Earth Science Quiz

Exam 1 Study Guide

• The exam format is true/false and multiple choice, using a Scantron.
• All material will come directly from class presentations.
• Students should ensure they understand the presented material thoroughly.
• A supplementary guide is included in the document, outlining key concepts.
• In-depth questions regarding the following topics can be expected:
  • The age of the Big Bang, Earth, Solar System, and Universe.
  • Heliocentric vs. Geocentric concepts.
  • Chondrites.
  • Journey to the center of the Earth (observations).
  • Composition and Density of Earth layers.
  • Structure of the atmosphere with respect to density.
  • Stress vs. Strain.
  • Types of stresses.
  • Population of Earth and related issues.
  • Crust, mantle, core (Oceanic vs. Continental; Lithosphere vs. Asthenosphere).
  • Plate motion, rates, and ages.
  • Formation and destruction of crust.
  • Various tectonic plate boundaries.
  • Concept of the Rock Cycle.
  • Hot Spots.
  • Seafloor spreading.
  • Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics (evidence).
  • Review the provided website for effective study strategies: https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/.

Exam 1 Extended Study Guide

• How do we know Earth spins?
  • Foucault's Pendulum: A freely swinging pendulum's apparent direction changes due to Earth's rotation.
  • Coriolis Effect: Fluids (air & water) curve due to Earth's rotation.
• Geocentric vs. Heliocentric Views of the Solar System
  • Geocentric: Proposed by ancient Greeks, Earth-centered model (refined by Ptolemy). Everything (sun, moon, planets) orbits Earth. Had problems explaining retrograde motion.
  • Heliocentric: Presented by Copernicus and confirmed by Galileo. Sun-centered model. Planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths (Kepler).
• Ptolemy: Developed the Geocentric model using epicycles.
• Eratosthenes: Estimated Earth's circumference using angles of sunlight in different locations.
• Distances to Celestial Bodies (Moon, Sun, Stars): Methods include parallax and triangulation, used to calculate distances.
• Doppler Effect in Light and Sound:
  • Doppler Effect in Sound: Sound waves are compressed when an object approaches and stretched when it moves away, thus changing pitch.
  • Doppler Shift in Light: Light waves stretch when an object moves away (redshift) and compress when it moves toward (blueshift) us.
• Expanding Universe Theory and Hubble's Law: Hubble discovered that the farther a galaxy is, the faster it moves away from us, supporting the expansion of the universe from a tiny point of origin.
• Big Bang Theory: The universe originated as an extremely hot, dense point billions of years ago and has been expanding ever since. Supporting evidence includes redshift of galaxies and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).
• Age of the Universe: Estimated to be about 13.8 billion years old, determined in part from observations of the oldest stars and star clusters.
• Nucleosynthesis: Formation of hydrogen and helium in the early universe.
• Timing and theories of galaxy, solar system, and Earth formation: Relevant theories and current views regarding galaxy, solar system, and Earth formation presented in a table.
• Earth's layers: Composition, density, and thickness of the crust, mantle, and core are compared.
• Heat Source: Accretion and radioactive decay release heat.
• Differentiation of Earth: Heavy elements (iron, nickel) sank to form the core, while lighter elements formed the mantle and crust. This process is called differentiation.
• Early Atmosphere: Developed through volcanic outgassing and oxygen revolution (a critical shift).
• Bulk Composition of Earth (elemental): Describes the relative abundance of elements that make up the Earth.
• Meteorite studies: Data gathered from meteorite studies helps us determine the composition of early Earth.
• Development of Earth's oceans: Explains the timing and the sources that formed present oceans.
• Population Growth through time: The growth of the human population through history.
• Earth's magnetic field and Van Allen belts: Explains Earth's magnetic field, its origin and how it protects the planet from harmful particles from the sun.
• Current atmospheric composition: Describes the percentages and composition of gases present in the atmosphere today.
• Plate Tectonics and Continental Drift Hypothesis: Outlines the theory of plate tectonics, the hypothesis presented by Wegener concerning continental drift, evidence for the theory, and problems with the theory.
• Stress, Strain, and types of stress and strain.
• Mechanisms of plate movement: Explains the mechanisms behind plate movement. Lists the types of plate boundaries (convergent, divergent, transform), and associated features like earthquakes and volcanic zones.
• Seafloor topography: Describes the prominent features of the ocean floor.
• Seafloor spreading: This theory describes how new oceanic crust is generated and how old crust is recycled.
• Paleomagnetism and reversals: Describes how magnetic stripes on the ocean floor record Earth's past magnetic field reversals.