Earth and Space Science Content Review ELED 4312 Dr. Lee

Content Earth Science 1. Rocks: Three types of rocks, Rock Cycle 2. Structure of Earth: Crust of Earth, Mantle of Earth, Core of Earth 3. Sky of Earth: Atmospheric layer of Earth 4. Water Cycle Space Science 1. Solar System 2. Eight Planets in Solar System

Three Types of Rocks on Earth

1. Igneous Rock Igneous rocks are formed from molten magma or lava. All igneous rock starts deep in the earth as hot, molten magma. If the magma cools and hardens inside the earth it is called "intrusive" rock. These rocks cool slowly and have large crystals. When the magma comes out of the earth's crust through a volcano, it is called "extrusive". It cools off quickly, and the crystals that form are very small.

Igneous Rocks

2. Sedimentary Rocks When the tiny grains of dirt, sand, mud and clay settle to the bottom of the water, they are called sediment. After thousands and millions of years we end up with a really deep pile of sediment. The weight and pressure from all the stuff on top turns the sediment on the bottom into sedimentary Rock.

Sedimentary Rocks

3. Metamorphic Rock Metamorphic rocks are formed when other kinds of rocks are changed by great heat and pressure inside the earth. When igneous, sedimentary or even metamorphic rocks get buried deep beneath the surface of the earth, over millions of years the heat and pressure inside the earth change them into something else.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rock Cycle

Structure of Earth The Earth can be divided into three distinct parts; the crust, the mantle, and the core.

Crust of Earth The Crust is approximately 5 - 100 km thick and is broken into pieces.

Mantle of Earth The Mantle contains the Asthenosphere and what scientists call the Moho. The Asthenosphere is the top of the mantle on which the plates of the crust float. Its main characteristic is the property of plasticity. That means that even though it is a solid, it flows like a liquid (think of silly putty). The Moho is the boundary between the crust and the mantle. Scientists don't know alot about it but they do know it is a different type of rock.

Core of Earth The Core is made up of two parts; the Inner Core and the Outer Core. The inner core is approximately 1500 km thick and solid nickel, cobalt, and iron. It is radioactive and because of this, and the fact it is under great amounts of pressure, is extremely hot. The outer core is approximately 2000 km thick and is made mostly of Iron. It is approximately 3800 degrees Celsius.

Earthquake: P & S waves The two types of wave which travel through the planet from an earthquake are called P waves and S waves. The transverse S waves cannot travel through the liquid outer core. They can travel through the mantle because the mantle behaves more like a solid than a liquid. http://www.gcsescience.com/pwav54.htm

Sky of Earth Our atmosphere consists of layers which have different densities (densest is closest to the Earth) and different temperature regimes. These factors allow us to identify the following layers.

Atmospheric Layer of Earth The key layer for us, living on the surface of the Earth, is the troposphere. This is where all of the weather occurs, and where climate is determined. The troposphere has its warmest temperatures at the Earth's surface, and cools as you rise through it. The ozone layer extends from the top of the stratosphere into the thermosphere.

How do we classify the atmospheric Layer? Change of Temperature

The Water Cycle The Water Cycle is the path that water takes in nature. Water falls to earth as rain or snow; soaks into the ground, is absorbed by plants or flows into lakes and streams; and evaporates or is released by plants again as water vapor.

Main parts of Water cycle Evaporation (and Transpiration) Condensation Precipitation Collection

Evaporation: Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.

Condensation: Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.

Precipitation: Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore.  The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.

Collection: When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land.  When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts all over again.

Our Solar System It is our Sun and everything that travels around it. Our solar system is elliptical in shape. That means it is shaped like an egg

Solar System Eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Out!

Why was Pluto kicked out? International Astronomical Union (IAU), 2006 Pluto is Too small Different orbit from other planets Small gravity

Classification By size small planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars. The small planets have diameters less than 13000 km. giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The giant planets have diameters greater than 48000 km. The giant planets are sometimes also referred to as gas giants. By position relative to the Sun inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter forms the boundary between the inner solar system and the outer solar system.

Sizes

Mercury: Planet closest to the Sun Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. Mercury is about the same size as our Moon. It is very close to the Sun. Mercury travels around the Sun faster than any other planet. Mercury has a very thin atmosphere. Humans would not be able to live there.

Venus: Earth’s Twin Venus and Earth are almost the same size. Venus is the closest planet to Earth, but it does not have oceans or human life like Earth. Venus gets so hot during the day. Venus has very thick, rapidly spinning clouds which cover its surface. These clouds hold heat in. That is why Venus gets so hot. Venus also has volcanoes. This planet is unusual because it rotates in a direction opposite that of all of the other planets. Venus spins very slowly as it orbits the Sun.

Earth: The Water Planet Earth is the third closest planet to the Sun. It has an atmosphere made up of many different gases, but mainly it is nitrogen and oxygen. The atmosphere gives us air to breathe. We live on the planet Earth. The Earth orbits around the Sun. It takes one year to go around the Sun one complete time. The Earth also rotates, or spins, on its axis. It takes one day to spin around one complete time. The Earth's axis is not straight up and down, but tilted a little bit. This tilt is responsible for us having seasons.

Mars: The Red Planet The temperature on Mars can be very, very cold. On its warmest day, Mars can still be a very cold place. At the top and bottom of the planet are poles just like on Earth. Mars has many craters which were formed by meteorites or asteroids hitting it. Mars also has some of the tallest volcanoes and some of the deepest valleys in our solar system. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos which have unusual shapes.

Jupiter: The Largest Planet Jupiter is a large gas planet whose clouds change colors daily. This planet is made mostly of hydrogen and helium gases. Huge areas of swirling gases can be found in Jupiter's atmosphere. The largest swirling area of gas is called the Great Red Spot. Large bolts of lightning have also been seen in Jupiter's atmosphere. Pictures taken by space probes have shown thin rings around Jupiter. Jupiter has forty-eight named moons (and may have as many as 63!).

Saturn: The Ringed Planet Saturn is a very large gas planet which spins very rapidly on its axis. It spins so fast that it flattens out the top and the bottom of the planet. Saturn's atmosphere has winds which can blow at over 1800 kilometers per hour! The white spots on Saturn are believed to be powerful storms. Saturn is surrounded by over 1000 rings made of ice and dust. Some of the rings are very thin and some are very thick. Saturn has at least 35 moons. Some of these moons orbit the planet within the rings, creating gaps in the rings.

Uranus: Neptune’s Twin Uranus tilts over so far on its axis that it rotates on its side. Because of this, its poles are sometimes pointed almost directly at the Sun. Uranus' atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The temperature in the upper atmosphere is very cold. The cold methane gas is what gives Uranus its blue-green color. Uranus has eleven known rings which contain dark, boulder-sized particles. Uranus has 27 named moons. Some of these moons are less than 100 kilometers wide and black as coal.

Neptune: The Blue Planet Neptune and Uranus are very much alike. They are both large gas planets that look like big blue-green balls in the sky. Neptune has winds in its atmosphere which blow at over 2000 kilometers per hour! This planet has large, dark circles on its surface which astronomers believe to be storms. Neptune has two thick and two thin rings which surround it. Neptune also has at least 9 moons. Four of these moons orbit the planet within the rings.