravity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Air masses formed on land tend to have less humidity than those formed over…

A

The ocean

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Air Mass

A

Large body of air w/ uniform temp and humidity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Air mass movement…

A

From areas of high pressure, to areas of low pressure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Cold Front

A

Formed when cold air mass moves into a warm air mass. It usually brings cool temperatures, heavy rain, and/or thunderstorms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Warm Front

A

Warm air mass moves into cold air mass. It usually brings warm temperatures and moderate rain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Current

A

The steady flow of a fluid (such as air or water) within a larger body of that fluid.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Prevailing winds

A

Air currents that blow mainly in one direction and caused by the uneven heating of Earth’s surface.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What causes ocean surface currents?

A

Prevailing winds blowing across the ocean.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Coriolis Effect

A

The curve of surface currents and prevailing winds due to Earth’s rotation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Which way do northern hemisphere currents curve?

A

To the right

36
Q

Which way do southern hemisphere currents curve?

A

To the left

37
Q

Gyre

A

Giant rotating systems formed by surface currents of the ocean connecting.

38
Q

How deep into the ocean do currents that drive gyres extend?

A

About 1km down into ocean and help move water all around the globe.

39
Q

Water is good at holding heat from the sun, causing gyres not to just move water but…

A

Heat energy

40
Q

How does warm and cold water move between the equator and poles?

A

Warm water moves from the equator to poles and cold water moves from the poles to equator.

41
Q

Water density is effected by these two variables…

A

Temperature and salinity

42
Q

Denser water is…

A

Saltier and colder, therefore it sinks like cool air

43
Q

Less dense water is…

A

Warmer and less salty, so less dense water rises

44
Q

Overturning Circulation

A

Vertical currents are connected by horizontal currents at the surface and deep currents (vertical)

45
Q

Climate

A

Long term pattern of weather in a particular region.

46
Q

Latitude

A

Measuring north and south on the globe, with the equator being zero degrees (90 degrees north, 90 degrees south)

47
Q

Why do regions at higher elevations, like mountains, tend to have lower average air temperatures than areas of low elevation?

A

As air rises from lower to higher elevations, it expands and cools, hence cooler weather.

48
Q

While water heats and cools slowly, land…

A

Land is faster in temperature change.

49
Q

Why do climates tend to be more mild near oceans and lakes- with less seasonal variation?

A

Large bodies of water help moderate air temperatures.

50
Q

Rain shadow

A

Area of reduced rainfall behind a mountain range. In a rain shadow, the climate is warmer and drier compared to the climate on the other side of the range,

51
Q

Igneous Rock

A

When molten rock cools and becomes solid. Igneous rocks make up more than 90% of Earth’s crust.

52
Q

Magma

A

Molten rock existing below Earth’s surface.

53
Q

Magma tends to cool slowly underground, which gives it time for…

A

The elements in it to form large crystals.

54
Q

Lava

A

Molten rock that flows above the ground

55
Q

Lava tends to cool…

A

Quickly

56
Q

Weathering

A

When water, weather, wind, and other physical forces chip away at a rock

57
Q

Sediments

A

Rock particles chipped off a rock due to weathering

58
Q

Erosion

A

Transports sediment from one place to another

59
Q

Deposition

A

Drops sediment in a new location

60
Q

Sedimentary rock

A

Formed when sediment is compacted and cemented.

61
Q

Lithification

A

The process of sediments compacting to produce sedimentary rocks

62
Q

Metamorphic rocks

A

Form when existing rocks are exposed to intense heat and pressure. Can be formed from igneous, sedimentary, and other metamorphic rocks.

63
Q

Geologic timescale

A

Breaks up all of Earth’s history into units called eons and eras

64
Q

Strata

A

Sedimentary rock layers

65
Q

Law of Superposition

A

Layers of strata at the bottom are older than layers at the top.

66
Q

Law of cross cutting relationships

A

When two geologic features cross or intersect, the feature that cuts through the other is younger.

67
Q

Plate Boundary

A

A place where two plates meet

68
Q

Index Fossils

A

Fossils that are only found on a specific section of the geologic timescale

69
Q

The first single cellular life formed how long ago?

A

3.8 billion years ago

70
Q

The first multicellular life formed how long ago?

A

600 million years ago

71
Q

Fault

A

A crack in Earth’s crust

72
Q

Intrusion

A

Body of igneous rock formed in Earth’s crust

73
Q

Lithosphere

A

Made up of Earth’s crust and upper part of the mantle

74
Q

Tectonic plates

A

Broken up pieces of the lithosphere

75
Q

Asthenosphere

A

Section of the mantle just below the lithosphere.

76
Q

How long ago did pangea break apart and drift into the current continents?

A

200 million years ago

77
Q

Evidence of continental drift

A
  1. Matching or complimentary coastlines of continents
  2. Fossils of the same species on different continents.
78
Q

Plate Interaction Types

A
  1. Convergent
  2. Divergent
  3. Transform
79
Q

Convergent boundary

A

One plate sliding under the other and pushing it up.

80
Q

Divergent Boundary

A

Two tectonic plates move apart and create different kinds of landforms like rift valleys and mid ocean ridges

81
Q

Transform Boundary

A

When two plates slide past each other but cause friction and builds pressure and release causes earthquakes.

82
Q

Continental crust contains lots of…

A

Granite

83
Q

Oceanic crust contains lots of

A

Basalt

84
Q

Which type of crust is denser: oceanic or continental?

A

Oceanic crust

85
Q

The high density of oceanic crust causes oceanic plates to sink into the asthenosphere a bit more than…

A

Continental plates

86
Q

Compaction

A

When sediment is deposited in a new location and spreads out to form a layer. As more layers are created, the layers underneath them become squished together.