Earth Science Regents Review

Redshift

Proves the universe is expanding because light waves from distant galaxies are stretching out.

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)

Leftover radiation and heat from the Big Bang found everywhere in space.

Nuclear Fusion

The process that powers stars. It smashes Hydrogen into Helium.

Heliocentric Model

The correct solar system model where the Sun is in the center and planets orbit it.

Geocentric Model

The old, wrong model where Earth was stationary in the center.

Rotation

Earth spinning on its axis once every 24 hours.

Coriolis Effect

Curving of winds and currents due to Earth's rotation

Foucault Pendulum

A swinging weight proving Earth's rotation as the ground spins.

Revolution

Earth orbiting the Sun once every 365 days (1 year).

Constellation Changes

Earth orbits the Sun, changing our seasonal night view.

Convection Application

Earth orbits the Sun, changing our seasonal night view.

Orographic Effect

Windward sides get rising air and heavy rain, while leeward sides get sinking air and desert conditions.

Porosity Rule

If soil particles are well-sorted, particle size does not change porosity.

Internal Arrangement of Atoms

Determines a mineral's hardness, cleavage, and crystal shape.

Climate and Weathering

Warm, wet weather causes chemical rusting, while cold, wet weather triggers physical frost wedging.

V-Shaped Valley

Running water carves V-shaped valleys, leaving round and sorted sediments.

U-Shaped Valley

Carved by moving ice, leaving behind rough, unsorted sediments.

Law of Superposition

In flat rock layers, the oldest layer is always at the bottom and the youngest is at the top.

Intrusion / Fault Age

An igneous intrusion or fault line is always younger than the rock layers it cuts across.

Index Fossil Criteria

Useful index fossils must be geographically widespread but geologically short-lived.

Unconformity

A wavy line representing a gap in geological time caused by erosion.

Half-Life Consistency

Nothing can change a half-life.