Sci - masmas Flashcards
is an all space - time, matter and energy including the solar system, all stars and galaxies and content of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole.
Universe
It states that the counting of the galaxies in our Universe is constant and new galaxies which are forming continuously are filling the empty spaces which are created by those heavenly bodies which have crossed the boundary lines of the observable Universe.
Steady State Theory
It is assumed that there is continuous expansion and contraction in the universe. It proposes that the universe will keep on expanding more and more then slowly it stops. Then it will start to contract due to gravitation. This contraction will continue until the universe becomes more compact and will later explode and expand again.
Pulsating Theory
It proposes that the entire universe was once condensed in a very small and compact particle called singularity or primeval nucleus. It is estimated that about 20 billion years ago, the singularity suddenly exploded in a - The force of this explosion caused matter to scatter in any direction forming a universe.
Big Bang Theory
Symbolic Narrative of the beginning of the world as understood by a culture.
Origin of the Universe: Creation Myths
According to this theory, the sun and other celestial bodies orbiting around it were formed from a NEBULA
Nebular Hypothesis
a spinning cloud of gases.
nebula
is the gradual increase in the size of an object by the buildup of matter due to gravity.
theory says that a protosun passing through a cloud of interstellar materials pulled this material along causing it to swirl around the protosun. As the protosun evolved into the sun, the material it accreted gradually formed the planets and other revolving bodies.
Accretion Theory
According to this theory, the time when the sun is about to form (protosun), a large body passing around it may have drawn some gaseous materials from it. The mass of gaseous materials drawn did not completely escape the gravitational pull of the protosun. It continued to spin around it, eventually becoming more dense and gradually formed into planetesimals. These planetesimals give rise to the planets and satellites.
Tidal Theory
is the only planet in the solar system capable of supporting life. Complex and brilliant combination of gasses, composition and structure of earth are some of the reasons why it can sustain life.
Earth
describes all of the rocks, minerals and ground that are found on and in Earth. This includes all of the mountains on the surface, as well as all of the liquid rock in the mantle below us and the minerals and metals of the outer and inner cores. The continents, the ocean floor, all of the rocks on the surface, and all of the sand in the deserts are all considered part of the - Basically, if it looks like solid ground, it’s part of the ‘ground’ sphere.
Geosphere
is the outermost part of the earth and is very thin compared to the other layers. It is a part where the living organisms dwell in. It forms a very thin continuous layer that extends underneath the ocean and continents.
Crust
This is mostly composed of different types of granites.
Continental Crust
The rocks in the continental crust are mostly referred to as “-“ which stands for silicate and aluminum.
sial
This is mostly composed of different types of basalts.
Oceanic Crust
Rocks of the oceanic crust are mostly referred to as “-“ which stands for silicate and magnesium.
sima
It is the mostly-solid bulk of Earth’s interior. The - lies between Earth’s dense, super heated core and its thin outer layer, the crust.
Mantle
relatively rigid and contains the asthenosphere, a semi-fluid layer that allows the movement of tectonic plates.
Upper Mantle
contributes to the overall convection and heat transfer within the Earth’s interior.
Lower Mantle
It is the dense center and hottest part of earth. The - is made almost entirely of iron and nickel. The Gutenberg discontinuity is the boundary between the core and the mantle.
Core
is a liquid layer composed mainly of molten iron and nickel. It has a temperature between 4500 to 5500 degree Celsius.
Outer Core
solid, central part of the earth. It is composed of solid iron and nickel. The temperature ranges about 5200 degrees Celsius.
Inner Core
Over 70 percent of the surface area of the earth is covered by water. All the earth’s water, solid or in liquid form, those that are contained in glaciers, rocks, soil and the air, comprise the earth’s -.
Hydrosphere
A big portion of earth’s water is found in -. The - cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water.
Ocean
A volume of a fresh flowing water across the surface of the land usually to the sea.
