Origin of Universe
What is the age of the Earth and how was that number calculate?
4.6 Billion years old.
Radiometric dating of meteorites found on Earth.
Name the layers of Earths Interior
Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core
What is the Redfield ratio?
N:P = 16:1
Where is the ozone layer and why is it important?
Stratosphere
Protects from harmful UV radiation
What does SCUBA stand for?
Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
Describe the formation of the moon
Moon formed from debris left over from a collision between Earth and an astronomical body, approx 4.5 bya
Name the different types of plate boundaries and give an example of where each is found
Divergent - spreading zones ex: mid-ocean ridge
Convergent - subduction zones ex: Marianas trench, Himalayas
Transform - lateral sliding ex: San Andreas fault
How did oxygen evolve on earth?
3.5 bya cyanobacteria evolved to produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis
What are the components of earths earliest atmosphere?
Methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide, water vapor
What is the circumference and radius of earth?
Radius ~ 6000 km
Circumference ~ 40,000 km
Name and age of five important "events" in Earths history (Ex: First land plants, 430 mya)
Origin of Universe - 15 bya
Formation of Earth - 4.6 bya
Earliest Life - 3.6 bya
Free atmospheric oxygen - 2 bya
Earliest Fossils - 580 mya
Earliest man - 2-5 mya
What are the rock types and how are they related to each other? Hint: draw diagram
Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
Define residence time and give the equation
Average time an atom of an element will spend in seawater
RT = Mass/(Mass*Time)
How do Hadley cells form and circulate?
Warm air forms near equator, rises, and cools as it reaches subtropics. Circulates back to equator
Define Latitude and Longitude and name the center of each
Latitude- angular distance north or south of equator
Longitude - angular distance east or west or prime meridian
Explain solar nebular theory
The sun and solar system formed from collapse of a cloud of gas and dust. Cloud rotated slowly and centrifugal force made it into a disk with denser matter towards center. Conservation of angular momentum made it rotate quicker.
Draw the structure of the ocean floor, include relevant depths and names of important features
Continental shelf (150 m), Continental slope, Continental rise, Abyssal Plain (4500 m), Seamounts
What makes up the sediment on the ocean floor and give an example of each?
Biogenous sediment (coccolithophorids, diatoms)
Terrigenous sediment (land-derived, deep-sea clay)
Hydrogenous sediment (evaporites, manganese nodules, hydrothermal)
What are the conditions for El Nino?
Thermocline lowers, hot surface water in Pacific, trade winds stop or reverse across Pacific
Who developed the 1st accurate seagoing clock and in what century?
John Harrison in 18th century (1760)
Name and describe the three main theories of how life evolved
Surface pools - evaporation of water in shallow pools may have concentrated organic building blocks, energy supplied by UV radiation
Deep Ocean - energy supplied by hydrothermal vents
Extraterrestrial - Life on earth seeded from somewhere else in universe
Name all the plates on the Earth
North American, Pacific, Cocos, Caribbean, Nazca, South American, African, Eurasian, Arabian, Indian, Australian
Define and give an example of conservative, nutrient-limiting, and trace elements
Conservative - Major ions in seawaters, constant proportions (Na, Cl)
Nutrient limiting - Low concentrations because they are taken up by biological activity, short resident time(N, P, Si)
Trace - Mostly metals, very small quantities, found on surface (Cobalt and Lead)
Describe the greenhouse effect and the gases involved
Water vapor, CO2, NO2, CH4
Atmosphere is transparent to incoming solar radiation, but greenhouse gases absorb long wave energy and some of this energy is reradiated back to earth while some is lost to space.
What did the challenger expedition investigate? Extra 100 points: Who was the Captain and what year did it sail?
- physical conditions of deep sea
- chemical composition of seawater at all depths
- physical and chemical characteristics of seafloor
- distribution of life at all depths
Bonus: Captain C. Wyville Thompson, 1872