ESCI TERM TEST

Pluto

Roman god of the underworld

Neptune

Roman god of the sea

Neptunism

The belief that all rocks formed from minerals that settled out of a vast, ancient ocean (water-based)

Plutonism

Argued that some rocks form from molten magma (beneath the Earth’s surface) through cooling and solidifying of magma

Minerals

These are the building blocks of rocks, composed of one or more chemical elemenys, nature is solid mostly inorganic

Rocks

• Composed of an aggregate of one or more minerals

• There are three types of classified according to their formation

Igneous, Metamorphic, Sedimentary

3 types of Rock-forming Minerals

Fire

Ignis in Latin means?

Igneous Rocks

• Formed when hot magma/lava cooled or solidified

• It is classified by its composition and formation.

Felsic, Intermediate, Mafic

Classification of igneous rocks (3)

Felsic Rocks

light-colored, high silica content

66%

Silica % in Felsic Rocks

Intermediate Rocks

gray-colored, medium silica content

56-65

Silica % in Intermediate Rocks

45-55

Silica % in Mafic Rocks

Mafic Rocks

dark-colored with low silica content

Intrusive and Extrusive

Types of Igneous Rocks

Intrusive

• Hardened magma formed beneath the Earth as it was trapped and started to cool slowly

Extrusive

• Hardened lava

• Cooled because of the exposure to air and water

Sedimentary Rocks

• These are made from pieces of other rocks or organic material that have been pressed together over time.

Weathering

Natural process that breaks down rocks into smaller pieces through physical, chemical, or biological means. result = sediments

Physical, chemical, and biological

Types of Weathering (3)

Physical Weathering

• Breaks rocks into smaller pieces without changing their chemical makeup (Only size and shape)

• Temperature changes, wind, and human-induced

Chemical Weathering

• Breaks rocks into smaller pieces, changing their chemical makeup

• Mineral structure and makeup

Biological Weathering

• Caused by living organisms that break or change rocks

• Can be physical or chemical

Erosion, Deposition, Compaction, Cementation

Sedimentary Process (edcc)

Erosion

The movement of broken rock pieces (sediments) From one place to another by wind, water, or gravity.

Deposition

The dropping or settling of sediments in a new
location, like in rivers, lakes, or oceans.

Compaction

The pressing of sediments together by the weight of layers above them.

Cementation

The process where minerals fill the spaces between sediments and glue them together to form solid rock.

Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

• Formed from the accumulation of clasts

Organic Sedimentary Rocks

• Formed from the accumulation of materials from living things

Chemical Sedimentary Rocks

• Form through precipitation of minerals from water

Metamorphic Rocks

• Formed from existing rocks buried beneath the Earth's surface that undergo intense heat and pressure without melting.

• Have changed texture or mineral composition

Foliated

W visible banding

Non-foliated

No visible banding

Heat

This changes the mineral structure, this also can make rocks plastic-like, allowing them to bend or deform under pressure instead of breaking.

Pressure

determines whether minerals align (foliated) or stay randomly arranged (non-foliated)

Regional and Contact

2 types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

• Caused by heat from nearby magma or lava.

• Happens in shallow depth

• Rocks get heated but not squeezed, no foliation (usually non-foliated).

Regional Metamorphism

• Caused by intense pressure and heat

• Rocks are deeply buried and squeezed from all sides.

• Often produces foliated rocks

Solubility

Refers to how much of the mineral dissolves in a given amount of solvent under specific temperature.

Melting Point

Refers to the specific temperature at which it starts to melt, that is, change from solid to liquid.

Color

It is caused by the way a mineral’s chemical composition absorb and reflect light.

Density

The mass of a substance per unit volume. It quantifies how tightly matter is packed within a material.

Specific Gravity

Ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water at a specific temperature

Georges Lemaître

The idea of the Big Bang was first proposed in 1927 by ___, a Belgian priest and physicist

Fred Hoyle

The term “Big Bang” was actually coined as a joke by British scientist _ who didn’t believe in it...

expansion

The big bang theory was not an explosion, but rather an?

Redshift

This happens when light from galaxies stretches as they move away. The light shifts toward the red part of the spectrum.

Blue

This color is shorter in wavelength (object towards)

Red

This color is longer in wavelength (object away from)

Cosmic Background Radiation

• It shows us what the universe looked like about 380,000 years after it began.

• This "first light" has been traveling through space ever since and has been stretched and cooled by the expansion of the universe.

