The Universe & Stars
This process in the Sun's core combines hydrogen nuclei to form helium and releases enormous amounts of energy.
What is nuclear fusion?
The Moon phase that occurs when the Moon is located between Earth and the Sun.
What is a New Moon?
This boundary forms new ocean crust.
What is a divergent boundary?
Scientists use these waves to infer the structure of Earth's interior.
What are seismic waves?
An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide generally causes this climate effect.
What is global warming?
The evidence that galaxies are moving away from Earth is called this shift in light wavelengths.
What is redshift?
This type of eclipse occurs when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon.
What is a lunar eclipse?
The oldest oceanic crust is generally found here.
What is farthest from the mid-ocean ridge?
The densest layer of Earth is this.
What is the inner core?
The boundary between two air masses is called this.
What is a front?
This leftover radiation from the Big Bang fills the universe today.
What is the cosmic microwave background radiation?
Spring tides occur when these three celestial bodies are aligned.
What are the Sun, Earth, and Moon?
This process causes one tectonic plate to sink beneath another.
What is subduction?
Water expands when it freezes, causing this type of weathering.
What is frost wedging?
The polar front jet stream generally separates these two types of air masses.
What are warm and cold air masses?
Elements heavier than iron are primarily produced during this explosive stellar event.
What is a supernova?
Seasons are primarily caused by this characteristic of Earth.
What is Earth's axial tilt?
The evidence of magnetic reversals in ocean-floor rocks supports this theory.
What is seafloor spreading?
The movement of material by water, wind, ice, or gravity is called this.
What is erosion?
Air generally moves from areas of ____ pressure to areas of ____ pressure
According to the Big Bang Theory, the universe is currently doing this.
What is expanding?
In the Northern Hemisphere, Earth is closest to the Sun (perihelion) during this season
What is winter?
Continental crust is generally this compared to oceanic crust in terms of age.
What is older?
Thermal convection transfers matter and energy within this Earth layer.
What is the mantle?
A region of high pressure is generally associated with this type of weather.
What is fair/clear weather?
This diagram allows astronomers to compare stars based on luminosity and temperature.
What is the H-R Diagram?
The phase directly after First Quarter is this.
What is Waxing Gibbous?
Most earthquakes occur along these locations.
What are plate boundaries?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are connected through this cycle.
What is the rock cycle?
The movement of carbon among Earth's spheres is known as this cycle.
What is the carbon cycle?
A star with greater mass generally has this type of lifespan.
What is a shorter lifespan?
During a solar eclipse, describe the position of the Moon, Sun, and Earth
What is the Moon is in between the Sun and the Earth?
This layer of Earth is broken into tectonic plates.
What is the lithosphere?
The process by which sediments settle out of a transporting agent is called this.
What is deposition?
When a cold air mass advances and forces warm air upward, this type of front forms.
What is a cold front?
The most abundant element in the universe is this.
What is hydrogen?
Neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon are positioned at approximately this angle relative to Earth.
What is 90 degrees?
The theory of continental drift was put forth by this scientist
Alfred Wegener
S-waves do not travel through this layer of Earth, providing evidence that it is liquid.
What is the outer core?
This feedback occurs when melting ice reduces Earth's albedo, causing further warming.
What is a positive feedback loop?
The force responsible for keeping planets in orbit around the Sun is this.
What is gravity?
The Summer Solstice occurs when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted this way
What is toward the Sun?
Ocean trenches form at this type of plate boundary.
What is a convergent boundary?
Compared to continental crust, oceanic crust is generally this in density.
What is more dense?
Hurricanes obtain most of their energy from this.
What is warm ocean water?
Kepler's First Law states that planetary orbits have this shape.
What are ellipses?
One complete cycle of Moon phases takes approximately this many days.
What is 29.5 days?
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge separates South America and Africa. If you were to take a submarine and examine rocks from the coast of Africa all the way to South America, describe how the age would change.
Residual heat from Earth's formation and this process help power mantle convection.
What is radioactive decay?
This atmospheric gas is the most important human-influenced greenhouse gas discussed in climate models.
What is carbon dioxide (CO₂)?