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Astronomy > Exam 4 > Flashcards

Exam 4 Flashcards

1
Q

_____ _____ ______ shape the surface

A

Internal tectonic forces

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2
Q

The ___ is paper thin in comparison to the rest of the earth’s structure

A

Crust

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3
Q

The inner core is ____ while the outer core is ____

A

solid, molten

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4
Q

The inner core is made up of…

A

dense nickel iron core

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5
Q

The mantle is made of…

A

dense rock

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6
Q

The crust is made up of…

A

lower density rock

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7
Q

The lithosphere is made up of…

A

rigid upper mantle and the crust

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8
Q

The “plastic” layer of mantle underneath the lithosphere is called the…

A

asthenosphere

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9
Q

Larger worlds retain the heat of _____ and radioactive decay longer

A

accretion

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10
Q

The surface/volume ratio is higher for _____ worlds

A

smaller

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11
Q

Average mass density of the planet

A

Mean mass density

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12
Q

What is the equation for mean mass density?

A

mass of planet/volume of planet

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13
Q

Used only on the earth and the moon, what can provide detailed knowledge of the inner structure?

A

Seismic waves

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14
Q

Seismic waves are usually ______ waves

A

longitudinal

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15
Q

Some characteristics of P waves are…

A

primary
fastest wave speed,
longitudinal waves,
propagates through solid or fluid

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16
Q

Some characteristics of S waves are…

A

secondary
slower wave speed
transverse waves
doesn’t propagate through fluid

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17
Q

planetary magnetic fields generated by rapid rotation, combined with a molten, electrically conducting core – some conditions within core may be inferred by presence/absence, strength of planetary magnetic field

A

planetary magnetic field strength

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18
Q

most detailed knowledge from analysis of seismic waves, outer core molten (S wave shadow zones, strong planetary magnetic field), residual heat flows from core to surface by convection currents in outer core, mantle and asthenosphere (plastic part of mantle) driving the interaction of many rigid lithospheric plates at the surface

A

Earth

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19
Q

approx. same (slightly less) size and mean density as Earth presumably with similar interior structure, however no evidence of global plate tectonics from surface landforms and virtually no magnetic field (prob. due to slow rotation)

A

Venus

20
Q

mean density indicates similar relative core to planet size as Earth, size and surface features show arrested development of plate tectonics indicating little residual heat left and very thick lithosphere; also no magnetic field indicates solid core

A

Mars

21
Q

mean density indicates extremely large nickel-iron core and little mantle, size and surface indicates little residual heat left in core. Has a partially molten core

A

Mercury

22
Q

mean density and some seismic study (made possible by the Apollo Moon program) indicates little or no nickel-iron core and 800-900 km thick lithosphere, also surface features indicate geologically dead world for over 4 billion years

A

Moon

23
Q

surface shaped mostly by action of plate tectonics and also by erosion and sedimentation

A

Earth

24
Q

unifying geological theory which explains almost all geological processes by the interaction of lithospheric plates driven by convection currents in the mantle which are in turn driven by the heat flow from the Earth’s still hot interior

A

Plate tectonics

25
Q

basaltic (low silica) lava welling up from the mantle causes seafloor spreading

A

mid oceanic ridge

26
Q

usually when continental plates split and begin to move apart, this process leads to the formation of ocean crust and a mid-oceanic ridge

A

rift valley

27
Q

one plate forced beneath another where it melts into the asthenosphere, the re-melted oceanic crust then rises to the surface producing explosive strato-volcanoes emitting more viscous (more silica) andesitic lava; this process repeated produces magma with even more silica content, eventually producing granite which makes up the continental crust

A

subduction zone

28
Q

produced by two continental plates converging, nether is subducted and a “train wreck” occurs

A

folded mountain ranges

29
Q

two plates sliding past one another (eg: San Andreas fault)

A

fault line

30
Q

radar studies of surface indicate no global plate tectonics, small “proto-continent” regions, many volcanoes scattered over most of the surface, and evenly distributed impact craters giving an estimated age of ~500 million years for the entire surface; mostly basaltic rock except near the proto-continents where the composition is more grantitic

A

Venus

31
Q

one hemisphere heavily cratered with maria similar the Moon, the other hemisphere boasts the largest shield volcano and rift valley in the entire solar system; indicates arrested development of plate tectonics, planet cooled quickly which resulted in a thick lithosphere

A

Mars

32
Q

almost all surface features derived from external impacts, however some volcanism and tectonic activity (rupes = fault cliffs) lasted past the initial intense bombardment

A

Mercury

33
Q

all surface features are the result of external impact, geologically dead for more than 4 billion years

A

Moon

34
Q

The first robust atmospheres were derived from…

A

volcanic out-gassing and icy planetesimal impacts (secondary atmospheres)

35
Q

~½ water vapor, ~½ carbon dioxide, lesser amounts of nitrogen and other volatiles make up…

A

the secondary atmospheres

36
Q

atmospheric “evaporation” due to molecular velocities achieving escape velocity

A

thermal escape

37
Q

temperature of a gas is proportional to the ___ _____ ______ ______ per molecule or atom of gas

A

mean energy of motion (kinetic energy)

38
Q

low escape velocity, high surface temp. means rapid loss of

A

planetary atmospheres

39
Q

low mass molecules/atoms lost _____ than higher mass molecules/atoms

A

faster

40
Q

planets are in radiation equilibrium, total radiated energy intercepted and absorbed from Sun = total thermal radiation (energy radiated due to temperature) lost to space by the planet

A

greenhouse effect

41
Q

greenhouse gases trap IR radiation; heated from below by surface warmth, temperatures decrease with height, convection causes “weather”

A

troposphere

42
Q

heated by UV light (Earth’s ozone layer) temperature constant or rise with height eliminating convection (no convection)

A

stratosphere

43
Q

no __ absorbing molecules = no stratosphere

A

UV

44
Q

X rays heat and ionize gases causing increasing temperature with height

A

thermosphere and ionosphere

45
Q

heated by solar UV and X rays, high speeds and long free paths (due to very low density) make this the region of greatest thermal escape

A

exosphere

Astronomy (3 decks)

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