Earth Science :

1. What is Earth Science?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Geologic Time Scale: Major Eons, Eras, Periods and Epochs
8. The History of Life on Earth: Timeline and Characteristics of Major Eras
(pre-cambrian Eon = Archeon & proterozoic (multi-cellular organism started exist
ing @ end , Phanerozoic Eon = start of huge increase in number and diversity of
life) (Paleozoic era = reptiles and insects, Mesozoic era = Dinosaurs, non-flowe
ring plants)
2. Theories of Geological Evolution: Catastrophism vs Uniformitarianism (Cuv
ier vs Hutton = "Present is the key to the Past")
10. Cycles of Matter: The Nitrogen Cycle and the Carbon Cycle
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. The Dynamic Earth: Internal & External Forces that Shape Earth's Surface
4. Earth's Internal Layers: Crust, Mantle & Core ( How outer core affects ma
gnestism, Dynamo affect, asthenospher)
5. How Scientists Study Earth's Interior Structure
1. What is Pangaea? - Theory, Definition
2. Plate Tectonics: A Unified Theory for Change of the Earth's Surface
3. Alfred Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift (& the evidences he provided
)
4. Evidence for the Mechanism of Continental Drift
5. Major Plates of the Lithosphere: Earth's Tectonic Plates (7 major, some m
inor and some subplates)
6. Causes of Tectonic Plate Movement
7. Plate Boundaries: Convergent, Divergent, and Transform Boundaries (and Tr
anscurrent = not a plate boundry but still imp, diff
between transform and tr
anscurrent)
8. Ocean Drilling as Evidence for Plate Tectonics
9. Paleomagnetism and Hot Spots: Evidence for Plate Tectonics
10. Sea Floor Spreading and Polar Reversal (Sunspot theory and metorite co
llision)
2. Volcanic vs Plutonic Igneous Rocks: Definition and Differences
3. Bowen's Reaction Series: Crystallization Process & Magmatic Differentiatio
n (Ocean Pits are bitter, P.M. Quartz, Plagioclase)
2. Types of Volcanoes: Shield, Cinder Cones & Composite Cones (Composite con
es = tallest= as layers of lava, ash, cinder)
3. Volcanic Eruption: Gases Released & Their Effects (H20, co2, so2 and HCL,
H2S, CO)
5. Volcanic Landforms: Types & Formation
3. Contact Metamorphism Vs. Regional Metamorphism: Definition & Differences
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Geological Folds: Definition, Causes & Types
3. Geological Faults: Definition, Causes & Types
4. The Processes of Mountain Building (Oceanic Arc, Continetal Arc, volcanic
island arc, archipelagos etc)
3. Effect of Erosion and Deposition on Landforms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. What Are Glaciers? - Definition, Types & Processes (How they move, whethe

r base
2.
4.
tarn,
5.

parially melts or moves under gravity)

Glacier Movement: Definition & Process ( Plucking and abrasion)
Glacial Erosion: Definition, Processes & Features ( cirque, glacial horn,
roche mountainne)
Glacial Deposition: Definition & Results (Erratics, drumlin)

