...joined, from about 300 to 200 million years ago (dictionary.com). Pangaea is also sometimes referred to as the “supercontinent.” Pangaea actually means “All-Earth.” Since there was only one continent, there was only one ocean. This ocean was called Panthalassa. Panthalassa means “All sea.” It’s very similar to Pangaea’s actual meaning. Since the land was one mass, the currents would’ve been calm and slow. Pangaea had different stages and turned into new masses of land. There were...
Words: 1499 - Pages: 6
...(now seen in Permo-Triassic rocks), to decompose the vast amount of dead trees. One hypothesis as to how this happened is a possible asteroid impact. This would have sent billions of particles into the atmosphere, blocking the sun and immediately killing plants and most living organisms, triggering the fungal spike. 3. The three lines of evidence for an asteroid impact are the tiny quartz crystals marked with microscopic fractures in rocks from the time of extinction, the enormous 75-mile wide crater in Australia, and also the fungal spike - which proves the extinction of many plants due to the particle blockade of the sun. The meteorite is thought to have made impact below Australia and to be the size of 4.8 km wide. Furthermore, the effects of a meteorite impact would have been again the blockade of the sun by noxious gases, initial lowered temperatures and acid rain, and global warming from the mounting CO2 from fires and decaying organic matter after the clouds had cleared. 4. Focusing on the Earth’s systems, the meteor impact would have changed the course of Earth’s history. The Earth’s lithosphere has been scarred with tiny quartz crystals fracturing rocks that are still visible today. Furthermore, the impact itself left a huge mark through the form a crater 75 miles wide. The atmosphere would have been polluted with noxious gases, which would have also blocked out the sun. As the harmful chemicals lingered around, there...
Words: 768 - Pages: 4
...Noah Young English 1302 Ms. Ryan April 23, 2015 Dinosaurs, Volcanoes, and Meteors, Oh my! The dinosaurs, the dominant forms of life on land for 300 million years, went extinct 65 million years ago in an event known as the End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction. The event was caused by many devastating events coinciding with each other. A mass extinction is an event where many species of life go extinct at the same time from, presumably, the same causes. There have been five major mass extinctions in Earth’s history, the most devastating being the one that occurred at the end of the Permian when 80% of all life on Earth went extinct. Each of these extinctions coincided with drastic changes in Earth’s ecology. For example, the Permian extinction possibly...
Words: 1440 - Pages: 6
...In the last five hundred and forty million years, the Earth has been the host to five mass extinctions (AccessScience Editors, 2014). Mass extinctions are defined as a global event during which at least fifty percent of all species die out in a geological period of time that is too short to allow adaptation (Mass Extinction, n.d.). It is important to note that species are always going extinct, just at a much slower rate than that of a mass extinction. This slow but constant extinction is known as background extinction, and is a normal part of the Earth’s cycle which has much less of an effect on biodiversity (Kohrs, 2018). Biodiversity is an invaluable resource to humans, which makes the recent changes in the Earth system alarming because many...
Words: 1619 - Pages: 7
...攪動的 agitated 激烈的 prominences 日珥 atoms 原子 molecules 分子 solar flare 閃焰 nuclei 原子核 fusion reaction 融合反應 proton 質子 neutron 中子 positron 正電子 neutrino 微中子 ultraviolet 紫外線 infrared 紅外線 radio waves 無線電波 fuse 融合 electromagnetic 電磁波譜 comprise 包含 resemble 相似 radiant heat 輻射熱 radiant energy 輻射能 barycenter 重心 center of mass 質心 cogwheel 齒輪 lunar seas(lunar mare) 月海: Mare Frigoris(sea of cold) 冷海 Mare Imbrium(sea of showers) 雨海 Mare Serenitatis(sea of serenity) 澄海 Mare Vaporum(sea of vapors) 汽海 Mare Tranquillitatis(sea of tranquility) 靜海 Mare Crisium(sea of crises) 危海 Mare Fecunditatis(sea of Fertility) 豐海 Mare Nectaris(sea of nectar) 酒海 Mare Nubium(sea of clouds) 雲海 Mare Humorum(sea of moisture) 濕海 Oceanus Procellarum(ocean of storms) 風暴洋 lunar craters 環形山: Copernicus 哥白尼 Kepler 開普勒 Grimaldi Tycho 第谷 Clavius 克拉烏 Plato 柏拉圖 Ptolemaeus 托勒密 Langrenus Theophilus basalt 玄武岩 boulder 巨石 regolith 風化層 plain 平原 debris 碎片 asteroid impacts 小行星間的撞擊 fault scarp 斷層崖 crater chain 鏈坑 wrinkle ridge 皺脊 linear rille 月溪 solar eclipses 日蝕 partial eclipse 日偏蝕 perigee 近地點 apogee 遠地點 umbra 本影 penumbra 半影 blot out 遮 bent 彎 magnetic field 磁場 metallic...
