Rocky Planets & Spheres
This term describes planets that have a solid surface, such as Earth or Mars.
What is a rocky planet?
A long, narrow groove on a planet’s surface, possibly formed by flowing water or lava.
What is a channel?
Scientists use these when direct observation is difficult, to make predictions and test ideas.
What are models?
The process by which water evaporates, condenses, precipitates, and returns via runoff.
What is the hydrologic cycle?
A planet that has the conditions necessary to support life is said to be this.
What does habitable mean?
One of the 4 spheres making up Earth and other rocky planets, this one is all about air(gases)
What is the atmosphere?
These features on different rocky planets, when similar, suggest similar underlying geologic processes.
What are landforms and rock types?
A model that accurately predicts features of a real phenomenon allows scientists to do this.
What is test ideas?
These two forces drive the hydrologic cycle.
What are energy from the sun and gravity?
One planet besides Earth that is a focus for searching for signs of past habitability.
What is Mars?
The sphere of a planet that includes all solid parts such as rocks, soil and the crust
What is geosphere?
On Mars, these are frozen at the poles and provide evidence of water.
What is water ice?
For scientific claims to be tested using a model, the model must be ______ enough to the real process.
What is similar enough?
On Mars, only this form of water exists at the poles today.
What is ice or frozen water?
Scientists compare what of other rocky planets to Earth to determine habitability?
What are spheres and landforms?
These two spheres interact when water evaporates and then precipitates back down
What are the hydrosphere and atmosphere?
When examining images of Mars and Earth, scientists compare these to decide whether features were formed by water or lava.
What are landforms formed by flowing water and flowing lava
This is the method by which scientists compare landforms or rock types across planets to gather evidence.
What is comparing observational evidence?
Scientists look for evidence that this existed in the past to assess Mars’s past habitability.
What is liquid water?
Evidence of this at the Martian poles suggests that Mars had water in some form.
What is ice or frozen water?
All four spheres: geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and this one, which includes living things.
What is the biosphere?
Even after the geologic process that formed a landform stops, this remains in the geosphere and gives clues about the past.
What is the landform evidence of what formed it?
When a model is valid, it helps with both predictions and understanding processes that are ______ to observe directly.
What is too difficult or impossible to observe directly?
When water flows on Earth, it shapes land in certain ways; scientists look for similar features on Mars to infer this process in the past.
What is erosion by flowing water?
Even though Mars is dry now, scientists believe it may have once had bodies of liquid water based on these features.
What are channels / landforms that resemble water‐formed ones?