Earth Science: Earth's Shape; Earth's Interior Layers; Layers of the Atmosphere

Earth is .... a perfect ....

almost, sphere

Earth is actually a(n)...

oblate spheroid

Ship masts appear first on the horizon and seem as if its falling off the edge of the world because..

Earth is curved

Earth's shadow is curved during a(n)...

lunar eclipse

Lunar Eclipse Definition

occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and moon

Solar Eclipse

occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun

North Star is also called

Polaris

Polaris/North Star Definition

a star positioned above the North pole

Polaris is always on the horizon at the...

Equator

Polaris is always directly overhead at the...

North Pole

Polaris (can/cannot) be seen in the Southern Hemisphere/ Below the Equator

cannot

Best evidence of Earth's shape is..

pictures of Earth from space

Measurements of Earth from space indicate that it is a(n)..

oblate spheroid

Oblate Spheroid Definition

A flattened sphere

Why is the Earth slightly flattened at the poles and slightly bulging at the Equator?

Because Earth spins on its axis

Is gravity the same everywhere on Earth? Why?

No, there is more gravity on the poles than at the Equator. This is due to Earth NOT being a perfect spheroid.

A Gravimeter...

shows that gravity is slightly less at the Equator than at the poles

an object will be (closer/farther) to the Earth's center at the poles than an object at the Equator

closer

As altitude increases, gravity...

decreases

You weigh (more/less) at the poles and (more/less) at the Equator

more, less

Earth's Average Diameter

12,735 km

Earth (is/isn't) very round and smooth

is

Relief Definition

variations in elevation of an area of the Earth's Surface

3 Major zones of Earth's interiors

Crust, Mantle, Core

Lithosphere

the layer of solid rock that forms a shell around the Earth

The Lithosphere is made up of the ... and ... ...

crust, upper mantle

Crust Definition

the outermost layer of the Earth and makes up all the continents and ocean basins
thinnest layer

Oceanic crust Definition

crust that is under the ocean

Continental Crust Definition

crust that is not under the ocean

Continental Crust is (bigger/smaller) than Oceanic Crust

bigger

Continental Crust is (more/less) dense than Oceanic Crust

less

Uppermost Rigid/ Upper/ Rigid Mantle Definition

solid and upper part of the mantle
above the Asthenosphere

Asthenosphere/ Plastic Layer

a semi-liquid layer below the lithosphere
convection currents happen here
part of the Mantle
below the Uppermost Rigid Layer

Moho/mohorovicic discontinuity

boundary/interface between crust and mantle

lower/stiffer mantle

a layer under the upper mantle, it is more rigid

outer core

liquid layer
mostly made of iron
under the lower mantle
causes Earth's magnetic field

Inner Core

solid layer
under outer core

Hydrosphere

the thin film of water that rests on the lithosphere and covers about 70% of the Earth's surface

Atmosphere

A gaseous layer surrounding Earth
layered into distinct zones

Mantle

thickest layer of Earth
Includes: Upper/Rigid Mantle, Asthenosphere, Lower/Stiffer Mantle

layers of the earth

...

farthest layer humans have ever gone? why not farther?

12 km/ 8-9 miles into the crust, our technology isn't advanced enough and it's too hard

how do humans know what Earth's interior is like?

Seismic (Earthquake; P & S waves) waves/ Seismic Data

the 4 main layers of the atmosphere are classified by...

temperature

Troposphere

first layer of the atmosphere
0-12 km
increases in altitude, decreases in temperature
Earth's surface (bottom of Troposphere) absorbs the Sun's rays/heat and then emits some of the heat into the atmosphere
*think of an campfire, the closer you are to the fire the warmer you get*
contains nearly all of the mass of the atmosphere
weather occurs here

tropopause

the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere
temperature doesn't rise or cool down

stratosphere

found on top of tropopause (strato= spreading out) (2nd layer)
12-50 km
conatins ozone (03)
converts Sun's energy using ozone into heat, warming up the air
increases in altitude, increases with temperature

altitude of polaris=

latitude

Ozone

(03) *the three is written like an exponent but on the bottom*
absorbs Ultraviolet rays from the sun
converts the harnessed energy from the Sun's ray into heat
reason why temperature increases in the Stratosphere

Mesosphere

found on top of stratosphere (meso=middle) (3rd layer)
50-80 km
most meteors burn up in here *known as shooting stars*
increases in altitude, decreases in temperature
doesn't absorb the Sun's rays

Stratopause

boundary between stratosphere and mesosphere
the temperature stays consistent

mesopause

boundary between mesopause and thermosphere
temperature stays consistent

thermosphere

outermost layer (thermo=heat) (4th layer)
80km- has no limit
altitude increases, temperature increases
can get very hot
absorbs most of the Sun's heat
has 2 sublayers (ionosphere, exosphere)
Aurora Borealis & Satellites & International Space Stations are in here

ionosphere

lower level of Thermosphere (ion= electrical charge)
80-550 km
electrically charged particles called ions cause radio waves to bounce off the ionosphere and bounce back into Earth's surface
Aurora Borealis (northen lights) occur here

exosphere

the outer layer of the Thermosphere (exo= outer)
satellites & the International Space Station orbit the Earth in the exosphere

Pressure

the force of pushing on an area or surface

air pressure

the weight (or force) of the atmosphere at any particular point
***as altitude increases, pressure decreases

there (is/isn't) a thermopause

isn't

label pauses where they (begin/end)

begin

in which layer does the weather system have the greatest effect on living things? why?

troposphere
because all living things live in the troposphere and weather only occurs in the troposphere
Because all living things depend on water, the water cycles occurs in the troposphere

layers of the atmosphere

...

layers of the atmosphere

...