Earth Science Lecture Exam 3

The primary elements composing the Sun are

Hydrogen and Helium

Which layer of the Sun lies just above the photosphere?

Chromosphere

What is the name of the Sun's outermost atmosphere?

Corona

The solar cycle, with sunspot activity waxing and waning, takes approximately how many years?

11

What phenomenon occurs when the Sun's magnetic poles reverse?

A solar maximum follows a solar minimum

The stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun into space is called

Solar wind

Why is it difficult for a spacecraft to reach the Sun?

It requires canceling Earth's orbital motion

A huge eruption of plasma from the Sun is called a

Coronal mass ejection

The Sun is roughly halfway through what phase of its lifecycle?

Main sequence phase

The Sun orbits around the center of the Milky Way approximately every

230-250 million years

Stars are born within

Nebulae

The hottest stars appear to be

Blue or White

Coolest, faintest common stars are known as

red dwarfs

The most abundant stellar type in the Milky Way is

M-type red dwarfs

Stars spend the majority of their lives on the

main sequence

massive stars end their lives as supernovae, leaving behind

neutron stars or black holes

The Hertzsprung-Russel diagram plots stars by

Luminosity versus color

Most stars are part of

Binary or multiple star systems

Sirius is notable because it represents

The brightest star visible from Earth

A stars lifespan is inversely related to its

Mass

At the very center of the Milky Way lies

A supermassive black hole

Our Solar System resides with which spiral arm?

Orion (Local) Arm

Evidence suggests our galaxy has grown by

Absorbing smaller galaxies

The Milky Way is a part of a collection known as the

Local group of galaxies

Eventually, the Milky Way is expected to

Merge with Andromeda into a larger galaxy

Edwin Hubble's contribution to astronomy was

inventing a system to classify galaxy types

Galaxies are held together mainly by

Gravity and dark matter

The Milky Way is estimated to be nearly as old as

the universe

A galaxy's central bulge is a region rich in

old stars and dense stellar populations

The Milky Way moves through space as part of

The Virgo Supercluster

Weather near the equator is in a continuous cycle fueled by

Humidity

Why doesn't sweating cool you off in the Jungle of Belize?

The air is more damp

Describe what happens to the moist warm air that rises in the tropics?

Heads north and south of the equator

What hidden world did the Space Shuttle Columbia discover under the Sahara Desert in 1981?

Mountains and river valleys

What are the mountains and river valleys evidence of?

Overtime life died

What is a haboob?

Desert storm - wind blows sand

For how many consecutive days did it rain in Bergen Norway in 1990?

83 days

What kind of climate does the massive river of warm water (known as the Gulf Stream Current) give to Britain and Ireland?

Wet and mild

What other forces make the weather so wet and mild in the British Isles?

Air masses, Surrounded by water, cold air from poles, warm air from tropics

What happened one night in the south of England in October 1987?

A hurricane struck the south of England

What happened in Accrington one night? Why

Rained apples since they were sucked up by tornado

At what elevation does weather stop? Why?

35,000 feet, Air had dried

What is the name of the portion of the atmosphere below where all our weather happens?

Troposphere

What is the name of the place where the winds are born and where is this place located?

Doldrums, 5 degrees north and south around the equator

What are the 6 wind cells constantly trying to balance?

The temperature

The Doldrums change their location throughout the year because they follow the _____________

seasons

What is the single greatest frustration in all of astronomy?

You cannot tell distances

How many constellations of the zodiac are there?

13

Which asterism is probably the easiest object in the night sky to find?

Big Dipper

How many stars can you typically see on a very dark night with a naked eye?

1500-2000

What do astronomers mean when they say our star maps are reaching their expiration dates?

The stars will be different

How long does it take light to travel from the sun to the earth?

8.3 minutes

What is the definition of a Light-Year?

6 trillion miles, distance light that travels in a year

How is the speed of light a "wonderful gift of nature"?

We can look back in time

What is the Red Shift and what is it used for?

As light goes from one galaxy to another it stretches making it shift red, used to measure distance

what is our Light Horizon and what does that imply about the size of our Universe?

A sphere 13.5 billion years ago, farthest point we can see. Universe is much bigger

What did Neil Armstrong do on July 20, 1969

Took the first step on the moon

What are some possible explanations for Lunar Transient Phenomena?

