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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Nebular Hypothesis?
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Suggests that all the solar system formed from a big gigantic nebular cloud that consisted of 80% Hydrogen, 15% Helium, and 5% heavier elements.
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5% of heavier elements?
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Mainly conisists of Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, and Calcium. These are the elements we see most rocks made of.
The rest of the elements are Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon. |
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5 Billion Years Ago?
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The nebular cloud (made up of gases and dust) began to contract and soon formed its own rotational movement.
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Nebula Contracted More...
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the rotational movement got faster and faster, and soon the cloud was pulled into a disk shape.
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Within the disk...
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There were several smaller contractions that eventually formed the nuclei from which our planets were formed.
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Biggest contraction?
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Formed at the center and created the protosun.
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Protosun?
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High temperatures eventually lowered and allowed all of the materials within the nebula that had a high melting point (like Iron and Nitrogen) solidify. Later they broke off into sand-sized particles.
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Calcium, Silicon, Aluminum, and Iron?
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Collided and formed large astroids that later created Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Mars.
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Mercury, Earth, Venus, and Mars?
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The inner or "terrestrial" planets. Due to their close proximity to the sun they are hotter, denser, smaller and have more earth-like features.
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Jovian Planets?
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The outer planets that were formed while the inner plants formed. They are made up of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Carbon Dioxide, and Methane gases.
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Outter planets were far from the sun...
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Due to the frigid temperatures these planets consisted of ice-water, carbon dioxide, and methane gases.
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Big Bang Theory?
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Theory that our universe was one solid massive supernova ball. 20 billion years ago, a cataclysmic explosion broke the ball into pieces and sent them hurling through space. The pieces solidified and cooled there and formed the solar system we now observe.
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20 Billion Years From Now...
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Our galaxies will slow and stop their forward flight and gravitational contractions will occur, causing the planets to combine and join as one mass. Thus birthing a new fire ball.
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In order for the galaxies to collide and coalesce...
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The universe has to have an average density of one atom for cubic every meter of space (35 cubic feet).
Estimates show that our density is far less than that. |
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3 major parts of Earth from space?
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Hydrosphere
Solid Earth Gaseous Atmosphere |
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These 3 parts of earth...
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Interact with one another. Shoreline meets the rocks, water, and air.
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Pictures show us that...
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AIR driven waves (water)hit the shoreline and one type of erosion takes place.
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Hydrosphere?
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Called the "blue plane." Oceans blanket 70% of the Earth and make up for 97% of Earth's water.
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Last 3% of Earth's water?
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Comes from things like lakes, ponds, creeks, streams, rain, etc.
Human consumption comes from this 3% and water has a sculpting effect on the environment. |
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Atmosphere?
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life giving "gaseous envelope". Half of it lies at an altitude of 3-5 miles. 90% of it lies within 10 miles and the other 10% beyond 10 miles.
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Atmosphere?
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Radius of Earth is comparatively too thin with the earth at a 6400 km radius.
We breathe it and it protects our earth from radioactive sunrays and extreme heat. |
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Energy Exchange?
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Is constant between earth's surface and the atmosphere- and between the atmosphere and the space that creates the weather.
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Without the atmosphere...
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We'd have no erosion, no weathering, no life.
The earth would resemble the surface of the moon. |
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Solid Earth?
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Lies beneath the atmosphere and ocean. It has different composition:
Core Mantle Crust |
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Core?
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1216 km make up the dense inner core. Heavier elements make it denser- especially iron, magnesium, and nitrogen. The outer core is less dense and makes up 2270 km.
3486 total km. |
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Mantle?
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Less dense layer (center to surface= less dense). Made up of iron, magnesium and aluminum.
Upper mantle is rigid. Plate techtonics occur in the lower mantle. Moving capability is 10%- total of 2900 km. |
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Crust?
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Thinnest. Ligther/outer skin. The thinner portion.
Oceanic crust: the thinnest. Continental crust: the thickest. |
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Lithosphere?
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Rigid outer layer (crust) and uppermost mantle.
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Biosphere?
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Consists of all life forms on Earth in the atmosphere and in hydrosphere. Since these spheres interact constantly, they change their physical environments.
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Earth Science includes:
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Geology
Oceanography Meteorology Astronomy |