Earth Science Fundamentals
This sphere of the Earth is the least dense.
What is the atmosphere?
This is the term which refers to the general type of map which connects all points of the same value with lines.
What is a field map/isomap?
This is the process by which smaller nuclei combine to form larger nuclei.
What is nuclear fusion?
This point in a planet's orbit is where it feels the greatest force of gravity from the star it orbits.
What is perihelion?
This is the main type of electromagnetic radiation that reaches the ground as incoming solar radiation.
What is light/visible light?
This property of matter determines which substance will "float" and which substance will "sink" in a mixture of fluids.
What is density?
This term describes a line which connects all temperatures in a field or region of the same value.
What is isotherm?
A collection of billions of stars that are bound together by gravity are called this.
What is a galaxy?
Keppler discovered that the orbits of the visible planets in our solar system have this shape.
What is ellipse/elliptical?
This local time is when the Sun reaches its maximum angle of insolation each day.
What is local solar noon?
This type of heat transfer involves two materials touching each other.
What is conduction?
This term describes a line that connects all air pressure values that are the same within a region or field.
What is an isobar?
This model of the universe puts the Sun at its center.
What is the heliocentric model?
This planet has a longer period of revolution than Uranus.
What is Neptune?
This is the date of the maximum angle of insolation for every point in the Southern Hemisphere.
What is December 21st?
This type of heat transfer doesn't rely on matter for heat to be moved.
What is radiation?
This type of map shows changes in elevation.
What is a contour map/ topographical map?
This phenomenon is often called a stellar nursery.
What is a nebula?
This type of motion is an apparent motion and is what happens what the Earth "laps" another planet in its orbit, like Mars.
What is retrograde?
This is the condition where the amount of insolation is equal to the energy that is being reradiated by Earth's surface.
What is radiative balance?
This property of matter refers to the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by 10C
What is specific heat?
You find this value by dividing the change in value by the number of spaces between the highest and lowest valued lines that have numbers on a map.
What is the contour interval?
The angular distance of a celestial object above the horizon is called this.
What is altitude?
This scientist provided the observations and measurements that were used to determine three laws of planetary orbits.
Who was Tyco Brahe?
Samples of these contain bubbles of ancient atmosphere which scientists can use to determine the atmospheric makeup from ages past.
What are ice cores?