Earth's Formation, Big Bang Evidence, Plate Tectonics, and Energy Types

What evidence was NOT used by scientists for the Big Bang Theory?

. Cosmic infrared radiation

Approximately how long ago do scientists believe the Earth was formed?

. 4.6 billion years

What provides the best estimate of the age of the Earth?

. Radioactive dating of meteorites

What is the internal heat left over from the origins of Earth called?

. Accretionary heating

What type of feedback loop involves body temperature and sweating?

. A negative feedback loop

How does the sun convert mass into energy?

. Nuclear fusion

Which of the following is NOT an example of kinetic energy?

. Stored mechanical energy

How does Earth lose energy to space?

. Radiation

What is the likely state of a material if pressure is increased?

. More dense

Where do most elements of the periodic table form?

Supernovae

When was Wegener's idea of continental drift widely accepted?

. Almost five decades after it was proposed

Which technologies contributed to the theory of plate tectonics?

B and C (Sonar and Magnetometers)

Why is paleomagnetism useful for understanding plate motions?

(Orientation of magnetic field and reversals allow dating seafloor spreading)

Which statement about continental and oceanic crust is true?

Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust

Where are the youngest seafloor rocks found?

Nearest the rift valleys of the mid-ocean ridges

Volcanic arcs are characteristic of which type of plate boundary?

Convergent

What does the East-Pacific Ridge indicate about plate movement?

Antarctica is moving away from the Pacific

What is a subduction zone?

Where one lithospheric plate is pushed below another

What type of plate boundary interaction is the San Andreas fault?

. Transform plate boundary

True or False: 5% of earthquakes occur on plate boundaries.

False

How many seismometers are needed to detect the focus of an earthquake?

. Three

What does the viscosity of magma NOT determine?

. Temperature of magma

Which environment is most likely to form large mountain belts?

Convergent plate boundary

In what order do seismic waves reach a seismograph during an earthquake?

P-waves, followed by S-waves, followed by surface waves

Which technique is NOT used to monitor volcanic activity?

. Directly observing the fluid motion of magma within the chamber

What type of rock forms directly from magma?

Igneous

What is the process by which sediment becomes a rock?

. Lithification

Metamorphic rocks form as a result of what process?

. Recrystallization of material under heat and pressure

Electrical energy example

plugging in a computer or phone, lightning

Radiant energy examples

radio waves, microwaves, visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, x-rays, gamma rays

When was the Big Bang?

13.7 billion years ago

When was Earth formed?

4.6 billion years ago

oldest fossils

3.5 billion years ago

Oldest Rocks

3.8-4.0 bya

Oldest meteorites

4.56 billion years old

1st seismic wave to arrive

P-waves

2nd seismic wave to arrive

S-waves

3rd seismic wave to arrive

Surface-Waves

ocean continent

• Process:The denser oceanic plate subducts (sinks) beneath the lighter continental plate. 

• What forms:

  • Continental Volcanic Arc:

  • Deep Ocean Trenches:

  • Earthquakes:

continent continent

• Process:When two continental plates collide, neither plate is dense enough to subduct. 

• What forms:

  • Large Mountain Ranges

ocean ocean

Collision and Subduction:

1. When two oceanic plates collide, the older, cooler, and therefore denser plate is forced beneath the younger, warmer plate. This sinking process is called subduction. 

2. Ocean Trench Formation:

   Magma Formation:

3. Volcanic Island Arc:

Positive Couplings

An increase in one component leads to an increase in the other, and a decrease in one leads to a decrease in the other. (increases stimula)

• Effect: Can amplify a change, drive growth, or synchronize components. 

• Example: In the context of a population, more fish might lead to less food, but if the coupling was positive, more fish would somehow lead to more food

Negative couplings

Definition: An increase in one component leads to a decrease in the other, and vice versa. (reduces stimula)

Effect: Acts to counteract change, stabilize a system, and maintain equilibrium.

Example: A thermostat uses negative coupling to maintain a stable temperature by turning the heating down when it gets too hot.

couplings

interconnections or interactions between different components or subsystems

feedback loops

specific type of coupling where a change in one part of the system causes a reaction