NYSSLS Earth and Space Sciences Practice Flashcards

Exactly 50 vocabulary flashcards covering the NYSSLS Earth & Space Sciences reference tables, including solar system data, stellar evolution, bedrock geology, and tectonic activity.

Mean Distance from Sun (million km)

The average distance from the Sun to a celestial object; for Earth, this value is $149.6$ million km.

Period of Revolution

The time it takes for a celestial object to complete one orbit around the Sun; Earth's period is $365.26$ days or $1$ year.

Period of Rotation at Equator

The time it takes for a celestial object to complete one rotation on its axis; for Earth, this is $23$ hours, $56$ minutes, and $4$ seconds.

Eccentricity of Orbit

A measure of how much an orbit deviates from a perfect circle, where $0$ is a perfect circle and values closer to $1$ are more elliptical.

Axial Tilt (°)

The angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis; Earth's tilt is 23.49^\regular{o}.

Outer Layer (H $\rightarrow$ He)

The initial and longest phase in a massive star's life where Hydrogen fuses into Helium, lasting $7 \times 10^6$ years.

Second Layer (He $\rightarrow$ C)

The nucleosynthesis phase where Helium fuses into Carbon, occurring over a duration of $7 \times 10^5$ years.

Fifth Layer (Si $\rightarrow$ Fe)

The shortest fusion phase in a massive star, lasting only $1$ day, where Silicon fuses into Iron.

Core Collapse

The event following the accumulation of iron in a massive star's core, occurring in just $\frac{1}{4}$ second and leading to a supernova.

Wavelength (nm)

The distance between successive peaks of a wave, measured in nanometers ($10^{-9}$ meters).

Frequency (Hz)

Measured in hertz, this is the number of waves that pass a point per second.

Ultraviolet (UV)

A region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between $10$ nm and $400$ nm and higher energy than visible light.

Visible Spectrum Range

The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to humans, spanning from $400$ nm (violet) to $700$ nm (red).

Infrared (IR)

Radiation used in thermal imaging with wavelengths from $700$ nm up to $1000$ nm and frequencies between $10^{12}$ Hz and $4.3 \times 10^{14}$ Hz.

Microwaves

A part of the spectrum with wavelengths from $1$ mm to $1$ meter, used in radar technology and cooking.

Emission Spectra

A unique pattern of bright lines at specific wavelengths that acts as a 'fingerprint' for identifying elements in stars.

H-R Diagram Horizontal Axis

Shows Surface Temperature ($K$), which decreases from left ($30,000$ K) to right ($3,000$ K).

Main Sequence

The diagonal band on an H-R diagram where stars, including the Sun, spend most of their life fusing hydrogen into helium.

White Dwarfs

Stellar remnants found in the bottom left of an H-R diagram, characterized by low luminosity and high surface temperature.

Spectral Classes

Categories of stars (O, B, A, F, G, K, M) based on surface temperature and color ranges from blue to red.

Protostars

The early stage of a star's life when gas and dust from a nebula collapse under gravity to form a new star.

Red Giant Stage

An intermediate stage where a Sun-like star expands and cools after exhausting hydrogen in its core.

Supernova

The result of a massive star's core collapse, creating a massive explosion that disperses elements into space.

Black Hole

One possible final stage for a massive star if the remaining core after a supernova is massive enough to collapse completely.

Cambrian Explosion

A significant biological event occurring in the Cambrian Period marked by a rapid increase in life diversity.

Pleistocene Epoch

The period in Earth's history known for the advance and retreat of the last continental ice in New York State.

Adirondack Region Bedrock

Area in Northern New York dominated by Precambrian (Middle Proterozoic) metamorphic rocks.

Catskill Region Bedrock

Area in Southern New York dominated by Devonian sedimentary rocks, representing the Catskill Delta.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed from the cooling and crystallization of magma ($intrusive$) or lava ($extrusive$).

Metamorphic Rocks

Existing rocks that have been transformed by intense heat and pressure.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from the compaction and cementation of sediments or the precipitation of minerals from solution.

Gypsum (G)

A mineral resource found in western New York primarily used in the construction of drywall.

Salt (S)

A resource important for road de-icing and the chemical industry, indicated by specific patterns on NYS resource maps.

Rare Earth Elements (REE)

An important group of elements found in the Adirondack region used in modern technology and electronics.

Appalachian Plateau Province

A New York geographic province characterized by high elevation and dissected plateaus, rich in coal deposits.

Continental Crust

Thicker, less dense Earth layer ($30-50$ km thick, $2.7-2.9$ $g/cm^3$) mainly composed of granitic rocks.

Oceanic Crust

Thinner, denser Earth layer ($5-15$ km thick, $3.0$ $g/cm^3$) primarily composed of basaltic rocks.

Fluid Outer Core

The liquid layer of iron and nickel responsible for generating Earth's magnetic field.

Divergent Plate Boundary

Where two tectonic plates move apart, such as at an ocean ridge where new oceanic crust is created.

Convergent Plate Boundary

Where plates move toward each other, resulting in subduction and the formation of trenches.

Spreading Rate of the East Pacific Rise

Indicated on tectonic maps as moving at a rate of $15.3-16.1$ cm/year.

Discontinuous Series

Bowen's Reaction Series sequence where minerals react with liquid to form the next (Olivine $\rightarrow$ Pyroxene $\rightarrow$ Amphibole $\rightarrow$ Biotite Mica).

Continuous Series

Describes the gradual transition of plagioclase feldspar from calcium-rich to sodium-rich compositions as magma cools.

Lithification

The process of turning sediments into solid rock through compaction and cementation.

Half-life

The time required for half of a parent radioactive isotope to decay into a stable daughter product.

Carbon-14 (C-14)

An isotope with a half-life of $5730$ years, used to date organic materials between $100$ and $70,000$ years old.

Mohs Hardness Scale

A scale ranking minerals from $1$ (Talc) to $10$ (Diamond) based on scratch resistance.

Luster

A physical property of minerals describing how they reflect light, divided into categories like metallic or non-metallic.

Hadley Cell

An atmospheric circulation cell that circulates air from the equator to 30^\regular{o} latitude.

Warm Currents

Surface ocean currents indicated on models by dashed lines, such as the Gulf Stream.