Earth 2 UCSB midterm

heat

the thermal energy transferred from one object to antoher

radiation

electromagnetic energy traveling away from a source through a medium or space

convection

heat transfer that results when warmer, less material rises while cooler, denser material sinks

conduction

a process of heat transfer involving progressive migration of thermal energy from cooler regions in a material, without the flow of the material itself

temperature

a measure of warmth relative to some standard

hypothesis

a possible explanation, involving only natural processes, that can explain a set of observations

proposed after data collection

theories

are scientific ideas supported by abundant evidence

they have passed many test and failed none

scientific laws

when scientist have been able to devise concise statements that completely describe a specific relationship or phenomenon

terrestrial planets

inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars)

they consist of a shell rock surrounding a ball of metallic iron alloy

Jovian planets

giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)

ice giants and gas giants

density

refers to the amount of mass occupying a given volume of space

red shift

the phenomenon in which a source of light moving away from you very rapidly shifts to a lower frequency; that is, toward the red end spectrum

Big Bang

a cataclysmic explosion that scientist suggest represents the formation of the Universe

everything started at a point that began to expand

Universe 13.82Ga

composition of Earth

4.5 billion years

O-30%

Si- 15%

Mg-13%

Fe-35%

accretion

the process of growth by build up

Earth's spheres

Atmosphere

Biosphere

Geosphere

Gyrosphere

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere

a layer of gases that surrounds the planet

Biosphere

the region of Earth and atmosphere inhabited by life

stretches from from a few km below the Earth's surface to a few km above

Geosphere

includes Lithosphere

molten material rocks

principle of Uifromitarinasm

natural agents now at work on and within the Earth have operated with general uniformity through immensely long periods of time.

Earth's Core

Inner- solid, Fe-Ni alloy

Outer- liquid, Fe-Ni-S alloy

convection in outer core helps magnetic field

Earth's Mantle

mostly solid rocks

high Fe & Mg

3,000km thick (82% volume)

Upper- cool, heated enough to move

transitional

Lower-

Earth's Crust

3km - 70km

Mohovoric Discontinuity (Moho)

Continental Crust- Granite

-avg thickness 35-40km

-avg density 2.7g/cm^3

Oceanic Crust-Basalt

- avg thickness 7-10km

- avg density 3g/cm^3

Moho discontinuity

boundary between crust and mantle

Lithosphere

the outermost 100-150km of Earth

crust and mantle

moves tectonic plates

Aesthonosphere

upper mantle below lithosphere

flows as a soft solid (plastic/ductile)

Low Velocity Zone

P waves

primary, faster

do not arrive in the P wave shadow zone due to refraction

propagated through solid, liquid, and gas

helps identify the layering of the planet

increase when passing through the lower mantle

S waves

secondary sheer

only travel through solids

Seismic Waves

interlude D

wave velocity depends on density/ rigidity

Alfred Wegner (1880-1930)

proved Pangea with...

puzzle fit continents

geographic distribution of some fossils

flow of ancient glaciers

paleomagnetism

the record of ancient magnetism preserved in rock

can see where rocks once had a magnetic direction

magnetic direction

magnetic domains oriented in direction of Earth's magnetic field

can determine a rocks original pointer relation the the magnetic pole at which the line of their formaiton

magnetic inclination

inclination of magnetic lines can be used to determine at what latitude the rock originally formed

Polar wander

different inclination with a rock

-have the magnetic poles moved

pole doesn't move continents do

mid-ocean ridges

heat flow highest at ridges, drops as you move away

sediment cover thinnest at ridges, thicken as you move away

sea-floor spreading

the gradual widening of the ocean basin as a new oceanic crust forms at a mid-ocean ridge axis and then moves away from the axis

trenches

a deep, elongate trough bordering a volcanic arch

defines the trace of convergent plate boundaries

transform fault

a fault making a transform plate boundary, along mid-ocean ridges

are the actively slipping segments of a fracture zone between two segments

fracture zone

a narrow band vertical fractures in the ocean floor

lie roughly at right angles to a mid-ocean ridge

actively slipping part=transform fault

ocean floor

mostly Basalt

180-200 million years old

hot spots

a location at the base of the lithosphere

at the top of the mantle plume

temp can cause melting

Hawaii

element

a material consisting entirely of one kind atom

cannot be subdivided or changed by a chemical reaction

atom

smallest piece of an element that has the property of an element

it consists of a nucleus surrounded by an electron cloud

proton

a positively charged subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom

neutron

a subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom with a neutral charge

electron

a negatively charged subatomic that orbits the nucleus

larger than a proton

isotope

different versions of a given element that have the same atomic number but different atomic weights

ion

a version of an atom that has lost or gained an electron

atomic number

number of protons in the nucleus of a given element

atomic mass

amount of matter in an atom

protons + neutrons in the nucleus

diagenesis

a term for all physical, chemical, and biological process that transform sediment into sedimentary rock and that alter characteristics of sedimentary rock after the rock has formed

metamorphism

the process by which one rock transforms into antother

metamorphic rocks

new rocks made due to increase in pressure and temperature, or shearing under elevated elevated temperatures

occurs without the rock first becoming a melt or a sediment

graded bed

a layer of sediment, deposited by a turbidity current, in which grain size varies from coarse at the bottom to fine at the top

mineral

a homogeneous, naturally occurring , solid inorganic substance with a definable chemical composition and an internal structure characterized by an orderly arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in the lattice

most inorganic

naturally occurring minerals

true minerals are formed in nature , not in factories

cleavage

breaking along places of weak chemical bonds

polymorphs

two minerals that have the same chemical composition but different crystal lattice structure

conchoidal fractures

break with irregular fractures

luster

how a mineral surface scatters life

-metallic

-non metallic (glassy, brilliant)

hardness

scratching resistance

crystal habit

refers to the shape of a single crystal with well-formed crystal faces

or to the character of an aggregate of many well formed crystals that grew together as a group

mineral composition

98% of crystals mineral mass is from 8 elements

O (only)

Si (stupid)

Al (assholes)

Fe(fear)

Ca (clits)

mineraloids

is a mineral-like substance that does not demonstrate crystallinity

water, native mercury

Silicates

silicate tetrahedron SiO4

igneous rocks

rock made by freezing (solidifying) of a melt

intrusive igneous rock

when magma in such intrusions solidifies underground

putonic

extrusive

rock that forms by the freezing of lava above ground, after it spills out (extrudes) onto the surface of the Earth and comes into contact with the atmosphere or ocean

crystalline texture

phaneritic- coarse grained rocks

aphanetic - fine grained

fragmental igneuos

rocks consisting of igneous chunks and/or shards that are packed/welded/cemented together

glassy igneous rocks

rocks made of solid mass of a glass, or of tiny crystals surrounded by glass

fracture conchoidaly

felsic

rhyolite

granite

quartz, Na biotite

Mafic

Basalt

Gabbro

Ca, Pyroxene

Ultramafic

Komatiite

Peridotite

Olivene

Intermediate

Andesite

Diorite

Plagioclase, Amphibole

viscosity

the resistance of material to flow

volcanic arcs

above subduction zones

decompostion melting

the kind of melting that ocurs when hot mantle rock rises to shallower depths in the Earth so that pressure decreases while the temp remains unchangaed