6. The Effect of Ice Age Glaciers: Formation of Pluvial Lakes (pluvial mean
s rain = @ one time very large lakes due to rainfall
associated with
glaciation, these lakes formed in desert areas e.g. great salt lake of Utah) +
iSostatic Depression
(sinking of earth's crust due to pressure from a
very heavy weight, much like a compressed mattress the earth also
rebounds after ice age ends, albeit @ a small scale) + change in sea level
7. Causes of Glaciation (Milankovitch cycle)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. tectonically Active & Passive Continental Margins ( zone that separates c
ontinental crust from oceanic crust, active continetal margins have narrow cont
inental shelf, passive ones have wide continental shelf)
2. Ocean Basins: Definition, Formation, Features & Types ( Regions that are
below sea level; in active ocean basins lot of new structures are being created
; gulf of mexico is an inactive ocean basin, where the main change that happens
is slow depositing of sediments) [[ Abyssal hill = small elevated landform that
rises from the great depths of the ocean ( adjacent to trench) ]] [[ seamount
== large submerged volcanic mountain rising from the ocean floor ; guyot is like
a seamount with a flat top ( due to erosion) ]] [[trenches ]]
4. Properties of Ocean Water ( ocean water have a very high heat capacity t
han atmosphere ; its density depends upon the temp and salinity)
6. Ocean Circulation: Patterns & Effect on Climate ( ocean gyres = large, ci
rcular ocean currents ; upwelling = rise of cold-nutrient rich water to the surf
ace) [[ Thermohaline circulation is the largest ocean circulation pattern (ther
mo= temp + haline = salinity) , also referred to as the global ocean conveyor be
lt ]]
7. Characteristics of Shorelines & Beaches (shoreline = line where land meet
s ocean) [[ beach = area along the edge of the shoreline, that is covered with s
and or pebbles, if sand doesn't reach the shoreline, sand bars are formed]] [[ L
ongshore drift = process by which sand and sediments is transported along the co
ast, it is influenced by the angle of waves and current at the shores]] [( hea
dlands + bays + beach -- foreshore, beach barm + sand dunes + sand bars like sp
its, tombolo, barrier island + lagoon )]
8. Waves: Types, Features & Effect on Erosion (ocean swells + ocean trains +
tsunami + tidal wave)
offshore -- foreshore -- backshore--dunes ( high tides reach upto foresh
ore)
9. Contributing Factors of Longshore Transport: Beach Drift (due to swash an
d backswash) & Longshore Current (Swash = area @
the water's edge where w
aves
lap up onto the beach (at an angle) + Backswash ( swahs pulled back in
the ocean under the force of gravity @ 90 degrees)) [ longshore transport = mo
vement of sand and sediment parallel to the coastline] [( waves tend to come ash
ore @ an angle (in an arc) , because they are pushed and bent by influences like
the wind and the shallowwater)] [ longshore/ littoral current = ocean current t
hat travels parallel to the shore (very strong in long, open shoreline posing a
threat to swimmers and surfers) ]

10. What Are Tides? - Causes & Effects

1. What is a Hurricane? - Definition and Formation
2. Hurricanes: Categories and Effects
4. The Effects of Coastal Erosion on Shoreline Features (headlands + wave r
efraction @ shallower waters + wave-cut cliff
5. The Effects of Deposition on Shoreline Features
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8. Air Lift: Definition & Processes (Fronts, cold and warm and their impact
on weather : types of clouds formed)
10. Climate Classifications & Their Global Distribution (Koppen's A B C D E)
2. Factors That Affect Wind: Pressure Gradient Forces, Coriolis Effect (how
they affect air speed and direction : Northsouth,East-West) & Friction
4. The General Circulation of the Atmosphere (Doldrums, Hadley Cells, Horse
latitudes, Ferrel cell, polar front, polar cell)
5. Types of Air Masses (Continental & Marine : Tropical, Polar, Arctic) & Th
eir Effect on Weather - cumulus clouds ( the ones we
identify shapes in , eac
h shape is one convection cycle)
6. Clouds and cloud types
6. Understanding Weather Fronts: Types & Their Effect on Weather (Cold front
, warm front, stationary front and occluded front = warm airmass caught b/w two
cooler airmass)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7. What Are Tornadoes? - Definition, Causes & The Enhanced Fujita Scale
9. What Are Cyclones (Spinning storms)? - Types, Causes & Effects ( Locatio
n of ocean storms determine what we call it , e.g. if
storm in atlanti
c or
north-east pacific (near N. america), it is called a hurricane; if the s
ame storm occurs in north-west
pacific, it is called a typhoon ; if in
south pacific or indian ocean, It is called tropical cyclone) : categories 1-5
depending
upon their speed.
(Polar cyclone in polar regions) ,
they cause storm surges, torrential rain
Warm Updraft + Cool
Downdraft = one storm cell. [[TROPICAL DEPRESSION < TROPICAL STORM < TROPICAL
CYCLONES]]
10. Hurricanes: Types, Formation, Causes & Effects ( The converging winds, i
n a low-pressure area, begin to rotate due to coriolis
force, a
nd hence counterclockwise movement in N. hemisphere and Clockwise in S. hemisphe
re) This makes the hurricanes
self-sustaining and as long as there is
warm water, hurricanes wouldn't die. The warm water requirement also makes most
hurricanes form in the tropical areas.
11. The Relationship Between El Nino & La Nina [[ are the opposite phases o
f ENSO cycle (EL nino southern osciallation), El nino happens more often than
la nina ]], El nino 's warm pool feeds thunderstorms above peru [[ during El ni
no , horse latitudes shift south, during la nina they shift northwards, this cha
nge of position during ENSO cycles changes the tracks of tropical cyclones in th
e pacific. Which part of the pacific warms has the most significant impact on th
e monsoons in india. When "central pacific El nino" warms, indian monsoon faces
a condition of draught.
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