Words: 1361 - Pages: 6
...Lecture 1 Yellow stone hot spot Great Valley Questions to consider throughout the course: Boundary layer of clay Will California fall into the sea? What regulates climate? etc. (see lecture notes) THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD Observe Generalize and/ make a hypothesis Test the hypothesis Revise hypothesis if necessary - hypothesis has to be falsify able, com Lecture 2 Electromagnetic between positive charges of the nucleus and negative charges of the electrons FUNDAMENTAL FORCES REVIEW Gravity - depends on mass and distance Electromagnetic - depends on charge, distance Strong Force - between hadrons Weak Force - between hadrons and some leptons Protons and neutrons (hardrons) are made out of smaller particles called quarks Leptons: includes electrons (mass & charge), neutrinos (mass, no charge) and their antiparticles Field particles: transmit fundamental forces Conservation Laws - Quantities conserved Energy-Mass Momentum (oriented) *Angular momentum (oriented) Charge Spin (oriented) # of Hadrons (number conserved) # of Leptons (number conserved) FORMS OF ENERGY Kinetic Potential Heat Chemical Mass Electromagnetic radiation Changes in volume When a thing is dropped and stopped by an object, electromagnetic force is overcoming the gravity force overlap of electron clouds of two objects First law of Thermodynamics Energy may be converted from one form to another, but the total must be conceived in any interactions. (Energy...
Words: 3531 - Pages: 15
...rock, and finally to clay through physical means. Mechanical weathering occurs in a variety of ways. For example, Heat and cold may cause minerals within a rock to expand and shrink at different rates, creating cracks. Water may seep into those cracks and freeze, expanding and splitting the rock. A raging river or ocean waves can smash rocks against each other, wearing the outsides smooth and turning rocks into sand. Or sand carried by the wind can act like sandpaper, slowly wearing rock away. A Glacier can rub debris against the rock beneath it, also acting like sandpaper. Even plants can force rocks to split as roots creep into cracks and grow. The second type of weathering is chemical Weathering, the breakup of rock caused by a change in its chemical makeup. Rain is the most common producer of chemicals that can weather rock. For example, Rain absorbs carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide from the atmosphere, forming carbonic acid and sulfuric acid, two liquids capable of dissolving other materials. The levels of carbonic and sulfuric acids in rain, while generally weak, can over time dissolve rock such as limestone, freeing other types of rock. Over very long periods, rain can even dissolve enough limestone to create caves and unusual rock formations. 2. Leo Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, soccer player Lionel Messi moved to Spain at the age of 13, after the FC Barcelona club agreed to pay for hormone-deficiency treatments. Messi became a star in his new...
Words: 2486 - Pages: 10
...Dinosaur extinction is still a major mystery of earth history. In this review article, extinctions in the geological record will be briefly mentioned. Many of the imaginative theories for the extinction of the dinosaurs will also be presented. Within the uniformitarian paradigm, the meteorite impact theory, once considered ‘outrageous’, now is the dominant theory. However, the volcanic theory is still believed by a majority of paleontologists. Both theories have their strengths and weaknesses. The unscientific behavior of those involved in the meteorite paradigm change will be briefly explored. Evidence that the dinosaurs died in a cataclysm of global proportions will be presented, such as the huge water-laid dinosaur graveyards found over the earth. Occasional nonspecific bone-beds and the rarity of fossils of very young dinosaurs suggest a catastrophic death and burial. The billions of dinosaur tracks recently discovered provide testimony to unusual, stressful conditions. Nests, eggs, and babies are a challenge to a Flood model, but there are enough unknowns associated with the data that solid conclusions are difficult to draw. The part that impacts and volcanism play in a Flood paradigm will be briefly discussed. The question of whether the K/T boundary and the extinction of the dinosaurs should be considered a synchronous event within the Flood will be considered. Introduction Dinosaurs bring wonder to children and adults alike. That such great beasts once roamed the earth...
