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65 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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what is science |
the method of knowing |
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what is a hypothesis |
it is not yet verified but can be tested by futher investigation |
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what is a theory |
a well substantiated, testable, explanation of some aspect of the natural world (best understanding of a componet of the universe) |
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what is uniformitarianism |
the idea that the universe has functioned in the same manner over time |
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who are scientist |
anyone who does science -work for small private, profit companies -big universities/government -get money from government(federal) -non profit orgs, businesses -40/50% of money at universities goes to run the school -all science is reviewed by peers
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primary vs secondary literature |
primary-most unreadable unless expert, expensive -secondary-press, popular books, tv
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why is the city of birmingham where it is? |
Red Mountain is made of Iron ore, called "Birmingham Steel", coal and limestone produced |
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can you prove a theory |
no science can never prove truth, only disprove it |
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what are the oldest mountain range |
Appalachiain Mountains (shrinking because of weathering) |
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what is the tallest mountain range |
Himalayans (still growing along with Andies) |
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what killed the dinosaurs |
-65 MYA -end of cretaceous -asteroid impact -killed of 70% testerial |
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what is the mesozoic called |
"age of reptiles" (evolved in the Paleozoic but dominant in the mesozoic) |
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what is a dinosaur? |
-have pelvic girdle (hips) -warm blooded -laid eggs -similar to birds |
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cenozoic evolution |
-an new effective way of producing -flowering plants -birds are a direct offshoot of dinosaurs(theropods) -marine life looks modern -mammals dominate (but do not look similar) -constant earthquakes because continents colliding |
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what is the ultimate megafuna |
blue whale |
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what causes climate to change (3 major mechanisms) |
-solar output -atmospheric content (greenhouse gases such as methane and CO2 that keep earth warm) -orbital cycles (relationship to the sun) |
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what is the difference between short wave and long wave radiation |
short wave- incoming solar radiation, passes through atmospheric gases long wave-at night, is filtered and trapped by certain gases (H2O, methane, CO2) |
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what was the cause of several ice houses |
-addition of CO2 led to oxidation of methane in Archean (1st ice house) -weathering in Proterozoic (snowball earth) -change in carbon cycle in Carboniferous (ice house)
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facts about earths climate |
-earth used to be WARMER than it is now -5 major ice houses -the larger the tilt, the more dramatic seasons
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levels of CO2 are_______ than any time since humans existed |
higher |
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________ was formed in the late Permian period |
pangea |
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how did each of the 5 mountain ranges form? |
App- continental Rockies- subduction Cascades-subduction Andes- subduction Himalayas- continental |
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what is the foundational unifying theory of geology? |
plate tectonics |
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different kinds of plate collisions |
-ocean/continental: ocean subducts, arcs and mountains -ocean/ocean: older cooler denser subducts, arcs -contin/contin: collision, thickened structure, largest mountains |
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the formation of a mountain range |
mobile belts |
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a mountain building event |
orogeny |
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how do we know how much CO2 was in the atmosphere over the past 400,000 years or so? |
by measuring gases trapped in glacier ice |
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when did oxygen become abundant |
Proterozoic |
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how does increase of CO2 impact the PH (acidity) of oceans |
-CO2 dissolves in water to create carbonic acid(reacts with limestone) |
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how does the PH level impact the oceanic part of the rock cycle |
shelled creatures rely on carbonate rocks (dying off) because CO2 and acidic rain is eating away at limestone causing the rock cycle to slow
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how much of gases effectiveness is due to water |
76-85% |
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what is happening to the global alteration in carbon isotopes |
atmospheric carbon growing isotopically lighter |
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what triggered glaciers in the late Cenozoic |
increased amounts of rock weathering |
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why did the glacier that covered Canada start melting 18,000 years ago |
Earths orbital patterns |
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what traits do dinosaurs and birds not share |
teeth (living birds today do not have teeth) |
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what is true about rifiting |
new ocean basins are created by rifts (all oceans started as a rift) |
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what is pollen |
a resistant, tough, waxy coat that preserves in fossil records and is used to track time |
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how do we know that climate warming began 6,000 years ago |
pollen |
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when did flowers first evolve |
began in Mesozoic dominant in Cenozoic (this is known because of pollen) |
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when did they atlantic ocean began to form |
Mesozoic (formed by the ripping apart of pangea) |
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when did the last supercontinent form? |
end of the Paleozoic |
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how much of our DNA do we share with chimps |
98% |
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where are the earliest human fossils (genus homo) found |
africa |
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where did humans arrive last |
America |
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what is evidence in the body of anncestory |
-hands (for gripping) produce vitamin C
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what do all terrestrial animals have |
teeth |
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how long ago did modern human appear |
200,000 years ago |
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when did mammals evolve |
late triassic |
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how does oil and gas form |
small oceanic organisms died million of years ago, get buried then heat and pressure makes them become oil and gas |
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source rock |
a porous sedimentary rock that contains dead organisms (organic rich sediments that may have been deposited in a varity of environments) |
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trap rock |
an impermeable rock that keeps oil or gas in one area (from reaching the surface) typically trapped by shale/salt |
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shale |
rock that can be turned into oil or gas |
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fracking |
when a pipe is sent down with water to retrieve oil or gas |
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what are units of energy called |
quads |
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all forms of energy are ______ |
fossil fuels |
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what do we get energy from |
coal, natural gas, petroleum |
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when did the first amphibian evolve |
Devonian |
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when did the first eukaryotic life appear |
Proterozoic |
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when did the first prokaryotic life appear |
archean |
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what is the major greenhouse gas that is controlled by heat but controls how hot it is |
water vapor |
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how did humans get to America |
barren land bridge |
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geothermal energy is... |
locational |
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what removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which makes the climate cooler |
weathering |
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what is the easiest hydro carbon to find |
coal |
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what are two early processors to coal |
lignin and Pete |
