Earth & moon

how did the moon form?

The moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago from debris resulting from a collision between the early Earth and a Mars-sized body named Theia.

what are the surface features of the moon?

it’s dead in terms of surface, magnetic field, and no atmosphere, it has large dark flat areas due to lava flow a long time ago called maria

when was the moon volcanically active? what is the maria?

The moon was volcanically active between about 3 to 4 billion years ago when lava flowed across its surface, creating large, dark plains known as maria.

how were craters on the moon formed?

when meteoroids hit moon, it ejects material and the explosion ejects more material leaving craters

what is a continental drift?

the entire surface of earth is covered in tectonic plates that can cause earthquakes and volcanoes when they move

what causes plates to move?

The movement of tectonic plates is primarily caused by the heat from the Earth's core, which creates convection currents in the mantle that push and pull the plates.

what is Pangaea?

Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, where all the Earth's continents were joined together before they slowly drifted apart.

what is carbon dating?

Carbon dating is a scientific method used to determine the age of organic materials by measuring the amount of carbon-14 they contain, which decays over time.

what is the half-life of C14?

5730

what is the magnetosphere?

the region around earth where charged particles from the solar wind are trapped and they’re trapped in areas called the Van Allen belts where they spiral around the magnetic field lines and create phenomena such as auroras.

what causes auroras?

Auroras are caused by the interaction of charged particles from the solar wind with Earth's magnetosphere, which collides with gases in the atmosphere, producing stunning light displays.