GEOL 1312 Midterm 2 Study Guide: Principles of Earth Science II Exam 2, Study notes of Geology

Download GEOL 1312 Midterm 2 Study Guide: Principles of Earth Science II Exam 2 and more Study notes Geology in PDF only on Docsity! GEOL 1312 -- Principles of Earth Science II Study Guide Midterm Exam 2 The midterm exam will be comprehensive and multiple-choice. This review sheet is a guideline only – there may be a few questions on the exam not specifically addressed here but covered in class, the assigned reading, or the homework. Things to help you study: Class notes Homework assignments Assigned reading Animations posted on the web This Study Guide Practice Exam General Astronomy Topics  Where are we in the universe?  Historical Astronomers: Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler  Electromagnetic waves (light): how do we use light to look at universe?  Optical vs. radio telescopes Solar System  Basics about the planets: names, size, inner (rocky) vs. outer (gas) planets  Standard model – what is it?  How do the planets relate to one another? What do they have in common? Celestial Motions  Seasons – what causes them? Why does the northern hemisphere experience different seasons at different times of the year compared to the southern hemisphere?  Eclipses – solar, lunar, why are they infrequent? The Moon  Exploration: important missions  Lunar samples: what can they tell us?  Rotation and orbit periods, how are they linked?  Why do we see the same side of the Moon?  Geography – highlands, maria, near side/far side differences  Craters - formation, characteristics, how do we use them to establish relative ages of regions?  Formation and evolution of the Moon Mercury  Exploration: Mariner 10, Messenger  Spin-orbit coupling of Mercury  Magnetic field observations and possible origin of magnetic field  Cratering on Mercury compared with the Moon Venus  Exploration: Magellan, when, types of data set (radar, topography, etc.)  Rotation, orbit (day vs. year)  Atmosphere (composition) and surface conditions (temperature, pressure)  Earth and Venus - similarities and differences in basic properties, processes  Venus surface features: volcanoes, craters  Craters: implications for surface age Mars  Exploration: Pathfinder, MERs  General geography (names of major features), north vs. south hemisphere differences  Moons  Olympus Mons, Tharsis, Valles Marineris – what are they?  Evidence for past water Jupiter  Exploration: Galileo, Voyager, etc.  Internal structure, molecular vs. metallic hydrogen  Magnetic field: source, size  Great Red Spot  Atmospheric features (clouds, belts)  Rings Jovian (Galilean) Satellites  Tidal heating: what is it, which moons are most impacted by it?  Magnetic field (which ones?)  Volcanism (which one?)  Major internal structure (layers) and density  Possibility for life (which one?) 5) Which planetary body from the list below has the largest magnetic field? a. Mars b. Earth c. Moon d. Venus e. Mercury 6) Which is presently (today) the most volcanically active planetary body from the list below? a. Mars b. Earth c. Moon d. Venus e. Mercury 7) If you look into the nighttime sky at the end of this week (March 21st, you will observe which lunar phase? Hint: the last 1st quarter moon was on March 14th a. I. b. II. c. III. d. IV. e. Not enough information 8) Which planet has the largest volcano? (Do you remember the name?) a. Jupiter b. Mercury c. Venus d. Mars e. Earth 9) About how old is the Earth? a. 500 thousand years b. 4.6 million years c. 500 million years I. II. III. IV. d. 4.6 billion years e. 4.6 hundred years 10) The dominant constituent of the Venus atmosphere is ________ (can you remember the other constituent that forms a haze in the atmosphere?) a. Oxygen b. Nitrogen c. Carbon dioxide d. Sulfur dioxide e. Water 11) Which planet(s) rotates around its axis in a retrograde direction? a. Pluto b. Venus c. Uranus d. Neptune e. a, b, and c 12) Mercury exhibits spin-orbit coupling. Which of the following statements is true: a. Mercury rotates three times for every two orbits b. Mercury rotates twice for every three orbits c. Mercury’s orbital period and rotation period are the same d. Mercury always has the same side facing the Sun. e. Mercury is tidally locked to its moon 13) How many geologists have landed on the moon? a. 1 b. 2 c. 4 d. 6 e. 8 14) Which planet is this? a. Mercury b. Venus c. Moon d. Mars e. Earth Some questions to think about…. (these may show up in multiple choice format on your exam) 15) What is one valid theory for how Earth’s moon formed? 16) Which spacecraft is currently visiting Saturn & its moons? 17) Which spacecraft has voyaged out to snap pictures of the outermost planets? 18) Which spacecraft visited Venus and mapped the entire planet? 19) What evidence from Mars do we have for past water? 20) What do craters tell us about the surface of planets? 21) How do the planets compare in size – can you list them smallest to largest? 22) What elements make up most of Jupiter & Saturn’s atmosphere? 23) What elements make up most of Neptune & Uranus’s atmosphere? 24) What are the qualifications for obtaining “planet status”? 25) Is Pluto technically a planet according to these new qualifications?