ENS 112 Final Exam Study Guide

atomic structure

the arrangement of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom which determines its chemical properties and behavior.

isotopes

variations of elements according to number of neutrons

theory of plate tectonics

a scientific theory explaining the movement of the Earth's lithosphere which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath

what did charles darwin believe in

the theory of evolution through natural selection, proposing that species evolve over time due to the survival of the fittest.

what did aristotle believe

all living things have a purpose and that knowledge is gained through observation and reasoning

3 key patterns of life

diversity, unity and adaptation

fossil theory by cuvier

species can become extinct and that the fossil record shows a succession of life forms over time

how old is the earth

4 billion years old

6 recognized kingdoms

animalia, plantae, fungi, protista, archaea, bacteria

carl linnaeus and binomial nomenclature

man who said that there was 2 names for everything

biol ranks

the system used to classify living organisms, including categories such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

artificial selection

conceptual model for natural selection

kinds of evidence

direct observation, homology, fossils, biography, and biochem

tropical rainforest

most widespread forest at the equator and very diverse

fossil fuels

100-200 million years old and non-renewable

fossil fuels are a formation of

organic materials that have decomposed over millions of years, primarily from ancient plants and animals.

3 types of fossil fuels

coal, crude oil and natural gas

hubberts prediction

a theory predicting the peak of oil in the 1970’s from over fracking

OPEC

organization of petroleum exporting countries (saudi, kuwait, venezuela)

exxon valdez

an oil tanker that spilled millions of gallons of crude oil off the coast of alaska in 1989, causing significant environmental damage.

climate

the long-term patterns of temperature and precipitation in a region

weather

the short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific area

earths atmosphere composition

78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide

greenhouse gasses

gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane

solar spectrum

the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun like radio, IR, visible, UV and X-rays

antartic ice core scientific evidence

obtained from ice drilling

method and result

used to analyze past climate conditions and atmospheric composition which gives insight on climate change

proxy data

information derived from indirect measurements, such as tree rings or sediment layers, used to infer past climate conditions.

who created earth day

president nixon

3 stages of USA environment

louisiana purchase, railroads, realization about environment

president t. roosevelt

first enviormental activist president

earth being “goldilocks planet”

a term describing earth as the only known planet that can support life due to its ideal conditions, such as temperature and distance from the sun.

day after tomorrow opening scene

people drilling ice in south pole to research the ice age and get proxy data - ice cracks and guy almost falls into the ice

dr. halls theory

global warming is causing north atlantic current to slow down and northern regions will freeze over and get a lot colder