Earth Science Exam

Front 1

astronomy

Back 1

the study of objects in space including stars, planets, and comets. deals with the positions of the stars and planets. the study of it helps scientists understand earth's origin.

Front 2

celcius

Back 2

a type of temperature scale based on the freezing and boiling points of water (0 degrees c and 100 degrees c).

Front 3

what is a comftorable room temperature and the average human body temperature in degrees celcius?

Back 3

21 degrees c room temperature, 37 c human body temperature

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you can use what when measuring other celcius temperatures?

Back 4

reference points

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control

Back 5

a standard for comparison

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data

Back 6

collected information used to support a hypothesis

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geology

Back 7

the study of earth, its matter, and the processes that form and change earth.

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hypothesis

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a prediction about a problem that can be tested.

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kilogram

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the standard unit of measurement for mass

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law

Back 10

a rule of nature that describes the behavior of something in nature. predicts or describes what will happen in a given situation but don't explain why.

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liter

Back 11

a measurement for liquid volumes measured using graduated cylinders and beakers. (symbol is L)

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mass

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a measure of the amount of the amount of matter in an object

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matter

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anything that has mass and takes up space

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meteorology

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the study of weather and the forces and processes that cause it (storm patterns, climates, and what factors cause our daily weather)

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meter

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the standard unit for SI in length

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oceanographer

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one who conducts research on the physical and chemical properties of ocean water and study the processes that occur within oceans and the effects humans have on these processes

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oceanography

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the study of the earth's oceans

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scientific method

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a series of planned steps scientists use to solve problems

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theory

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an explanation backed by results obtained from repeated tests or experiments

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variable

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a changeable factor in an experiment

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weight

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the measure of the gravitational force on a mass

Front 22

differentiate between the various fields within earth science.

Back 22

the four specific areas of study of earth science are geology, meteorology, astronomy, and oceanography- all of which are different.

Front 23

name the steps of the scientific method.

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1.) determine the problem
2.) make a hypothesis
3.) test your hypothesis
4.) analyze the results
5.) draw conclusions

Front 24

distinguish among hypotheses, theories, and laws.

Back 24

hypotheses are predictions about a problem that can be tested, theories are explanations backed by results from repeated tests or experiments, and laws are rules of nature that describe the behavior of something in nature.

Front 25

what are the major units of the metric system? how do you use them?

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length (meters), volume (liters), mass (grams), and temperature (degrees celcius). measure length with a meter stick, volume with a graduated cylinder, mass with a scale, and temperature with a thermometer.

Front 26

coastal plains

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broad areas along the ocean's shore that are often called lowlands because of their low elevations.

Front 27

conic projection

Back 27

a type of projection used to produce maps of small areas, made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a cone.

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continent

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the largest areas of land on earth

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contour interval

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the difference in elevation between two side-by-side contour lines

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contour line

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a line on a map that connects points of equal elevation

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elevation

Back 31

the distance of a location above or below sea level

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equator

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an imaginary line that circles earth exactly halfway between the North and South Poles and seperates earth into two equal halves called the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.

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fault-block mountains

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mountains that are made up of huge tilted blocks of rocks that are seperated from surrounding rock by faults.

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fault

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a large crack in rocks along which there is movement

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folded mountain

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when rock layers are squeezed from opposite sides and they buckle and fold

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interior plain

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a large portion of the center of the united states that extend from the appalachian mountains in the east to the rocky mountains in the west to the gulf coastal plain in the south.

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international date line

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the 180 degree meridian that is the transition line for calendar days

Front 38

landsat satellite

Back 38

satellites that detect different wavelengths of energy reflected or emitted from earth's surface.

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latitude

Back 39

distance in degrees either north or south of the equator that do not intersect

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longitude

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distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian

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map

Back 41

a flat model of the earth's surface

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map legend

Back 42

explains what the symbols used on a map mean

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mercator projection

Back 43

has correct shapes of continents, but their areas are distorted. lines of longitude are projected parallel to each-other, making areas near the poles exaggerated.

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meridian

Back 44

vertical lines used for locations east and west of the equator

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plain

Back 45

a large, relatively flat area

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plateau

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a relatively flat, raised area of land that is made up of nearly horizontal rocks that have been uplifted by forces within earth.

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prime meridian

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a reference point for east/west grid lines, represents 0 degrees longitude

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projection

Back 48

when points and lines on a globe's surface are transferred onto paper

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robinson projection

Back 49

a map that has accurate continent shapes and shows accurate land areas. lines of latitude remain parallel, and lines of longitude are curved as they would be on a globe.

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scale

Back 50

the relationship between the distances on the map and actual distances on earth's surface, often represented as a ratio.

