Astronomy Ch.7
What is the hole in the ozone layer thought to be caused by?
CFCs
Because it is a nuclear process, radioactive decay of elements occurs only in the sun
False
Earth's sky is blue because the air refracts the blue light to your eyes, like a prism
False
Global warming is a result of the destruction of the ozone layer
False
Oxygen comprises the majority of Earth's atmosphere
False
P-waves reflect from Earth's core and S-waves are transmitted through it
False
Seismic data suggest that Earth's inner core is rotating faster than the rest of the planet
False
The greenhouse effect on Earth is due to mostly to industrial pollution
False
The outer core of Earth forms a solid shell around its liquid inner core
False
The tides on Earth are largest when the Moon is at it's first and third-quarter positions
False
What is the best description of the Earth's rotation over its entire history?
It has slowed down very gradually at about .0015 seconds per century
The Dynamo Theory holds that:
Magnetic fields are generated by rapidly spinning, fluid magnetic interiors
What gas is the primary constituent of our atmosphere?
Nitrogen
Which major atmospheric component is chiefly a product of life processes?
Oxygen
Earth's magnetic field:
Prevents charged particles in the solar wind from reaching the surface
What event triggered the dramatic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration seen over the last couple of centuries?
The Industrial Revolution
Why is the sky blue?
The atmosphere scatters the light from the Sun
In noting that our world is "differentiated," we mean that:
The iron and nickel core is denser than the silicate mantle and crust
Clouds and weather do not reach the ozone layer and the ionosphere
True
Earth experiences two major tidal bulges: one on the side closest to the Moon and one on the side farthest from the Moon
True
Earth's magnetic poles do not align precisely with its rotational axis and move around noticeably over time
True
Earth's magnetosphere is significantly distorted by the solar wind
True
Ninety-nine percent of Earth's atmosphere is contained in a layer less than 30km thick
True
The region around Earth where the magnetic field traps charged particles is the:
Van Allen Radiation Belts
The presence of a magnetic field is a good indication that:
We have a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as we rotate
Which parts of the Sun's radiation are responsible for heating Earth's surface?
the visible and the infrared
In what part of our atmosphere do we live?
troposphere
Which of these gases are outgassed from our volcanic eruption?
water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide
