Honors Earth Science Midterm Exam Review Guide

Honors Earth Science Midterm Exam Review Guide Test Format: The midterm exam will have 50 multiple choice questions. You will need to bring two #2 pencils. You will not need a calculator. NO CELL PHONES WILL BE ALLOWED. The questions will all revolve around diagrams, similar to the ones we used in class. Your task throughout the midterm will be to apply the concept that the diagram is demonstrating. You will be asked to identify trends/relationships between variables or make inferences on the diagram. This is not a vocabulary test. Base your study around images and diagrams. Suggestions of HOW to study (Note- don’t do ALL of these, pick some that fit your learning style): - Draw the diagrams (color) on each of the concepts below and label components involved. - Create your own test questions revolving around the concepts below and exchange those questions with a peer. - Make concept maps of each quarter then demonstrate the connections found among the different concepts. - Create trends or relationships with as many of the concepts as you can - Teach each concept to somebody that is struggling with the material or somebody not taking this class. - Create a question you actually have on EACH concept below you have and discuss that with your study group or teacher. In other words, discover more about each concept through elaboration. Understand the following concepts from the units that we’ve covered. Quarter 1 Astronomy ● Density: Understand what density is and how it relates to the Earth. (Note- there isn’t a specific section of density on the midterm but its theme is throughout the exam) ● HR Diagram: Know the relationship of what’s being graphed and the associated colors/temperatures of stars; the meaning of the main sequence stars, and those off the main sequence. Know where our sun would lie on the HR Diagram and why. ● Electromagnetic Spectrum: Know the relationship between wavelength, frequency and corresponding energy. Know where the visible spectrum lies and the colors associated with different wavelengths/frequencies/energies. ● Lifespan of Stars: Know the lifecycle of a star and the different stellar endings depending on mass (understand why massive stars can end their lives differently). Know how the lifecycle is associated with the elements that are fused & how this is associated with light (in wavelength/energy) from the star. Know the big bang and what the early universe looked like, including elements. ● Red and Blue Shifting: Know what red/blue shifting is, why it occurs, and what it indicates. Be able to recognize a star’s spectral lines and tell if the light has been red or blue shifted. Understand how a star’s light could be both red and blue shifted. ● Rotation and Revolution: Understand the difference between the two, and important dates in the Earth’s revolution. Be able to explain why the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. Know Kepler’s three laws and what each means. ● Habitable Zone: Know what a habitable zone is and what it means in terms of aphelion and perihelion. Know what is required for a planet to be habitable. Quarter 2: Geology ● Geologic Time and Events: Have some concept of how old the Earth is. Know about when important events occurred, like the great oxygenation (and why), the Cambrian Explosion, the beginning/ending of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and the most dominant form of life in each. ● Mass Extinctions: Understand why mass extinctions occur, how often it has occurred. Also, what happens to the life that survives a mass extinction. ● Feedback Loops: What effects do positive and negative feedback loops have on the planet? What factors can lead the planet to a positive feedback loop? What is the difference between how a negative and positive feedback loop is drawn or modeled? ● Stratigraphy, Absolute and Relative Time: Recognize and be able to use the laws of uniformitarianism, superpositioning and cross-cutting relationships. How do certain isotopes allow us to identify the absolute age of that layer? What allowings us to identify the relative ages of rock layers? Understand what an index fossil is. ● Mantle Convection: Cause and effect is key, what is the driver of each process? What effects does the mantle layer convecting have on the Earth? What would Earth look like if mantle convection did not exist? What are the connections between the processes of mantle convection and plate boundaries? ● Seafloor Spreading and Plate Tectonics (where plate boundaries are): Understand the evidence and mechanism for seafloor spreading. Know the different types of plates and boundaries. Know the three kinds of convergent boundaries and the associated landforms. Understand the different hazards associated with each type of boundary. ● Seismology: What is the relationship between the epicenters of earthquakes and the plate boundaries? What does the time lag between P and S waves help us interpret about earthquakes? How do we use triangulation to locate epicenters of an earthquake? ● Weathering and Erosion: Understand how different kinds of climates (warmer vs colder) can impact the rate of weathering. What are the kinds of mechanical and chemical weathering and how do they affect rocks differently?