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sonar

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the use of sound waves to detect ocean-bottom structures

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time zones

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divisions of the earth seperated by 24 different times

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topographic map

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a map that shows the changes in elevation of earth's surface

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volcanic mountain

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a cone-shaped structure caused by molten material reaching the surface through a weak area of the crust in a mountain and oozing out

Front 55

how do you use latitude and longitude lines to determine location?

Back 55

latitude is left to right, longitude is up to down. way to remember: longitude is long (not wide)

Front 56

when you split the earth up into degrees, how does it end up looking?

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the north and south poles are both 90 degrees, the equator in the center is 0 degrees, and there are four lines on each side, each worth 20 degrees.

Front 57

how do you use time zones and the international date line?

Back 57

because earth takes 24 hours to rotate once, it's divided into 24 time zones, each 15 degrees wide and one hour different.

Front 58

this projection exaggerates areas near the poles

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mercator projection

Front 59

this projection is very accurate for small areas of earth

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conic projection

Front 60

this projection shows less distortion near the poles than a mercator projection

Back 60

robinson projection

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aquifer

Back 61

a layer of permeable rock that transmits water freely

Front 62

artesian well

Back 62

a well in which water under pressure rises to the surface

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cave

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an underground opening formed by acidic groundwater moving through the natural cracks in limestone and dissolving the rock, enlarging the cracks

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delta

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a deposit where the sediments are not deposited until the water empties into an ocean, gulf, or lake

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deposition

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when water moves throughout a river system and loses some of its energy of motion and can no longer carry some of its sediments, they are deposited

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drainage basin

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the land area from which a stream gets its water

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evaporation

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the process in which a liquid turns into a gas

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floodplain

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the broad, flat valley floor carved by a meandering stream

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geyser

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a hot spring that erupts periodically, shooting water and steam into the air

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gravity

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the force of the earth that holds objects on the ground

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groundwater

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water that soaks into the ground and collects in pores, keeps going to lower elevations until it reaches a layer of impermeable rock

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hot spring

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when groundwater is heated and comes up to the surface

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impermeable

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water cannot pass through it

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load

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the materials a stream is carrying

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irrigation

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an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops

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meander

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when fast-moving water erodes the side of the stream where the current is strongest, forming curves

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oasis

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where the water table approaches the surface

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oxbow lake

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a u-shaped lake water body formed when a wide meander from the mainstem of a river is cut off to create a lake

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permeable

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water can pass through it

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precipitation

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when water falls from the clouds in any form: hail, snow, rain, or sleet.

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reservoir

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a natural or artificial lake for storing water for community use

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runoff

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water that doesn't soak into the ground or evaporate and flows across the earth's surface

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sediment

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Solid fragments of inorganic or organic material that come from the weathering of rock and are carried and deposited by wind, water, or ice.

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spring

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when the water table meets the earths surface and water flows out

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stalactite

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a formation caused by the repeated process of evaporating limestone hanging from the roof of a cave, leaving behind a deposit of calcite

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stalagmite

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a formation caused by dripping water in a cave

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transpiration

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the passage of gases through fine tubes or pores

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water cycle

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evaporation (oceans heating up), condensation (clouds forming), precipitation (rains), runoff. process starts over

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water table

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the upper surface of the zone of saturation

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watershed

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a ridge of land that seperates two different river systems

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zone of saturation

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the area where all the pores in the rock are filled with water

Front 92

what are the three stages of stream development?

Back 92

young streams, mature streams, and old streams. young streams flow swiftly through steep valley and has steep sides. mature streams flow less swiftly and most rocks in the streambed that cause rapids and waterfalls have been eroded away. old streams flow swiftly through a broad, flat floodplain that it has carved

Front 93

how do deltas form?

Back 93

Deltas form wherever rivers encounter standing bodies of water such as lakes or oceans. The sudden decrease in energy causes the river to drop its sediment load.

Front 94

what causes runoff?

Back 94

heavy rain that falls in less than an hour and doesnt have time to soak in, or smooth surfaces with little or no vegetation

Front 95

what is the hydrologic cycle?

Back 95

the water cycle; evaporation heating of the earths oceans, condensation forming of clouds, precipitation clouds dripping rain, runoff and direct contact go back to oceans, process starts all over.

Front 96

describe how a cave forms.

Back 96

caves form from water mixing with carbon dioxide in the air and forming a weak acid that dissolves limestone, and acidic groundwater moves through the natural cracks in the limestone enlarging them until a cave is formed.

Front 97

describe how a geyser forms.

Back 97

from heated groundwater that expands underground and forces some of the water out of the ground taking the pressure off the remaining water, which boils quickly and mostly turns into steam seaping out of the opening.

Front 98

aurora borealis

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northern lights caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with the ions in the ionosphere.

Front 99

autumnal equinox

Back 99

the sun appears to cross the celestial equator from north to south on sept 22

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vernal equinox

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the point at which the sun appears to cross the celestial equator from south to north on march 21