Geosystems Core, Christopherson, Cunha, Thomsen, Birkeland. Ch 1

Jovian Planets

*Helium, Hydrogen, Ices - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune

Terrestrial Planets

*Rock & Metals: - Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars

Speed of Light

300,000 k/ms. Light year (ly) = 9.5 trillion km per year - Milky Way = 100,000 lys from side to side

Sun's electromagnetic emmission

8% UV, X-ray, gamma 47% Visible Light 45% Infrared

System

A set of of ordered, interrelated components and their attributes, linked by energy flows and matter.

dynamic equilibrium

A steady state system that demonstrates a changing trend over time. The planet wants this.

Scientific Theory

A widely accepted explanation for a phenomenon that is based on evidence and experimentation and withstood the scrutiny of the scientific community.

Sunspots

Caused by magnetic storms on the sun.

Solar Wind

Clouds of electrically charged particles emitted from the Sun (fusion)

Global net radiation

Difference between (incoming) short-wave radiation and (outgoing) long-wave radiation = net radiation.

Uneven Distribution (heat)

Earth is curved, which leads to differing sun angles and strength

Earth's orbit

Ellipse: Perihelion (closer in Jan.) Aphelion (Closer in July)

Energy from Sun

Huge mass of Sun is under enormous pressure and high temps, atoms are forced together in a process called FUSION, creating energy and light.

Earth's reference grid

Lattitude (parrales) Longitude (meridians)

MVEMJSUN

My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos: - Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune

Solar Radiation

Occupies a portion of the spectrum of all possible wavelengths of electromagnetic energy.

Scientific Method

Simple, organized steeps leading toward concrete, objective conclusions about the natural world. 1. Observations 2. Questions and Variables 3. Hypothesis 4. Testing 5. Results 6. Theory Development

Nebular Theory

Solar system condensed from a huge, slowly rotating and collapsing cloud of dust and gas - the formation of our solar system (Milky Way).

Auroras

Sometimes called Northern Lights. The interaction of the solar wind and the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere that occur towards both poles

Earth's shape

Spheroid

Geography

Study of the earth. "To write the Earth"

Subsolar Point

The only location that receives "direct" sunlight, meaning rays of sunlight that strike the surface vertically, at a 90 degree angle.

Insolation

incoming solar radiation. * Sun emits short-wave radiation - INPUT (Ultraviolet, visible, short-wave infrared) * Earth re-emits that short-wave radiation as long-wave radiation - OUTPUT (thermal infrared heat)

Solar Constant

the average insolation received at the thermopause when Earth is at its average distance from the Sun

Electromagnetic Spectrum

the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends. - Wavelength (Long or Short) - Frequency (Long or Short)