Test 1

Question 1

what is geology? (4)

Answer 1

Geology is the study of Earth’s physical structure, history, substance and processes that have acted on it

Question 2

what is comparative geology?

Answer 2

It is the study of how we compare different planets of the solar system and observe their similarities and differences that they have towards Earth.

Question 3

Definition of a planet

Answer 3

A celestial body that
-orbits the Sun
-Has enough mass to maintain hydrostatic equilibrium
-must be able to clear it’s neighborhood

Question 4

name the planets of our solar system in order

Answer 4

-Mercury
-Venus
-Earth + Moon
-Mars
-Astroid Belt
-Jupiter
-Saturn
-Uranus
-Neptune

Question 5

what is a dwarf planet?

Answer 5

It is a body that doesn’t satisfy the rule that a planet needs to clear it’s neighborhood. Like Pluto, Pluto doesn’t have enough sufficient mass to clear it’s neighborhood.

Question 6

Name 5 dwarf planets

Answer 6

-Pluto
-Eris
-Ceres
-Haumea
-Makemake

Question 7

Definition of a moon

Answer 7

A natural satellite that orbits around a celestial body or a body that is not a star

Question 8

Where are we in the universe?

Answer 8

The Milky Way Galaxy

Question 9

What happened after the Big Bang?

Answer 9

The Dark Ages began. There was no light because there was no stars.

Question 10

How did our S.S form?

Answer 10

The Nebular Hypothesis

Question 11

What is the 4 main processes of the Nebular Hypothesis?

Answer 11

-A cloud of matter (nebula) began to contract at the center giving us our protosun
-at high temps, nebula flattens into disk by nuclear fusion (H fuses with He, light and energy)
-Dust and ice accumulate around it and clump together forming planetesimals. Protoplanetary disk is formed by cloud differentiation and accretion
-Planetesimals grew into planets. They cleared their orbit by gravitationally attracting or ejecting other planetesimals.

Question 12

What is cloud differentiation?

Answer 12

-The heavier elements such as dense rocky elements would condense closer to the Sun
-The gaseous elements would condense in the outer part of the planetary disk.

Question 13

What is accretion in terms of the nebular hypothesis? (Think of how the solar system is organized)

Answer 13

It’s when larger planetesimals would pull and attract smaller ones

Question 14

Evidence for the Nebular Hypothesis?

Answer 14

The chemistry of the Sun and it’s elements

Question 15

What are the main processes of the planetary evolution?

Answer 15

After Accreted, planets and moons evolved to…
-Melting and differentiation of elements
-volcanism
-planetary mass
-distance from the Sun
-Presence of biosphere

Question 16

What is the formation of Terrestrial Planets? (3)

Answer 16

-Accretion: Planets bang into each other or other bodies and heat up
-Differentiation: The internal structure splits into categories. The metallic towards the core and the low-density magma towards the crust
-Stratification: Zones of different elements–> creating minerals—> creating rocks

Question 17

Basic Internal structure of Earth?

Answer 17

-Crust (litho & asthenosphere)
-Mantle (solid)
-outer core (liquid)
-inner core (solid because of pressure)

Question 18

Hubble space telescope’s goal

Answer 18

to measure the distance of our galaxy

Question 19

OSIRIS-REx mission

Answer 19

To collect samples of asteroid Bennu and bring back to Earth (sample return mission)

Question 20

Key observations of densities of planets: (4)

Answer 20

-They inform about composition
-Reflect rocks and metals
-Terrestrial = silicate planets
-Density increases as you move from crust –> inner core

Question 21

What are the terrestrial planets made up of?

Answer 21

-Minerals, rocks, metals, volatiles

Question 22

Which are denser? Volatiles, sillicates, metals?

Answer 22

1-metal
2-sillicate
3-volatile

Question 23

What is the importance of
Si + O?

Answer 23

They make up the crust (rocks)

Question 24

Why is there less iron in the crust?

Answer 24

Because due to differentiation, denser elements (like Fe) migrate towards the inner core

Question 25

what is planetary differentiation?

Answer 25

the split of the planets structure
- the heavier elements will migrate towards the core and the loghter will migrate towards the crust through accretion

Question 26

what are the planetary heat sources?

Answer 26

1-Accretion (planets bang into each other)
2-Differentiation and crystalization of metal core
3-Radioactive decay (isotopes supply heat)

Question 27

how do planets cool down?

Answer 27

volcanoes

Question 28

what does the cooling rate depend on for planets?

Answer 28

the size, smaller planets cool down faster

Question 29

4 main processes affecting planetary surfaces?

Answer 29

-Impact cratering
-volcanism
-Tectonics
-Weathering erosion

Question 30

What does impact cratering cause?

Answer 30

circular shock waves

Question 31

What does impact cratering mean?

Answer 31

comets, asteroids, meteorites hit planets

Question 32

Key features of Mercury

Answer 32

-closest to sun
-smallest
-heavily-cratered
-no tectonic plates
-no moons
-no liquid water
-no winds
-no atmosphere

Question 33

Internal structure of Mercury?

Answer 33

-crust
-solid mantle
-central core

Question 34

what is the main mission of Mercury?

Answer 34

-MESSENGER
They found water ice in shadowed-craters

Question 35

What’s Mercury’s orbit and rotation type?

Answer 35

-excentric orbit and 1 rotation takes 59 days