Astronomy Chapter 6

 What is the basic structure of Earth’s interior?

solid iron inner core, molten iron outer core, rocky mantle, lighter rocky crust

Which is the MOST abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere?

nitrogen

What are the major layers of Earth’s atmosphere in the correct order from the surface upward?

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermospher (Ionosphere)e

Why did Earth’s earliest atmosphere, composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, NOT last long?

Hydrogen and helium are light gases, and they soon escaped into space.

Photosynthesis in plants on Earth maintains a balance between which of the two atmospheric gases?

oxygen and carbon dioxide

In its orbit around Earth, the Moon

keeps the same side toward Earth.

Why does the temperature in the stratosphere increase with increasing altitude?) 

The stratosphere is heated by solar ultraviolet radiation absorbed by the ozone layer.

The atmosphere breathed now is the _____ atmosphere Earth has had.

third

What is a mare on the Moon?

large area of darker material on the lunar surface

What effect does an increase in pressure have on the temperature at which rock melts?

An increase of pressure increases the melting temperature.

The magnetic field of Earth

is related to its rotation around its axis.

The highest tides on Earth’s oceans occur at

 

full Moon or new Moon.

What is the origin of the majority of lunar craters?

impacts by meteoric material

Ozone is a gas consisting of

molecules containing 3 oxygen atoms.

What are ozone holes?

regions of smaller-than-normal ozone concentration that appear near the poles

Earth’s magnetic field protects Earth and its inhabitants from

the solar wind, which would otherwise irradiate and damage life-forms if not deflected.

What causes the phenomenon of the aurora?

Charged particles from the magnetosphere strike atoms in the upper atmosphere, causing them to emit characteristic colors of light.

Of what material is the core of Earth composed?

80% Iron, and 20% Nickle .

What is the approximate ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere?

4 parts nitrogen to 1 part oxygen

The waves that geologists and geophysicists use to probe the inside of Earth are

seismic waves.

Where is the mantle of Earth located?

between the core and the crust

In which layer of Earth’s atmosphere is the ozone layer located?

stratosphere

The creation of the magnetic field of Earth is thought to be influenced by)

electric currents flowing in the electricity-conducting liquid core of Earth.

What is the name given to the two doughnut-shaped regions where high-energy charged particles are trapped by Earth’s magnetic field in Earth’s magnetosphere?

Van Allen belts