Western University Earth Science 1089G Midterm Study Guide
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Course
Earth Sciences 1089G (EARTHSCI1089G)
Institution
University Of Western Ontario (UWO
)
This is a full study guide for UWO's Earth Science 1089G midterm exam. Topics covered: stories of creation, the Earth system, minerals, gemstones and jewellery, types of rocks, and fossils.
ES1089G Midterm Review
Week 1 Lecture 1: Stories of Creation
1. How Does Geology Inspire Art?
a. Materials used as media for art (ex. Clay, pigments)
b. Aesthetics of natural features inspire art
2. What is Geology? What are the 2 Mains Areas of Geology?
a. Study of the Earth
i. Physical Geology – materials and processes of Earth
ii. Historical Geology – how Earth formed and evolved
3. Ancient versus Modern Views of Creation
a. Creation stories in all cultures, similar themes
b. Science lead to more objective approach, disconnects us from
“belonging to something bigger” that myths provide
c. The actual story of how the universe formed is not clear
4. What is the Big Bang Theory?
a. Universe initially existed as singularity (point at which all laws of the
universe break down, no volume, infinite mass/density)
b. Explosion around 13-15 billion years ago, mass expansion
i. Cooling of universe, photons of light eventually forming
subatomic particles (electrons, protons, neutrons)
5. What are the 3 pieces of evidence to support the Big Bang Theory?
a. Doppler Effect
i. Galaxies appear to move away from us, distance that light
travels longer, waves of light “red-shift”
b. Cosmic Background Radiation
i. Universe is not static (expanding), background radiation at
every point w/ same intensity
ii. Temperature of universe is 2.7 degrees higher than for static
c. Abundance of Light Elements (H and He)
i. Match predictions of how matter forms from Big Bang
ii. H undergoes fusion into He, Li also formed
6. How did the galaxies start to form?
a. Intersections of light gases, formed galaxies with nebula that produce
stars (ex. Milky Way)
7. How do stars form the elements of the universe?
a. Very large stars produce heavy elements from the light elements (H
and He)
b. Supernova (exploding stars) scatter light and heavy elements, material
is gathered again and exploded
, i. After at least 2 supernovae, form nebula that contained the Sun
(3rd generation star)
8. How did the Solar System form?
a. Material concentrated in the centre of solar nebula to form Sun
b. Dust and gas collided and accreted into planetesimals, protoplanets,
then planets (terrestrial and gas giants)
9. How did the Earth evolve to establish life?
a. Early Earth very violent, collisions with other bodies
i. Primitive atmosphere of H and He, burned off by solar winds
b. Around 4 billion years collisions slowed
i. Secondary atmosphere of CO2 and H2O from volcanoes (big
burp)
c. Microbes appeared around 3.5 billion years, photosynthesis produced
O2 and glucose from CO2 and H2O
i. Tertiary atmosphere O2-rich due to life forming
10.What are the Common Themes b/w Modern Science and Creation Stories?
a. Universe originally w/o form – singularity
i. Universe was either chaos or confined to “egg”
b. Energy lead to physical universe – matter from energy (E = mc2)
i. Energy as a spirit created matter
c. Energy and matter becoming distinct
i. Parts of universe separated into realms (ex. Heaven and Earth)
d. Land and seas were eventually established
i. Land created to separate waters
Week 1 Lecture 2: The Earth System
1. What is the Goldilocks Zone?
a. Distance from the Sun at which liquid water exists
b. Earth is at this position in Solar System, only planet known to have
complex life exist
2. What are the 2 types of planets in the Solar System?
a. Terrestrial: inner 4 planets from Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars)
i. Small, rocky, thin atmospheres
ii. Close to Sun, solar winds blew off volatile gases (and small
size = low gravitational pull on them to prevent this)
b. Jovian/Gas Giant: outer 4 planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
i. Larger, gaseous, thick atmospheres
ii. Distant from Sun, volatile gases remained (and large size =
strong gravitational pull on them)
3. How does Earth’s Position from the Sun Differ from Venus or Mars?
, a. If Earth occupied the orbit of Venus:
i. More solar radiation, increased temperature
ii. More water vapor into atmosphere (melting/heating ice and
water), CO2 trapped by water vapor for greenhouse effect,
further temp increase
iii. Photosynthesizing organisms would die at extreme temps, CO2
accumulates in atmosphere, runaway greenhouse effect
b. If Earth occupied the orbit of Mars:
i. Decrease in incoming solar energy, freezing of water, less water
vapor in atmosphere
No greenhouse effect, decrease in temperature
ii. Surface reflectivity increase, less light energy absorbed to heat
planet, further temperature decrease (up to ice)
4. What are the 4 spheres of the Earth and what do they consist of?
a. Geosphere: solid Earth and interior layers
b. Atmosphere: gas envelope around Earth, boundary b/w Earth and
space
c. Hydrosphere: all water on Earth
d. Biosphere: all life on Earth (organisms and matter not yet
decomposed)
i. All 4 influence each other (ex. Volcano)
ii. Landscape paintings and photos include all 4
5. What is a closed system? How is this different from open/isolated?
a. Energy can be exchanged, but matter cannot
i. Earth is not a perfectly closed system (ex. Meteors, Satellites)
b. Open systems have free exchange of energy and matter
c. Isolated systems have NO exchange of energy or matter
6. “The Underworld”
a. Most of geosphere is unknown, the interior is mainly inferred
b. Increasing temp toward the core, concept of “hell” and myths of an
“Underworld” developed
i. Belief of hollow interior with civilizations down there, based on
fossils (Ex. Journey to the Center of the Earth)
7. What is the scientific perspective of Earth’s interior?
a. Believed to not be hollow, use seismic waves and geo evidence
b. Solid Earth (geosphere) divided into “shells” (classified by chemical
or physical properties)
8. What are the shells based on chemical composition?
a. Crust: lighter metals (Na, K)
b. Mantle: silica, Mg, Fe
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