Oceanography 100 Midterm/Final Study Guide Exam
Questions and Answers
When did the Big Bang happen? - -13.8 Ga (billion years)
-What was present before our universe? - -Heat + light (photons) - energy
-What elements were first created? - -Hydrogen (H), helium (He), Lithium (Li), Boron (B),
Beryllium (Be)
-stellar nucleosynthesis (second phase) - -As stars collided, they created elements 6-26
(carbon-c through iron-Fe)
-supernovae nucleosynthesis (third phase) - -Came out several 100 or millions of years
after the Big Bang when stars collapsed to create supernova which then created the rest of
the elements from the chaos (created the sun)
-When did the sun form? - -During supernovae nucleosynthesis, 4.7 Ga
-When did the Earth form? - -Right after the sun, 4.56 Ga
-Evidence for the Big Bang Theory - -The red shift is what is used to prove the Big Bang
Theory, as the color red means that things are moving away from us. This proved that since
the universe is expanding, at some point everything must've been compacted into one place
(singularity), and therefore the Big Bang shoved everything out and it is still moving away
today
-Formation of our Earth - -When the sun was formed, it started to spin rapidly while
spewing out materials. The gravity from the sun collected these materials and created early
Earth which was made of a mass of cosmic debris while being molten (the Earth has been
in motion since creation)
-How old is the Earth? - -4.56 Ga
-How did the moon form? - -The moon was formed when a Mar-sized planet (Theia)
collided with Earth, sending debris into space where it was caught by gravity, forming the
moon
-Early Earth vs. Earth now - -The atmosphere was primitive (didn't have oxygen), it was
hot, the Earth was chaotic, and there was no life. There was a ton of bombardment and no
ocean. Now, we have a regulated climate, we are not regularly bombarded, we sustain life,
and our atmosphere is equaled.
-Origin of our atmosphere - -Was formed through carbon dioxide and other elements that
were spewing out of the volcanoes, creating a toxic atmosphere. After a couple of million
, years, bacteria appeared in the early oceans and started to transform our atmosphere into
one that could sustain life.
-Origin of Earth's oceans - -Proto-Earth: 4.56 Ga-4.4 Ga
- Had an early ocean (most likely) but it doesn't exist anymore because a mar-sized planet
smashed into Earth (which created the moon), obliterating the ocean
- This caused the Earth to remelt
Sem-Modern Earth (Early Earth)
- Bombarded by many meteorites, comets, and meteors (the bombardment phase)
- For 400 million years, Earth was cooling down
- After this, enough outgassing had occurred to create some semblance of an ocean
- 4 BILLION YEARS AGO WE HAVE AN EARLY OCEAN
-The relative location of Earth's layers - -Inner core- very center of the Earth
Outer core- the outer layer of the core where liquid iron is slowly moving
Mantle- middle of the Earth (3200 km)
Crust- outer layer of the Earth
FROM THE INNER CORE TO THE CRUST IT IS 6600 KM
-Behavior of Earth's layers - -Inner core: solid from pressure, very hot
Outer core: liquidish, very hot
Mantle: solidish, brididite (contains liquids, solids, and gases)
Crust: SOLID, BRITTLE, COLD (0-100 km) + contains continental lithosphere and oceanic
lithosphere
-Compositions of rock layers - -Inner core: 95% iron (Fe), 5% Ni, alloys, etc
Outer core: iron
Mantle: Mg, Si, O, and light Fe
Crust: O, Si, Mg (small amount), Fe (2-3%)
-Rock types for Earth's layers - -Mantle-Basalt
Crust-Granite
-State of the layers - -Inner core: solid
Outer core: liquidish
Mantle: solidish
Crust: solid, brittle, cold
-Use of seismic waves to aid in the determination of Earth's layers - -We used seismic
waves due to which materials these waves could travel through. By seeing what materials
they penetrated, we could determine what our layers were made of
-Behaviors of P and S waves - -P waves are primary waves; move through solids, liquids,
and gases underwater.
