Earth Science Review Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 review topics including scientific methods, Earth systems, planetary characteristics, and cosmological concepts.

Science

A process of discovery that increases our body of knowledge through information to be learned combined with the curiosity and creativity of scientists searching for answers, rather than a list of facts to be memorized.

Non-Science Red Flags

Warning indicators of pseudoscience, including psychobabble, anecdotal evidence, extraordinary claims with no evidence, unfalsifiable claims, lack of peer review, no self-correction, and failure to connect to other research.

Inductive Reasoning

Drawing general conclusions from specific observations by recognizing patterns in data, such as observing three hurricanes with $-900\,\text{mbar}$ that caused damage and concluding that low pressure hurricanes cause damage.

Deductive Reasoning

Drawing specific conclusions based upon general principles or applying laws and principles, such as applying the principle that all hurricanes are low pressure to conclude that Sandy is low pressure.

Earth Scientist's Role in Society

Four key functions: 1) Alerting people to natural hazards (prevention like floodwalls and adjustment like earthquake building codes), 2) Providing for material needs by managing renewable resources (water, soil) and non-renewable resources (oil, coal, metals) for a sustainable society, 3) Protecting against environmental endangerment from human-induced air and water pollution, and 4) Ensuring the future of humanity from global threats such as climate change and asteroid impact.

Atmosphere

The component of the Earth System representing air and weather.

Hydrosphere

The component of the Earth System representing water and ice.

Biosphere

The component of the Earth System representing plants and animals.

Geosphere

The component of the Earth System representing land and rocks.

Exosphere

The external realm representing the sun and space that interacts with the four components of the Earth System.

Hypothesis

A tentative, testable explanation that can be verified or falsified using observations and predictions, based on empirical data, predictable, and offering a natural cause.

Observation

Facts, measurements, information, or data collected using the senses.

Scientific Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of natural phenomena that has been tested repeatedly and confirmed, distinct from an everyday guess.

Anthropocene

A proposed geological epoch where human activity is the dominant influence on climate and the environment.

Terrestrial Planets

The inner planets composed of rocks (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) that have solid surfaces capable of having volcanoes and possess few moons.

Jovian Planets

The outer gas giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) that are much larger, possess the strongest gravitational fields, have many moons, and lack a solid surface for volcanoes.

Earth

The terrestrial planet inhabited by humans, unique for containing liquid water and life, as well as compositional layers and a magnetic field that deflects and protects against solar wind.

Early Earth

The hot, rocky state of Earth when it first formed from cosmic debris pulled together by gravity, with heavy elements like iron and nickel forming a core, and initially having no atmosphere or oceans.

Doppler Effect

The change in frequency of a wave when the source and observer move relative to each other, used in astronomy via red shift and blue shift to determine if stars or galaxies are moving toward or away from us.

Nuclear Fusion

The process occurring under very high temperatures and pressures in the Sun's interior where hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium, releasing massive energy as heat.

Age of the Universe

Measured by scientists using cosmic background radiation, expansion rate, and the oldest stars, determined to be $13.8\,\text{billion years}$ (while the Sun will last $\sim 10\,\text{billion years}$).

Geocentric Orbit Hypothesis

An ancient model proposing that Earth is at the center of the universe and everything orbits Earth, which is disproven by the heliocentric model where planets orbit the Sun.