Encounter Hypothesis

• A passing star came close to the Sun, pulling material from it, which cooled and condensed into planets.

• Tries to explain why planets are less massive than the Sun.

• Lacks strong evidence: it’s extremely unlikely for stars to pass that close.

• Doesn't explain angular momentum (why outer planets have more spin/orbit momentum).

Protoplanet Hypothesis

• A near-collision between the Sun and another star caused ejected materials to form tiny particles called planetesimals, which collided and stuck together to form planets.

• Similar to the encounter theory.

• Attempts to explain the different sizes of planets.

• Status: Largely discarded, but the term "planetesimal" is still used in modern models.

Nebular Hypothesis

Solar System formed from a large, rotating cloud of gas and dust called a nebula.

• The cloud collapsed under its own gravity, flattening into a disk.

• The center became the Sun, and remaining material formed planets, moons, and other bodies.

74

Percentage of hydrogen in the Sun

24

Percentage of helium in the Sun

Core

This is where nuclear fusion occurs, producing the Sun’s energy by converting hydrogen into helium.

Radiative Zone

Here, energy from the core moves outward slowly through radiation, taking thousands to millions of years to pass through.

Convection Zone

This is the outer layer of the Sun’s interior where hot gases rise and cooler gases sink.

Terrestrial

• Composed of rocks with a molten heavy metal core

• Have fewer moons

• Has topological features valleys, volcanoes, and crate

Jovian

• Composed primarily of hydrogen and helium

• Gaseous outer layer and liquid interiors

• Numerous moons and prominent planetary rings

Pluto

• This planet was reclassified in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) due to its small size and inability to "clear its orbit."

Must orbit the sun, spherical in shape, cleared its orbit

Criteria to become a planet

Major Axis

The longest diameter of an ellipse, passing through both foci.

Minor Axis

The shortest diameter of an ellipse, perpendicular to the major axis

Aphelion

The point in a planet’s orbit farthest from the Sun.

Perihelion

The point in a planet’s orbit closest to the Sun.

Equal Areas

• As a planet orbits the Sun, it moves faster when it's closer to the Sun and slower when it's farther.

Harmony

• The square of a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun. (This law shows that planets farther from the Sun take longer to orbit.)

Isolated, Closed, Open

3 types of Systems

Isolated

no matter or energy enters or leaves

Closed

energy enters and leaves, but material does not.

Open

both energy and matter enter and leave

Trophosphere

Clouds, rainfall, storms, and weather systems. Densest layer, rich in nitrogen,

oxygen, and water vapor, essential for life and ecosystems

Stratosphere

Less dense because less water vapor and air which is roughly a thousand times thinner. Contains a high level of ozone

Altitude increases, temperature decreases

Troposphere, altitude and temp

Hydrologic Cycle

Water evaporates, condenses into clouds, precipitates as rain or snow, and returns to the surface (Evapotranspiration)

Geosphere

This refers to all the solid parts of earth, including rocks, minerals, landforms, and the layers beneath the earth’s surface

● As we go deeper, pressure increases

Altitude increases, temperature increases

Stratosphere, altitude and temp

Thermosphere

The ISS and many low-Earth orbit satellites move through this layer. Absorbs intense solar radiation, especially X-rays and UV

Crust

Consists of 3 basic layers; crust, mantle and core This is divided into two: continental (less dense) and oceanic (denser)

Mantle

Thick semi-solid layer made mostly of rocks rich in magnesium and iron -

it makes up about 84% of earth's volume

Litosphere

Rigid outermost shell of the earth, made up pf the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle

Asthenosphere

Helps move the tectonic plates above it - This happens because of mantle

convection (hot rock rises and cool rock sinks)

Core

Inner layer of the earth’s interior, divided into two parts (Inner and Outer)

Inner Core

solid layer made mostly of iron and nickel. Extremely hot but stays solid due to intense pressure.

Outer Core

In semi-liquid state made of iron and nickel. The movement of liquid metals

here creates the Earth's magnetic field through a process called geodynamo.

Biome

Large geographic area characterized by specific climate conditions, plant

life, and animal species.

Ecosystem

System of interactions between living organisms and their non living environment in a particular area

Community

Different species of living organisms living together in the same area and interacting with each other

Population

Group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

Organism

A single living individual from any species (animal, plant, fungus, bacterium) etc.

Grassland, Aquatic, Forest, Dessert, Tundra

5 types of Biome