Unit 1: Earth's Formation & Geologic Time
The rapid diversification and evolution of living things on Earth that began the Phanerozoic Eon.
Cambrian Explosion
One (more dense) plate is forced downward, beneath another (less dense) plate.
Subduction
Moving sediments to other places (Ex: water carries sand from a beach into the ocean)
Erosion
Gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat.
Greenhouse gases
Humans have been increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the past 150 years by burning this for energy.
Fossil Fuels
Theory of how the moon formed from an impact of a Mars-sized object (Theia) and Earth.
Giant Impact Theory
The type of plant boundary where the tectonic plates are moving towards one another.
Convergent
When humans burn fossil fuels (such as coal & gasoline), what gas is released into the atmosphere?
Carbon Dioxide
The fraction of light that a surface reflects.
Albedo
The process by which thermal energy (heat) is transmitted through contact.
Conduction
The two gases that together make up 99% of the Earth's atmosphere today.
Nitrogen & Oxygen
Another name for the Earth's crust and upper mantle.
Lithosphere
The type of rock that forms from tremendous heat (but not melting) and pressure.
Metamorphic
The latitude of Earth that receives the most direct sunlight.
Equator (0°)
The type of weathering that results in rust.
Chemical weathering
The largest (longest) subdivision of the geologic time scale.
Eon (or Supereon)
What scientists study to learn about the layers of the Earth.
Earthquake (seismic) waves
The biological process that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis
The climate zone that can be described as follows:
~Latitude- between 23.5° and 66.5° North & South
~Temperature-fluctuate/seasons
~Precipitation- 2nd highest
Temperate
Bodies of water that have soaked into and saturated the porous rock and sediment in the ground. They are important for storage of freshwater; used for irrigating crops, for drinking water, etc.
Aquifers
Oxygen first entered Earth's atmosphere from these organisms.
Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae)
The layer of the Earth that has convection currents of magma.
Mantle
The process of water being released by plant leaves into the atmosphere.
Transpiration
The measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time, typically expressed in watts per square meter.
Solar Insolation
Where the majority of freshwater is found on Earth.
Glaciers/Icecaps