Earth Science Final

How did the ocean water get there when the Earth was young?

water vapor released by volcanic activity during the planet's early formation, which then condensed into rain as the Earth cooled below the boiling point of water, filling the basins to form the oceans

What are the major depth zones of the ocean?

Continental shelf, Abyssal plain, Oceanic ridge, Oceanic trenches

Continental Shelf Features

Gentle slope, shallow water depth, sediment accumulation, shelf break, submarine canyons, variable width, high biological productivity

Abyssal Plain Features

flat topography, sediment accumulation, location, deep depths, limited life forms

Oceanic Ridge Features

size, location, shape, depth, width, volcanic activity, tectonic plates, transform faults, fracture zones, spreading centers, islands

Oceanic Trenches Features

deepest points on Earth, subduction zone formation, asymmetric profile, accretionary prism, seismic activity, hadal zone, unique ecosystems

How are the features of the ocean floor detected?

data from ships, submarines, and satellites show topography of the
ocean floor

Where and how is energy added to or removed from the oceans?

How is energy transported through the oceans?

How does ocean water move in currents and in waves?

What causes the tides?

What does the Coriolis effect do to water?

How do coastlines tend to change with time?

How are coastlines protected from change?

What is Earth’s atmosphere made of?

nitrogen, oxygen, argon

Where did Earth’s atmosphere come from and how did it change since Earth’s formation?

What does the atmosphere protect us from?

Why does the air near the surface have a higher pressure than the air higher up?

What are the layers of the atmosphere in order from the surface to space?

tropo, strato, meso, thermo, exo

What makes the layers of the atmosphere different from each other?

Which parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are able to pass through all the layers and get to the surface?

visible, radio, some near-infrared

Which parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are absorbed by specific layers?

What is the role of ozone?

protect life on earth by absorbing uvb rays

How do the different ways to heat the atmosphere (IR, dissociation, ionization) work?

How does water store, move, and release energy in the atmosphere?

What role do phase changes play?

What is the difference between absolute + relative humidity?

absolute is independent from temp, relative depends on temp

How are relative and absolute humidity increased?

Why does fog/dew form?

Why does warm air rise?

Why does rising air cool?

What roles do pressure + density play in air rising/falling and heating/cooling?

Why does rising air switch from a dry adiabatic lapse rate to a wet adiabatic lapse rate?

What are the necessary conditions to form a cloud of water droplets or snow?

What are the meanings of the parts of cloud names?

What is the difference between the different types of lifting?

What determines wind strength + direction?

What are air masses and their common types?

What are the three types of fronts, and what type of weather do we expect from each?

What is the difference between a midlatitude cyclone and a tornado?

What conditions form thunderstorms?

How is lightning generated?

Why do hurricanes only form over the ocean?

What sorts of hazards do they bring?