Ch. 7 Study Questions

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Grossmont College *

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110

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Geology

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Oct 30, 2023

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Ch. 7 Study Questions 1. What are the two major constituents of the Earth’s atmosphere? The two major constituents of the Earth’s atmosphere are 78% Nitrogen and 20.95% Oxygen. 2. What happened to the Earth’s first atmosphere? The Earth’s first atmosphere was mainly composed of hydrogen and helium, since they are such light gases, they were quickly heated and fled into space. This caused the first atmosphere to not last long. 3. What were the dominant gasses in the Earth’s second atmosphere? In the earth’s second atmosphere the Carbon Dioxide, water vapor and nitrogen. 4. Where did the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere come from? The oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere came from photosynthesis. Early plant life in the oceans and later on land eliminated the majority of the leftover carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by converting it to oxygen and organic molecules. 5. What are the four layers of the Earth’s atmosphere? The four layers of the Earth’s atmosphere are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, 6. About how fast do tectonic plates move around on Earth’s surface? Tectonic plates move at a slow pace, the same pace that our fingernails grow. They collide about every hundred years. 7. Where do most earthquakes occur? Most earthquakes occur at the boundaries between plate tectonic. These boundaries collide, slide or grind each other creating earthquakes. 8. What process moves the tectonic plates around? The process that moves the tectonic plates around is called Convection. The tectonic plates shift as a result of convection currents in the upper mantle's molten state. Convection currents in the planet's interior move rigid plates on the Earth's crust. When lava flows upward between separating plates in oceanic rifts, new crust forms. 9. What is the source of the Earth’s magnetic field? Electric charges that are in motion all the time are what create the magnetic field of the Earth. 10. Why is the Moon covered with craters, but the Earth is not? The Moon has craters because it has been hit by meteorites and other space junk. This is due to the Moon's absence of tectonic plates, water, and an atmosphere. Earth has 190 known craters, due to tectonic plate motion Earth has very few craters.

11. What are big dark flat regions on the Moon called? The big dark flat regions on the Moon are called Maria, from the Latin word Mare. 12. What caused most of the craters on the Moon? Most of the craters in the Moon were caused by meteorites and other space debris. 13. Where has frozen water been detected on the Moon? Radio signals that were sent to the moon in 1994 revealed that that craters close to the Moon's south pole contain frozen water. 14. What is the best theory of the origin of the Moon? The best theory of the origin of the Moon is the collision-ejection theory, also referred to as the giant impact theory. It believes that old collision in the solar system caused the formation of the moon.

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