ESCI Study Guide

Hydrosphere

Lithosphere/Geosphere

Biosphere

Atmosphere

Exosphere

Anthrosphere

Cryosphere

What powers the spheres of the earth systems, and what is the only exception?

What is systems thinking?

Cycles

Forcings

Feedbacks

Forcing mechanisms

Storage sinks

What is Earth Systems Science and why is it important?

What are the layers of the atmosphere, in order of closest to furthest from the surface?

Troposphere

Stratosphere

Mesosphere

Thermosphere

Dynamic equilibrium

Casual loops

Tipping point

Feedback loops

What is James Hutton known for?

Uniformitarianism

Relative Dating

Principle of Superposition

Principal of faunal succession

Principal of original horizontality

Principle of lateral continuity

Principal of cross-cutting relationships

Principal of inclusions

What is an unconformity and what are the 3 types?

Angular unconformity

Nonconformity

Disconformity

Index fossils

What does the age of a rock mean?

What is climate vulnerability and what are the four major factors?

How much of the earth’s water is salt water versus fresh water?

How is the earth’s fresh water distributed

What are the three ways that streams transport sediment?

How is the discharge of a stream calculated?

What contributes to a stream’s flow?

What does it mean for a stream to downcut?

What is a stream gradation

What is hydrolic sorting? What is the most significant factor influencing hydrolic sorting

Meandering Stream

Braided Stream

What are the four types of time spans in geologic time, from longest to shortest?

When was the Cambrean period, and why was it significant?

What is a flood? What are the major causes?

How is flood severity measured?

What is a recurrent interval in reference to flooding? How is it calculated?

What is snowball earth? When were they?

What are Striations?

What are the three types of glacial sedimentary rocks?

Describe a dropstone

What are some significant points in geologic time, and what happened during them?

End of the Proterozoic = first appearance of creatures with hard parts

What are the layers of the earth, and why is each of them significant?

What is radiation?

The transfer of energy through space by electromagnetic waves

What are spatial scales of measurement?

What are temporal scales of measurement?

What is an isotope?

What is an eluvial fan?

What is a delta?

What is rejuvenation?

What are the types of streams?