Big Bang, Nebular Theories, and Earth's Spheres

Continental Rise

Gradual slope made of sediment from continental shelf.

Mohol Project

Drilling project reached 183 m, crust thickness 7 km.

Kola Superdeep Borehole

Drilling project approximately one-third through Earth's crust.

Geosphere

Solid Earth located below atmosphere and oceans.

Hydrosphere

Dynamic mass of water interacting with other spheres.

Continental Crust

Less dense, more buoyant, average thickness 35 km.

Saline Water

Water with high salt concentration, part of hydrosphere.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases like CO2 that trap heat in atmosphere.

Earth's 4 Spheres

Atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere.

Big Bang Theory

Universe began 13.8 billion years ago from a point.

Nebular Theory

Solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago from a nebula.

Geological Time

Representation of time based on Earth's rock record.

Atmosphere

Gaseous portion of Earth, mainly nitrogen and oxygen.

Biosphere

All life on Earth, intersects with other spheres.

Ocean Basins

60% of Earth's surface, includes oceanic crust.

Oceanic Crust

Denser, less buoyant, average thickness 7 km.

Continental Shelf

Underlain by continental crust, extension of continent.

Continental Slope

Boundary between continents and oceans, steep drop.

Freshwater

Water with low salt concentration, vital for life.

Nebula

Cloud of dust and gas forming solar systems.

Dynamic Mass

Constantly moving water in the hydrosphere.

Species Diversity

1.75 million species named, many undiscovered.

Rock Record

Layers of rock that provide geological history.

Gravity Collapse

Process causing nebula to form spinning disk.

Intersects

Spheres that interact with each other in Earth.