Earth Science Flashcards

Which atmospheric layer contains the ozone layer that absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation?

Answer: Stratosphere

The stratosphere, which extends from about 12 to 50 km above Earth's surface, contains the ozone layer that absorbs most of the Sun's harmful UV radiation.

Fossils are most commonly found in which type of rock?

Answer: Sedimentary

Fossils form in sedimentary rock because organisms are preserved as sediment layers accumulate and compress over millions of years, a process that igneous and metamorphic formation would destroy.

What does the law of superposition state about undisturbed rock layers?

Answer: Older layers are found at the bottom

The law of superposition states that in undisturbed sedimentary rock sequences, the oldest layers are at the bottom because newer sediment is deposited on top of existing layers.

Which type of weather front typically brings thunderstorms and rapid temperature changes?

Answer: Cold front

A cold front, where cold air rapidly displaces warm air, forces warm moist air upward quickly, commonly producing thunderstorms and a rapid drop in temperature.

What is the term for the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's origin?

Answer: Epicenter

The epicenter is the point on Earth's surface directly above the focus (hypocenter), where the earthquake originates, and is typically where shaking is most intense.

Which cloud type is associated with fair weather and appears as puffy, white, flat-based clouds?

Answer: Cumulus

Cumulus clouds are white, puffy clouds with flat bases that form on sunny days through convection; they typically indicate fair weather when they remain small.

What is the primary greenhouse gas responsible for trapping heat in Earth's atmosphere and amplifying climate change?

Answer: Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Carbon dioxide is the primary long-lived greenhouse gas driving climate change, absorbing and re-radiating infrared radiation and rising mainly from burning fossil fuels.