earth sci

What way do hurricanes travel?

E to W —> W to E

Red vs blue shifts

red = moving away

blue = moving closer

Why is volcanic ash a good geologic time marker?

spreads over a wide area in a short period of time

River valleys vs glacier valleys

river valleys = V-shaped

glacier valleys = U-shaped

Clastic vs bioclastic

clastic = formed from old rock sediments

bioclastic = formed by past living organisms

How does lake affect snow form?

cold air evaporates from warm water —> RECC —> snow

How do glaciers deposit sediment?

unsorted, unlayered

Mafic vs felsic

mafic = dark, dense, Fe & Mg

felsic = lighter, less dense, Si & Al

Extrusive rock characteristics

cools quickly, formed from lava, small crystals

Intrusive rock characteristics

cools slowly, forms from magma, large crystals

Waxing vs waning

waxing = light on the right, begins at new moon and ends at full moon

waning, light on the left, begins at full moon and ends at new moon

Lunar vs solar eclipse

lunar = earth blocks sun from reaching moon

solar = moon blocks sun from reaching earth

Inner core vs outer core

inner core = solid

outer core = liquid

P vs S waves

P waves = pass through solids and liquids

S waves = pass through solids only (absorbed or reflected in liquids)

The process that stars go through?

nuclear fusion

Star life cycle

Greenhouse effect

process in which certain gases trap infrared heat on earth

Greenhouse gasses

methane, water vapor, CFC’s, ozone, nitrous oxide

Spring vs neap tides

Spring = new moon & full moon

Neap = first quarter & last quarter

Relationship between particle size and capillarity

as particle size decreases, capillarity increases

Relationship between particle size and permeability

as particle size increases, permeability increases

Relationship between particle size and infiltration

as particle size increases, infiltration increases

Relationship between particle size and porosity

if particle size either increases or decreases, porosity remains the same

Watershed vs delta

watershed = water drained by a river

delta = water flowing into a larger body of water

Glacier landscapes formed from erosion

U shaped valleys

Striations = scratches bedrock

Glacier landscaped formed from deposition

Till = unsorted sediment from melted glacier ice

Moraine = ridges formed from till

Outwash plain = flat area of sediment from meltwater

Esker = long ridges of sediment from meltwater

Kettle lake = depression formed from melted glacier ice

Bedrock structure of mountains

tilted, folded, uplifted

Bedrock structure of plateaus

flat, horizontal, uplifted

Bedrock structure of lowlands

softer sediment, loose, deep

Cold front

short duration, intense storms

Warm front

long duration, light rain

Stationary front

Period of steady rain

Occluded front

fast-moving cold front overtakes a slow-moving warm front

cloudy, rainy

High pressure system

high air pressure

dry conditions

divergent

clockwise motion

downward

cool weather

Low pressure system

low air pressure

wet conditions

convergent

counterclockwise motion

upward

warm weather

divergent

plates move apart

creates ridges

convergent

plates collide

creates mountains, volcanoes, trenches

transform

plates slide across each other

creates earthquakes

What direction does hurricanes and tornadoes spin

counterclockwise

only in northern hemisphere

Coriolis effect

caused by rotation of earth on its axis

wind curves right in northern hemisphere, but curves left in southern hemisphere

Mechanical vs physical weathering

mechanical- frost action, abrasion

chemical- oxidation (rusting), acid rain

Vertical vs horizontal sorting

vertical sorting = larger sediment on bottom

horizontal sorting = smaller on bottom, deposited first

How do landscapes form from bedrock?

Uplift

Erosion

Subsidence

Deposition

Age of universe

13.8 b years old

How is water returned from earth’s surface to the atmosphere?

evaporation and transpiration

What are monsoons and other seasonal weather events caused by?

seasonal shifting of wind patterns and atmospheric pressure changes

Inclusions

inclusions are the same age as the bedrock it formed from

Northern hemisphere winds vs southern hemisphere winds

northern hemisphere winds = northeast winds

southern hemisphere winds = southeast winds

Where does deposition occur in a river?

on the inside of the meanders

Size of pebbles

0.2- 6.4 cm