S waves are slower and are secondary waves; only can travel through solids (S = SOLIDS)
Questions and Answers
When did the Big Bang happen? - -13.8 Ga (billion years)
-What was present before our universe? - -Heat + light (photons) - energy
-What elements were first created? - -Hydrogen (H), helium (He), Lithium (Li), Boron (B),
Beryllium (Be)
-stellar nucleosynthesis (second phase) - -As stars collided, they created elements 6-26
(carbon-c through iron-Fe)
-supernovae nucleosynthesis (third phase) - -Came out several 100 or millions of years
after the Big Bang when stars collapsed to create supernova which then created the rest of
the elements from the chaos (created the sun)
-When did the sun form? - -During supernovae nucleosynthesis, 4.7 Ga
-When did the Earth form? - -Right after the sun, 4.56 Ga
-Evidence for the Big Bang Theory - -The red shift is what is used to prove the Big Bang
Theory, as the color red means that things are moving away from us. This proved that since
the universe is expanding, at some point everything must've been compacted into one place
(singularity), and therefore the Big Bang shoved everything out and it is still moving away
today
-Formation of our Earth - -When the sun was formed, it started to spin rapidly while
spewing out materials. The gravity from the sun collected these materials and created early
Earth which was made of a mass of cosmic debris while being molten (the Earth has been
in motion since creation)
-How old is the Earth? - -4.56 Ga
-How did the moon form? - -The moon was formed when a Mar-sized planet (Theia)
collided with Earth, sending debris into space where it was caught by gravity, forming the
moon
-Early Earth vs. Earth now - -The atmosphere was primitive (didn't have oxygen), it was
hot, the Earth was chaotic, and there was no life. There was a ton of bombardment and no
ocean. Now, we have a regulated climate, we are not regularly bombarded, we sustain life,
and our atmosphere is equaled.
-Origin of our atmosphere - -Was formed through carbon dioxide and other elements that
were spewing out of the volcanoes, creating a toxic atmosphere. After a couple of million
, years, bacteria appeared in the early oceans and started to transform our atmosphere into
one that could sustain life.
-Origin of Earth's oceans - -Proto-Earth: 4.56 Ga-4.4 Ga
- Had an early ocean (most likely) but it doesn't exist anymore because a mar-sized planet
smashed into Earth (which created the moon), obliterating the ocean
- This caused the Earth to remelt
Sem-Modern Earth (Early Earth)
- Bombarded by many meteorites, comets, and meteors (the bombardment phase)
- For 400 million years, Earth was cooling down
- After this, enough outgassing had occurred to create some semblance of an ocean
- 4 BILLION YEARS AGO WE HAVE AN EARLY OCEAN
-The relative location of Earth's layers - -Inner core- very center of the Earth
Outer core- the outer layer of the core where liquid iron is slowly moving
Mantle- middle of the Earth (3200 km)
Crust- outer layer of the Earth
FROM THE INNER CORE TO THE CRUST IT IS 6600 KM
-Behavior of Earth's layers - -Inner core: solid from pressure, very hot
Outer core: liquidish, very hot
Mantle: solidish, brididite (contains liquids, solids, and gases)
Crust: SOLID, BRITTLE, COLD (0-100 km) + contains continental lithosphere and oceanic
lithosphere
-Compositions of rock layers - -Inner core: 95% iron (Fe), 5% Ni, alloys, etc
Outer core: iron
Mantle: Mg, Si, O, and light Fe
Crust: O, Si, Mg (small amount), Fe (2-3%)
-Rock types for Earth's layers - -Mantle-Basalt
Crust-Granite
-State of the layers - -Inner core: solid
Outer core: liquidish
Mantle: solidish
Crust: solid, brittle, cold
-Use of seismic waves to aid in the determination of Earth's layers - -We used seismic
waves due to which materials these waves could travel through. By seeing what materials
they penetrated, we could determine what our layers were made of
-Behaviors of P and S waves - -P waves are primary waves; move through solids, liquids,
and gases underwater.
S waves are slower and are secondary waves; only can travel through solids (S = SOLIDS)