Words: 16556 - Pages: 67
...Study Guide: Midterm Exam Concentrate your studies in the following areas. Questions for the Midterm Exam will come principally from this material. Lutgens and Tarbuck Textbook: Minerals (Chapter 1) * Know the definition of a mineral. a solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence * Know the basic definition of a rock. the solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth and other similar planets, exposed on the surface or underlying the soil or oceans * Know how atoms of the same element are related. Atoms of the same element must have the same number of protons which is the atomic number. What do they have in common? They all have protons * Know definitions for the following terms: valence electrons, an electron of an atom, located in the outermost shell (valence shell) of the atom, that can be transferred to or shared with another atom. An electron in one of the outer shells of an atom that can participate in forming chemical bonds with other atoms nucleus, the central and most important part of an object, movement, or group, forming the basis for its activity and growth. atom, the basic unit of a chemical element element, ion, and chemical compound. * Know the difference between ionic and covalent bonds. Ionic compounds contain a metal cation bonded to a nonmetal anion. This means that the first element in the compound's name and formula is to the left of the zig-zag line on the periodic table above. Covalent compounds contain NO...
Words: 7682 - Pages: 31
...• English/US • Answers • Store • Outreach • Media • Kids • Education • Donate • Answers in Genesis • Answers • Animals • Dinosaurs • Dinosaur Extinction • The Extinction of the Dinosaurs The Extinction of the Dinosaurs by Michael J. Oard on August 1, 1997 Share: • • • • Originally published in Journal of Creation 11, no 2 (August 1997): 137-154. Shop Now First published: TJ (now Journal of Creation) 11(2):137–154 August 1997 by Michael J. Oard Dinosaur extinction is still a major enigma of earth history. In this review article, extinctions in the geological record will be briefly mentioned. Many of the imaginative theories for the extinction of the dinosaurs will also be presented. Within the uniformitarian paradigm, the meteorite impact theory, once considered ‘outrageous’, now is the dominant theory. However, the volcanic theory is still believed by a majority of palaeontologists. Both theories have their strengths and weaknesses. The unscientific behaviour of those involved in the meteorite paradigm change will be briefly explored. Evidence that the dinosaurs died in a cataclysm of global proportions will be presented, such as the huge water-laid dinosaur graveyards found over the earth. Occasional monospecific bone-beds and the rarity of fossils of very young dinosaurs suggest a catastrophic death and burial. The billions of dinosaur tracks recently discovered provide testimony to unusual, stressful conditions. Nests, eggs, and babies...
Words: 16770 - Pages: 68
...system, but so far scientists have only discovered one place in the universe where conditions are suitable for complex life forms: Earth. In this unit, examine the unique characteristics that make our planet habitable and learn how these conditions were created. Surfaces of Mars, Moon, Venus, Earth. Source: NASA Sections: 1. Introduction 2. Many Planets, One Earth 3. Reading Geologic Records 4. Carbon Cycling and Earth's Climate 5. Testing the Thermostat: Snowball Earth 6. Atmospheric Oxygen 7. Early Life: Single-Celled Organisms 8. The Cambrian Explosion and the Diversification of Animals 9. The Age of Mammals 10. Further Reading Unit 1 : Many Planets, One Earth -1- www.learner.org 1. Introduction Earth's long history tells a story of constant environmental change and of close connections between physical and biological environments. It also demonstrates the robustness of life. Simple organisms first appeared on Earth some 3.8 billion years ago, and complex life forms emerged approximately 2 billion years ago. Life on Earth has endured through many intense stresses, including ice ages, warm episodes, high and low oxygen levels, mass extinctions, huge volcanic eruptions, and meteorite impacts. Untold numbers of species have come and gone, but life has survived even the most extreme fluxes. To understand why Earth has been so conducive to life, we need to identify key conditions that make it habitable and ask why they exist here but not on neighboring planets...
