Exam 6: Earth and Its Moon: Our Cosmic Backyard

The in the oceans arise where two advancing plates meet and one is pushed beneath the other, a process called subduction.

The lunar mare radioactively date back to 4.6 billion years, at the origin of the Moon, hence their dark color due to this aging.

Samples of the Earth's molten outer core come directly through the mantle, pour out of volcanoes, and can be studied in labs.

What is the primary source of erosion on the Moon? Why does change there take so long?

Today most scientists favor the capture theory of the Moon's origin, since it would explain why the Moon still orbits in the ecliptic plane, as do other planets.

Spring tides occur only at new Moon, when the Moon and Sun pull together.

For differentiation to have occurred, the Earth's interior must have been .

Weather always occurs in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the

Contrast S and P waves in terms of speed and transmission through the interior.

The age dating of the solar system is done by radioactive dating of .

The Moon's lower density indicates it has a smaller concentration of iron in its core, as does the absence of a lunar magnetic field.

The Moon's near side always faces Earth due to

Name two consequences of the Earth's magnetic field detected from space.

The Earth's hotter, inner core is liquid and its cooler, outer core is solid.

The tides have a large change from high to low, near new and full moons.

Contrast spring and neap tides.

The Moon keeps one side facing the Earth because it doesn't rotate on its axis.

Name the layers of the Earth's atmosphere, going up from the surface.

The three most abundant gases in our atmosphere are nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.

The smallest high tides occur when the Moon phase is