Turbulence in the atmosphere, meteors hitting moon

The light areas on the Moon are rugged, cratered Highlands known as terrae and are part of the Moon's original ________ that was shattered by the impact of meteoroids, asteroids, and comets.

crust

The darker areas on the Moon are known as Maria and are ancient _____

lava beds

How many phases of the Moon are there each month?

8 phases

Why is our Sun classified as a Yellow Dwarf?

Yellow because of the surface, and dwarf due to size

What is the name of the process that powers the Sun?

Nuclear Fusion

Below the Corona the surface of the Sun is literally boiling due to _______ within the Sun

Convection

The only time we can actually "see" the Sun's Corona from Earth is during a

total solar eclipse

Describe how our Sun will eventually die and what it will become.

Will run out of fuel, starting to burn helium and expanding to the red giant eventually engulfing every planet and shrink

How long does it take Earth to make one lap around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?

200 million years

What is one advantage of our solar system being located in the outer edge of our galaxy?

We can see beyond our galaxy

What are 4 basic galactic shapes?

Irregular, Spiral, Elliptical, and Lenticular

What is the actual shape of the Milky Way Galaxy?

Barred Spiral

What lies in the huge central bulge in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?

Black Hole

The _______ of Earth's atmosphere is a constantly changing mixture of gases, water vapor, aerosols, and ozone

composition

The atmosphere is divided into ________ based on changes in air pressure and air temperature

layers

_______ at sea level is 14.7 pounds per square inch and decreases with increasing altitude through the entire atmosphere

Air Pressure

________ in the troposphere decreases as altitude increases, according to the environmental lapse rate, which is approximately 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 feet.

Air Temperature

The troposphere is ____ as solar radiation is absorbed, transmitted, reflected and scattered

heated

______ changes in atmospheric heating and cooling(due to changes in solar radiation intensity) are caused by earth's Daytime Nighttime Cycle and vary with latitude

Daily

Monthly and yearly changes in atmospheric heating and cooling (due to changes in solar radiation intensity) are the result of Earth's changing ______

Seasons

All changes in solar radiation intensity on Earth result in ________ and ________ differences in the troposphere and the ocean.

temperature and pressure

As air in the troposphere gets ________, its density decreases and begins to rise, resulting in lower air pressure at the surface.

warmer

As air in the troposphere gets _______ its density increases and begins to sink, resulting in higher air pressure at the surface.

colder

_____ is the horizontal movement of air from areas of higher air pressure toward areas of lower air pressure

Wind

A _______ is a mass of unstable, low pressure, rising air that rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere

cyclone

An _____ is a mass of stable, high-pressure, sinking air, that rotates clockwise in the northern hemisphere

anticyclone

The _____ explains the apparent change in direction of the wind and ocean currents due to the rotation of the Earth

Coriolis Effect

Earth has a 3-cell ________ pattern in each hemisphere due to the Coriolis Effect.

wind circulation

Weather in the troposphere is a result of the circulation and interaction of large _______ along _____

Air masses along fronts

Air mass classification is based on the _____ and ______ conditions of the source region of the air mass

moisture and temperature

The _____ wind can change normal weather patterns by altering the movement of air masses

jet stream

Daily changes in air temperature can result in ________ and ________.

Sea Breezes and Land Breezes

Circulation in the troposphere due to wind, and in the ocean due to waves and currents, transfers, moderates, and balances ________ on planet Earth, which directly affects weather and climate.

heat

The _______________________ causes additional heating in the troposphere as Greenhouse Gases trap terrestrial radiation(i.e., heat) reradiated by Earth.

Greenhouse Effect

________ constantly circulates through the atmosphere forming dew, fog, clouds, and precipitation

Water Vapor

___________ is a measure of the amount of water vapor in air and is defined by how much water vapor is needed to saturate a given volume of air at a specific temperature

Relative Humidity

Dew, fog, and clouds form when air temperature decreases to the ______, allowing water vapor to condense and form water liquid

Dew Point

Air temperature can decrease by ________ or ___________

Adiabatic cooling or orographic lifting

The formation of ______ have a big influence on weather because they can warm or cool Earth's atmosphere

Clouds

A cloud is a _________ consisting of microscopic particles of liquid water and or ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere

hydrometer

Clouds are classified by ________ and _______ and include high level clouds, mid level, and low level

form and height

According to the World meteorological organization there are _____ basic types of clouds

ten