Astronomy
What are the 2 major pieces of evidence for the Big Bang Theory?
the redshift and cosmic background radiation
S waves cannot go through it
Velocity slows down in that layer
Why does it always rain at fronts?
Warm air is forced up into the atmosphere, cools, condenses, and rains.
Describe what a cost benefit analysis is.
pros and cons list for a certain human activity
Finish this statement:
The farther away a planet is, the _______ its period of revolution will be.
Longer
What are the 3 terms for matter accumulating to create a moon, planet or star?
Snowball, coalesce, accretion
If the soil is not packed, not frozen, and has vegetation; describe the effect on run off and infiltration.
run off decreases
infiltration increases
Why do winds deflect to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere?
Corriolis Effect
List 2 mitigation strategies to fight climate change.
reduce deforestation / reforestation
stop/reduce burning fossil fuels
regulations, laws, policy changes
What is Hubble's Law?
the farther away a galaxy is
the faster is it moving and
the further red shifted it will be
Describe why convection currents move in circular movements AND 3 types of plate boundaries.
Temp and density differences
Convergent, divergent, and transform
How does the temperature of lava/magma influence the size of crystals grown in Igneous rocks?
Cooling rate! The longer the have to cool, the larger the crystals will be.
When looking at a weather station model, how can you tell if it is going to rain using quantitative data?
When dewpoint temp = air temp
Explain how burning fossil fuels contributes to increasing global temperatures AND explain how it effects an earth system.
burning fossil fuels releases CO2 into atmosphere and that traps more heat
leads to melting of ice, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, destroying habitats, reduced biodiversity, etc
Describe the relationship between distance, gravity, and velocity with regards to planetary motion.
the closer the planet is to the sun, the more gravity it has and the faster it's moving
If a meteorite is found to have 50% Uranium-238 and 50% Lead-206, how old is the sample AND why is that significant to learning more about our Earth?
4.5 billion years old
Same age of our Earth
The pacific plate is moving NW over a hot spot/mantle plume.
List 3 characteristics of LOW and HIGH pressure systems.
High - cool dry nice
Explain how a drought can be an example of a positive feedback mechanism, specifically regarding the hydrologic cycle.
less rain, less evaporation, less condensation, less precipitation.
drought just gets drier and drier
Describe the 3 factors that affect the Milankovitch cycles.
Eccentricity - shape of orbit
Obliquity - tilt
Precession - wobble
List at least 3 reasons why the evolution of photosynthetic organisms changed the world.
Lowered greenhouse gases, lowered temp
Created ozone layer
Created liquid water
Allowed for more complex organisms to evolve
Explain how increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can lead to ocean acidification.
If there is more CO2 in the atmosphere, more CO2 enters the ocean through diffusion and run off, leading to carbonic acid and decreased pH.
If there is more obliquity, how will that effect summer and winter AND why?
warmer summer and cooler winters
more tilt, more extreme seasons
Explain how deforestation can contribute to increasing global temperatures
AND
Describe how deforestation can effect the hydrosphere
deforestation reduces carbon sequestration by reducing photosynthesis. it leaves more CO2 in the atmosphere, trapping more heat
less trees - ecosystem instability, decreased infiltration, increased run off, increase W&E