Earth Systems
List the 4 spheres.
Hydrosphere, Geosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere
Describe the structure of the Earth.
Crust (brittle, cold, outside), Lithosphere (crust + uppermost mantle, the plates), Asthenosphere (upper mantle, more ductile), Mantle (not liquid but flows, convection), Outer core (liquid, Fe and Ni, extremely high temp), Inner core (solid, Fe and Ni, extremely high temp and pressure)
Define mitigation and give an example.
Mitigation aims to PREVENT something from happening or significantly reduce the severity of it when it does happen. Climate change mitigation aims at reducing output of greenhouse gases to prevent further climate change. An earthquake can't be prevented, so mitigation techniques aren't always as useful.
What is an earthquake?
A release of energy from the crust/mantle that leads to shaking at the surface.
Earthquakes
What do we call the "sphere" that people still debate which includes all human interactions with the planet?
Anthroposphere
Compare and contrast continental and ocean crust.
Continental crust is lighter (more Si rich) thus more buoyant, so it "floats" higher. It's also typically thicker.
Oceanic crust is denser (more Fe and Mg rich) thus less buoyant, so it "floats" lower. Typically less thick.
Both are crust and can exist on the same tectonic plate.
Define adaptation and give an example.
Adaptation is adjusting to the fact something will happen and trying to find ways to live with it safely while reducing some risks. Adaptations include things like building flood walls or earthquake proof buildings.
Magnitude - 1 number, measures energy released.
Intensity - changes with distance from epicenter, measures how intense the shaking is at that location.
Both can indicate how much damage to expect.
What is turbulence and how does it relate to tsunamis?
Turbulence is the chaotic and often violent movement of water, like what occurs in a tsunami. It means the water rips up anything it passes over and throws it around.
Compare and contrast minerals and rocks. Make sure you give a complete definition of both.
Minerals are inorganic solids with a set chemical composition and structure. They are composed of elements.
Rocks are composed of minerals.
Cookie Analogy: Rocks are the cookie, minerals are the ingredients.
Compare and contrast divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries (giving specifics for each).
Divergent - Plates moving away from each other, generates new crust.
Transform - Plates moving alongside one another, shearing.
Convergent - Plates moving toward one another, either subduction occurs (oceanic plate involved), or mountain building (if both plates are continental).
Think about a hazard you might experince in Erie, what are some possible mitigations/adaptations? (This is not on the exam)
Snow - Make sure you get snow squall alerts and don't drive during them. If driving have alternate routes. Pack warm clothes, layers, and stuff to get your car unstuck just in case. Make sure your phone is fully charged so you can call for help. Have a full tank of gas. Etc.
Compare and contrast hypocenter and epicenter.
Hypocenter - The location beneath the surface where the earthquake occurs. It tells us both depth and GPS location at the surface.
Epicenter - The GPS location at the surface above where the earthquake started. Intensity is greatest near the epicenter.
What is the equation for the velocity of a tsunami wave in the ocean?
Velocity in m/s = Squareroot of (gravity (m/s2) times depth (m))
Is the ozone hole an actual hole? Explain your answer.
No, it is a thinning of the ozone due to chemical reactions with gases humans produce (they are NOT greenhouse gases!).
Its like when you wear a thin spot into the knees of your favorite jeans. Thinned but not torn.
Explain how subduction zones are responsible for certain natural hazards.
Subduction zones are a type of convergent boundary. When the crust slides past it builds up energy which can be released as earthquakes (both shallow and deep). This also may lead to tsunamis. The crust being pushed into the mantle melts, then rises to the surface and erupts forming a volcano.
Explain what can make intended mitigation and adaptation techniques less useful than intended.
Lack of education. If people don't know what sirens mean, what their evacuation route is, how to find information about the severity of the hazard, or if they aren't part of an alert system on their phones etc. then even if they have plans in place they are useless.
Compare and contrast stress and strain
Stress is the force exerted on an object (trying to bend a stick).
Strain is the deformation that results from the stress (breaking a stick in half).
Compare and contrast the amplitude and wavelength of a tsunami.
Both measure the shape of a tsunami. Amplitude is the height of waves above sea level. Wavelength is the horizontal distance between the crests (high part of waves).
Compare and contrast positive and negative feedback loops. Give an example of each.
Negative Feedback Loop - Trying to maintain equilibrium in a system. Shivering when cold, sweating when hot.
Positive Feedback Loop - Moving towards an extreme, the results pushes you further and further from equilibrium. Climate change (melting ice, decreases albedo, increases temp, melting more ice, etc.)
What types of map would you use to identify each plate boundary?
Convergent (subduction) - volcanic and seismic.
Convergent (mountain) - topographic
Divergent - geochronologic
Transform - geochronologic and topographic
Describe the specific mitigations and adaptations used in the 2011 earthquake in Japan.
Tsunami Sirens, Planned Evacuation Routes, Practicing Evacuating, Flood Walls, etc.
Describe where the safest location would be during an earthquake and why it would be so safe.
Lying down in a field of grass near no buildings or trees, far away from any water sources and mountains. Nothing can fall on you, you are already on the ground so won't fall, and no tsunami can happen.
Explain how the NOAA DART system works. Be specific.
A detector on the ocean floor monitors the pressure of the ocean around it, which tells it if the water rises or falls like with a tsunami. It then communicates with a buoy floating above and sends this information to satellites which communicate with NOAA, who can then warn countries of an impending tsunami.