Download Earth and Space_Science

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
Three Types
of Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rock
Metamorphic Rock
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 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 a lot 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 is extremely extremely hot and great
amounts of pressure.
• The outer core is approximately 2000 km thick
and is made mostly of Iron. It is approximately
3800 degrees Celsius.
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.
Milky Way Galaxy
• The Milky Way is the
galaxy which is the
home of our Solar
System together with
at least 200 billion
other stars and their
planets, and
thousands of clusters
and nebulae.
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.