Exam 1: Earth As a Planet

Differentiation of the inner planets probably means that each of the rocky planetary bodies _____.

Volcanism is common to the histories of all of the terrestrial planets.What type of volcanic rock is common to all of the terrestrial planets?

Movements and interactions in the lithosphere and the internal Earth processes that drive them are referred to as the _____ cycle.

Earth is a close approximation of a (an) __________system.

The innermost planets of the solar system are also referred to as the ______ planets,because of their similarities to Earth.

The Principle of Uniformitarianism is based on the premise that _____.

What is the rock cycle?

The ______ forms the outermost compositional layer of solid Earth.

Impact craters cover the surface of large parts of other terrestrial bodies in the solar system,such as Mars and the Moon.Why don't we see many covering Earth's surface?

Continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.

Why is the study of geology important to human society?

The physical processes that occur on Earth have not changed over time,but the physical conditions of Earth ______ (have changed/have not changed)dramatically.

The set of crustal processes that form new rock,modify it transport it,and break it down is known as the ____ cycle.

What are the subsystems of Earth?

The term ______ refers to the chemical alteration and mechanical breakdown of rock caused by exposure to water,air,and living organisms.

______ geology focuses on how materials and processes in the natural geologic environment affect,and are affected by,human activities.

The nebular hypothesis proposes that the solar system coalesced out of a swirling cloud of interstellar dust and gas.

Given scientists' current understanding of the formation of the Moon,how might the composition of the Moon compare to that of the Earth?

The illustration below shows TWO different systems labeled A and B.For each of the modeled systems,provide its name and explain how it differs from the other.

Explain why the inner planets are rocky,while the outer planets of the solar system contain higher proportions of gas and ice.