8: Earth as a Planet

Question 1

a force of 100,000 Newtons acting on a surface area of 1 square meter - the average pressure of Earth’s atmosphere at sea level is 1.013 _s

Answer 1

bar

Question 2

igneous rock produced by the cooling of lava - makes up most of Earth’s oceanic crust and is found on other planets that have experienced extensive volcanic activity

Answer 2

basalt

Question 3

movement caused within a gas or liquid by the tendency of hotter, and therefore less dense material, to rise and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat

Answer 3

convection

Question 4

the central part of the planet - consists of higher density material

Answer 4

core

Question 5

the outer layer of a terrestrial planet

Answer 5

crust

Question 6

in geology, a crack or break in the crust of a planet along which slippage or movement can take place, accompanied by seismic activity

Answer 6

fault

Question 7

a type of igneous silicate rock that makes up most of Earth’s continental crust

Answer 7

granite

Question 8

the blanketing (absorption) of infrared radiation near the surface of a planet - for example, by CO2 in its atmosphere

Answer 8

greenhouse effect

Question 9

a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range - on Earth, these atmospheric gases primarily include carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor

Answer 9

greenhouse gas

Question 10

rock produced by cooling from a molten state

Answer 10

igneous rock

Question 11

the region around a planet in which its intrinsic magnetic field dominates the interplanetary field carried by the solar wind; hence, the region within which charged particles can be trapped by the planetary magnetic field

Answer 11

magnetosphere

Question 12

the largest part of Earth’s interior - lies between the crust and the core

Answer 12

mantle

Question 13

the sudden disappearance in the fossil record of a large number of species of life, to be replaced by fossils of new species in subsequent layers - indicators of catastrophic changes in the environment, such as might be produced by a large impact on Earth

Answer 13

mass extinction

Question 14

rock produced by physical and chemical alteration (without melting) under high temperature and pressure

Answer 14

metamorphic rock

Question 15

(O3) a heavy molecule of oxygen that contains three atoms rather than the more normal two

Answer 15

ozone

Question 16

a complex sequence of chemical reactions through which some living things can use sunlight to manufacture products that store energy (such as carbohydrates), releasing oxygen as one by-product

Answer 16

photosynthesis

Question 17

the motion of segments or plates of the outer layer of a planet over the underlying mantle

Answer 17

plate tectonics

Question 18

rock that has not experienced great heat or pressure and therefore remains representative of the original condensed materials from the solar nebula

Answer 18

primitive rock

Question 19

in geology, a place where the crust is being torn apart by internal forces generally associated with the injection of new material from the mantle and with the slow separation of tectonic plates

Answer 19

rift zone

Question 20

rock formed by the deposition and cementing of fine grains of material, such as pieces of igneous rock or the shells of living things

Answer 20

sedimentary rock

Question 21

a vibration that travels through the interior of Earth or any other object - on Earth, these are generally caused by earthquakes

Answer 21

seismic wave

Question 22

the layer of Earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere and below the ionosphere

Answer 22

stratosphere

Question 23

the sideways and downward movement of the edge of a plate of Earth’s crust into the mantle beneath another plate

Answer 23

subduction

Question 24

the lowest level of Earth’s atmosphere, where most weather takes place

Answer 24

troposphere

Question 25

a place where material from a planet’s mantle erupts on its surface

Answer 25

volcano

Question 26

outward flow from the hot surface of the sun, sending charged particles that get caught in Earth’s magnetosphere

Answer 26

solar wind

Question 27

the study of Earth’s crust and the processes that have shaped its surface throughout history

Answer 27

geology

Question 28

term for materials that evaporate at a relatively low temperature

Answer 28

volatile

Question 29

term used to refer to the effects of the atmosphere that last through decades and centuries

Answer 29

climate

Question 30

study of the coevolution of life and our planet

Answer 30

astrobiology

Question 31

the study of the genetic code that is shared by all life on Earth

Answer 31

genomics