Earth Science SOL Review

Tides

Daily rise and fall of ocean water caused by the moon's gravitational pull

Spring Tide

Greatest tidal range due to alignment of moon, sun, and Earth

Neap Tide

Lowest tidal range during quarter moon phases

Waves

Generated by wind in the ocean

Current Systems

Created by Coriolis Effect and wind, influencing water movement

Upwelling

Cold water rising to surface, providing nutrients for fish

Estuaries

Areas where fresh and saltwater meet, like the Chesapeake Bay

Salinity

Amount of salt in water, average 35o/oo

Density Currents

Movement of dense seawater to less dense areas

Thermocline

Ocean layer with dramatic temperature decrease, separating mixed and deep layers

Pelagic Species

Species living in seawater

Benthic Species

Species living on the ocean bottom

Abyssal Plain

Flattest area on Earth with immediate sediment fill

Seamounts

Underwater volcanoes

Atolls

Coral structures forming around extinct volcanoes

Coral Atoll

Forms from sunken volcanic islands with enclosed lagoon

Atmosphere Composition

21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen

Greenhouse Effect

Caused by increased carbon dioxide trapping heat

Weather vs. Climate

Day-to-day vs. long-term weather patterns

Windward/Leeward

Sides of mountains experiencing different wind effects

Cloud Formation

Air reaching dew point condensing on particles

Coriolis Effect

Deflection of air due to Earth's rotation

Hurricanes

Largest storms with counterclockwise movement and extreme low pressure

Weather Instruments

Tools like barometer, anemometer, and hygrometer for weather measurement

Isobars

Lines of equal pressure on weather maps

Density Formula

Density = Mass/Volume, measured in g/ml or g/cm3

Mercator Projection

Map with parallel latitude and longitude lines, distorting N and S latitudes

Gnomonic Projection

Map showing shortest distance between points, distorting landmasses

Polyconic Projections

Maps with slightly curved latitude and longitude lines, useful for middle latitudes

Topographic Maps

Maps measuring elevation changes, with contour lines indicating steep areas

Topographic Profile

Drawing a landform's shape by transferring info from a topographic map

Map Scales

Relationship between map distance and ground distance, types include verbal, graphic, and representative fraction scales

Graphic Scale

Scale directly shown on map indicating ground distance

Solar Nebula Theory

Explains the formation of the solar system from condensing solar nebula

Big Bang Theory

Origin of the universe from rapid expansion of high-density matter

Impact Theory of Moon Formation

Moon formed from Earth collision with a planet-sized object

Dinosaur Extinction Theory

Giant asteroid impact causing atmospheric changes leading to dinosaur extinction

Astronomy

Study of celestial bodies, their movements, and the universe

Heliocentric Solar System

Model where planets revolve around the sun, proposed by Copernicus

Kepler and Planetary Motion

Described planetary orbits as ellipses and velocity changes

Planets

Inner rocky planets closest to the sun, gas giants further away

The Sun's Life Cycle

Nebula to black dwarf cycle, involving fusion of hydrogen to helium

Stars and the H-R Diagram

Graph showing temperature vs. luminosity of stars

Galaxies

Spiral, elliptical, and irregular formations in space

Plate Tectonics

Study of Earth's lithosphere movements and interactions

Layers of Earth

Inner solid core, liquid outer core, mantle, and two types of crust

The Lithosphere

Earth's crust and upper mantle, divided into plates moving due to convection currents

Plate Boundaries

Areas where tectonic plates interact, leading to earthquakes and volcanic activity

Volcanoes

Formed by subduction, divergent boundaries, hot spots, and mantle plumes

Earthquakes

Result from movement along faults and plate boundaries, with an epicenter above the focus

P-waves

Fastest seismic waves, travel through solids and liquids

S-waves

Slower seismic waves, do not travel through liquids

L-waves

Surface waves causing significant earthquake damage

Shadow zone

Area where no seismic waves are detected

Richter Scale

Measures earthquake magnitude and energy released

Mercalli Intensity Scale

Rates earthquake damage intensity

Seismograph stations

Three needed to locate earthquake epicenter

Folded mountains

Appalachian Mountains type

Mineral

Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, specific composition and structure

Physical properties of minerals

Identifiable characteristics like hardness, color, and luster

Silicates

Most abundant mineral group

Ore

Profitable and useful mineral material

Pyrite

Iron sulfide mineral

Hematite

Iron oxide mineral

Magnetite

Iron ore mineral

Sulfur

Elemental mineral

Halite

Rock salt mineral

Graphite

Carbon mineral used in pencils

Calcite

Mineral that fizzes with acid, major component of limestone

Double refraction

Property of splitting light in calcite

Gems

Rare, beautiful minerals with extreme hardness

Quartz

Major mineral in glass and sand

Igneous rocks

Form from cooling and crystallization of magma or lava

Intrusive igneous rocks

Slow-cooling rocks with large crystals like granite

Extrusive igneous rocks

Quick-cooling rocks with small crystals like pumice, obsidian, basalt

Metamorphic rocks

Formed from heat and pressure on existing rocks

Contact metamorphism

Small area heat change from igneous intrusion

Regional metamorphism

Large area heat and pressure change

Foliated texture

Layered mineral bands in rocks like schist, slate, gneiss

Nonfoliated texture

No layered minerals in rocks like marble, quartzite

Sedimentary rocks

Formed from rock fragments, organic matter, or chemical precipitation

Clastic rocks

Made of fragments of other rocks like conglomerate, sandstone, shale

Organic rocks

Formed from past living sources like limestone, coal

Chemical rocks

Formed from liquid precipitation or evaporation like limestone, halides

Weathering

Breaking down rocks into sediments

Erosion

Transporting Earth materials by various agents

Deposition

Dropping of Earth materials after erosion

Delta

Depositional landform at a river mouth

Alluvial fan

Fan-shaped deposit of sediment

Beaches and dunes

Depositional landforms along coastlines

Barrier island

Long, narrow island parallel to the mainland

Porosity

Pore space in a material

Permeability

Ability of a material to transmit water

Aquifer

Rock layer storing and transporting water

Karst topography

Features like caves and sinkholes from moving groundwater

Water table

Top of the saturated zone in soil

Geologic Time

Divided into Eras, Periods, and Epochs

Precambrian Era

90% of Earth's geologic history

Paleozoic Era

Age of Invertebrates and Pangaea formation

Mesozoic Era

Age of Reptiles and Pangaea breakup