Words: 8890 - Pages: 36
...Unit 9 Assignment 1: Geology of the Area Maryland’s Geology From the Atlantic coast on the east to the Appalachian Plateau on the west, Maryland has a great variety of geology and landforms. Maryland is part of six physiographic provinces (shown in the figure below). A physiographic province is a geographic area in which the geology (including lithology and structure) and climate history have resulted in landforms that are distinctly different from adjacent areas. An overview of the geology by physiographic province is provided below. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province is underlain by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments including gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which overlaps the rocks of the eastern Piedmont along an irregular line of contact known as the Fall Zone. Eastward, this wedge of sediments thickens to more than 8,000 feet at the Atlantic coast line. Beyond this line is the Atlantic Continental Shelf Province, the submerged continuation of the Coastal Plain, which extends eastward for at least another 75 miles where the sediments attain a maximum thickness of about 40,000 feet. The sediments of the Coastal Plain dip eastward at a low angle, generally less than one degree, and range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The younger formations crop out successively to the southeast across Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. A thin layer of Quaternary gravel and sand covers the older formations throughout much of the area. Mineral...
Words: 7489 - Pages: 30
...Unit 9 Assignment 1: Geology of the Area Maryland’s Geology From the Atlantic coast on the east to the Appalachian Plateau on the west, Maryland has a great variety of geology and landforms. Maryland is part of six physiographic provinces (shown in the figure below). A physiographic province is a geographic area in which the geology (including lithology and structure) and climate history have resulted in landforms that are distinctly different from adjacent areas. An overview of the geology by physiographic province is provided below. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province is underlain by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments including gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which overlaps the rocks of the eastern Piedmont along an irregular line of contact known as the Fall Zone. Eastward, this wedge of sediments thickens to more than 8,000 feet at the Atlantic coast line. Beyond this line is the Atlantic Continental Shelf Province, the submerged continuation of the Coastal Plain, which extends eastward for at least another 75 miles where the sediments attain a maximum thickness of about 40,000 feet. The sediments of the Coastal Plain dip eastward at a low angle, generally less than one degree, and range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The younger formations crop out successively to the southeast across Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. A thin layer of Quaternary gravel and sand covers the older formations throughout much of the area. Mineral...
Words: 7488 - Pages: 30
...Springer-Verlag 2004 Abstract In 1858, two naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed natural selection as the basic mechanism responsible for the origin of new phenotypic variants and, ultimately, new species. A large body of evidence for this hypothesis was published in Darwin’s Origin of Species one year later, the appearance of which provoked other leading scientists like August Weismann to adopt and amplify Darwin’s perspective. Weismann’s neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was further elaborated, most notably in a series of books by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, Julian Huxley and others. In this article we first summarize the history of life on Earth and provide recent evidence demonstrating that Darwin’s dilemma (the apparent missing Precambrian record of life) has been resolved. Next, the historical development and structure of the “modern synthesis” is described within the context of the following topics: paleobiology and rates of evolution, mass extinctions and species selection, macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium, sexual reproduction and recombination, sexual selection and altruism, endosymbiosis and eukaryotic cell evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inheritance and molecular evolution, experimental bacterial evolution, and computer simulations (in silico evolution of digital organisms). In addition, we discuss the expansion of the modern synthesis, embracing all branches of scientific...
Words: 17126 - Pages: 69
...Study Guide: Midterm Exam Concentrate your studies in the following areas. Questions for the Midterm Exam will come principally from this material. Lutgens and Tarbuck Textbook: Minerals (Chapter 1) * Know the definition of a mineral. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance that is solid and inorganic representable by a chemical formula, usually abiogenic, and has an ordered atomic structure. It is different from a rock, which can be an aggregate of minerals or non-minerals and does not have a specific chemical composition. The exact definition of a mineral is under debate, especially with respect to the requirement a valid species be abiogenic, and to a lesser extent with regard to it having an ordered atomic structure. * Know the basic definition of a rock. * In geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids. For example, the common rock granite is a combination of the quartz, feldspar and biotite minerals. The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. * Know how atoms of the same element are related. What do they have in common? All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons in the nucleus and consequently have the same atomic number. All atoms of the same neutral element have the same number of electrons as well. Atoms of an element usually have the same number of neutrons as protons. Atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons are called isotopes...
Words: 14858 - Pages: 60