Rivers
A reservoir of relatively still water that is surrounded by land. It is formed from the accumulation of large amounts of water in natural or artificial depressions on the surface of the land. Other inland waters include ponds, spring, stream, wetlands, floodplains, and reservoirs.
Lakes
It is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers. It results from the accumulation of water penetrating through small openings called pores in the rocks or soil. This process is known as percolation.
Ground Water
About 2 percent of earth’s waters is in a form of solid, massive bodies of ice called glaciers. Deposited snow that falls during winter season piles up yearly. This accumulated snow transforms the lower layers into solid ice.
A Massive Body of Ice
Describe Water Cycle
From liquid to ice to gas and back again.
A very huge envelope of air that surrounds the earth and pulled by the gravitational force of the earth is called
Atmosphere
lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, extending from the Earth’s surface up to an average altitude of about 12 kilometers
-It is the layer where weather occurs, and it is where we live and breathe.
Troposphere
-layer of Earth’s atmosphere located above the troposphere. It extends roughly from an altitude of about 12 kilometers to 50 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
-is also home to the ozone layer, which shields the Earth from harmful UV radiation.
Stratosphere
is the third layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It extends approximately from an altitude of about 50 kilometers to 85 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
-The is characterized by thin air and low atmospheric pressure. It is also the layer where meteors burn up upon entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, creating the visual phenomenon known as shooting stars.
Mesosphere
- is the fourth layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It begins approximately at an altitude of 85 kilometers and has no clearly defined upper boundary. The - is primarily composed of individual gas molecules, such as oxygen and nitrogen, rather than molecular combinations.
-The - is also where the auroras, such as the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur.
Thermosphere
-outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, located above the thermosphere. It is the uppermost region of the atmosphere and gradually transitions into the vacuum of space.
-The - is where satellites and other human-made objects in Earth’s orbit are found. Satellites are strategically placed in orbit within the exosphere to perform their various functions.
Exosphere
-where all forms of life exist. Since life exists in the air, in water and on the ground, its boundaries overlap other “spheres” because life can be found everywhere on earth. The biosphere is sometimes thought of as one large ecosystem
-a complex community of living and nonliving things functioning as a single unit.
Biosphere
The Four Subsystems of the Earth:
-Geosphere
-Hydrosphere
-Atmosphere
-Biosphere
is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals
Rocks
Form from the cooling of melted rock (either lava or magma) into solid form
Igneous Rocks
Molten Material:
Classification as Igneous Rocks:
On the Earth’s surface
lava
Extrusive or volcanic
Molten Material:
Classification as Igneous Rocks:
Underground
magma
Intrusive or plutonic
Texture:
Grains (crystal) can be seen with bare eyes
Coarse-grained
Texture:
Grains can only be seen through a hand lens
Medium-grained
Texture:
Grains can only be seen through a microscope
Fine-grained
Based on colorations:
Granite, Rhyolite
Light Colored
Based on colorations:
Diorite, Andestine
Medium Colored
Based on colorations:
Gabbro, Basalt
Dark Colored
Results from the uplift and weathering, which are then transported and deposited in different areas.
Sedimentary
The process by which the sediments are transformed into sedimentary rocks is called
Lithification.
As piles of sediments accumulate, the underlying materials are compacted by the weight of the overlaying layers.
Compaction
The water that seeps through pore spaces between particles may contain cementing materials.
Cementation
By the compaction of separate particles, or sediments, or weathered rocks.
Detrital
These rocks come from soluble materials produced largely by chemical weathering.
Chemical
form when existing rocks (called parent rocks) are subjected to intense heat and pressure
Metamorphic Rocks
The preexisting rocks may undergo changes in the mineralogy texture (like grain size), and chemical composition by the action of heat, pressure (stress), and chemical agents. The process of transformation is called
metamorphism.
This may come from magma rising from below or when rocks are transplanted to a greater depth. Heat causes chemical reactions that result in recrystallization of existing minerals and/or formation of new minerals
Heat