Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

Lesson 1: GEOLOGY

Activities/Assessment
Reflection and Reactions

1. Discuss briefly how the Earth formed.

We may wonder how the planet we are living in started. For a religious point of view, a living God
created it just for seven days. However, scientifically speaking, Earth started roughly billions of years ago
since the birth of the solar system. Earth and the other planets were continuously bombarded by debris
floating in the space, eventually, through a long period of time, formed the Earth as it is now. The
meteoric debris cooled down, remelted, and turned to be the layers of the Earth. Earth's formation may
be interesting and exciting to discover and learn, but what more exciting is what would the Earth be like
after another billion year.

2. Describe the three layers of Earth’s Interior.

Now that we know, scientifically, how the Earth is formed, it is time to dig deeper and get to know its
different layers. As we all know, Earth has three layers, namely core, mantle and the crust. Actually the
Earth is not divided into three layers physically, but it is said to be has three layers because of its
different and distinct chemical compositions. The core, which is at the very center of the Earth, is an
iron-nickel rich layer because during the Earth's formation, dense materials like iron and nickel sank,
thus forming the core. The next layer is the mantle, the thickest layer which is composed mainly of iron,
magnesium, calcium-rich silicate minerals. The last is the crust which is a thin layer, further divided to
oceanic and continental crust which also possess distinct chemical and material compositions.
Interesting knowledge it is to know the different layers of the Earth, it reveals the trace of its very long
formation and gives us hint to understand what had transpired billion years ago.

3. State the difference among the three types of Rocks.

There are three types of rocks based on how it was formed. They are igneous, sedimentary, and
metamorphic rocks. Well they are all rocks but of course they have differences. They are different on
how they became a rock. First, igneous rock is formed due to the cooling of magma (lava). There are two
types of igneous, extrusive if it is cooled down on the surface and intrusive if inside or underground.
While sedimentary rocks are the result of compaction and cementation of sediments buried deep down.
Last, is the metamorphic rock which is formed if rocks are subjected to high temperature and intense
pressure.

4. Given the diagram of Rock Cycle on page ____. What will happen if the metamorphic rock
undergoes additional heating or still under high pressure?

Have you ever wonder how the rocks are formed? Well if you did not, then you should. Understanding
the rock cycle is interesting because it shows continuity and versatility for it was able to change

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 Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

depending on the situation it was on. Going back to question, what will happen if metamorphic rock
undergoes additional heating or still under high pressure? Prior to the knowledge that metamorphic
rocks are formed whenever a rock, be it igneous or sedimentary rock, is put under heat and pressure. In
this case, when a metamorphic rock is still in high pressure it will melt down and return to magma. And
when magma is emitted on the surface though volcanic eruption and cool down or in other case cool
down underground, this will result to extrusive and intrusive igneous rock formation respectively. Now,
let just say those rocks undergone weathering and soil erosion, it will create some sediments. And when
these sediments are combined and compacted, sedimentary rocks will be formed. The process do not
stop there. If igneous rock or sedimentary rocks are again put under heat and pressure, a metamorphic
rock will be formed, and then will repeat the cycle. To sum it up, rock cycle is a continuous process that
repeat itself. A perfect design of nature.

Rocks adapt and change to the given situation. Like I have said, it is interesting, here is why. We can
crushed, break, destroy, pulverized, or even melt the rock, but time will come that it will be formed
again and harder and better than it was before. A quality that humans should possess.

5. Explain how plate tectonic became responsible for noticeable geologic events such as earthquake,
volcanic eruption and other major landforms.

Some of us still believes into supernatural and spiritual explanation of an event like legends and the like.
Whenever an earthquake hits, some claims that it is because God is punishing humans or volcanic
eruption because the deity living on it is mad, or mountains formed in memory of lovers who died there.
Funny as it may sound it is, we cannot blame those who believe in it. But if we are being skeptical and
rationally seeing the events, we will be aware that it is not because of that. To tell what is more reliable
and acceptable, plate tectonic is responsible for those geologic events. Tectonic plates is indeed moving
and continuously moving inch by inch per year. It is moving, unnoticed, about 2 to 15 centimeter per
year which forms mountain ranges, trenches and rifts whenever these plates interacts. The denser
plates subducts under the less denser plates thus forming mountains. Plate movements also cause
earthquake. They occur where plates are subducting, spreading, slipping, or colliding. As the plates grind
together, they get stuck and pressure builds up thus results to an earthquake. Amazing isn't it? Little did
we know that the land masses that we are stepping on are moving yet we cannot notice it, until it
created mountains, rifts, trench and earthquakes.

6. Differentiate divergent, convergent and transform fault boundaries.

Aside from the amazing fact that the tectonic plates are moving, there is also a much intriguing fact
about plate movements. As our tectonic plates move, it created boundaries depending on how it moves
or its direction. There are three of them, namely: divergent, convergent, and transform fault boundaries.
As the name itself implies, divergent means moving or extending in different directions from a common
point. It was created when two plates are moving away from each other commonly on ocean floor that

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 Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

causes sea floor spreading. The magma that exited along the fault are cooled down and forms oceanic
ridges.

Convergent boundaries on the other hand happen when two plates are moving towards each other. It
was further classified into three based on what crust is involved. It can be either continental–oceanic,
oceanic–oceanic, and continental–continental convergence. Each of these three types of convergence
results to different formation of mountains, rifts, and trenches.

Lastly, the transform fault boundaries is a result of two plates or crust that slides past each other. Unlike
the other two, in this boundary a new lithosphere is neither created nor destroyed.

To sum it up, boundaries are created or named after how the plates are moving, divergent if moves
away, convergent if it moves toward each other, and transform fault if it's sliding past each other.

7. Show how volcano erupts through a diagram.

Source:https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/volcano-infographic-isometric-volcano-vector-
infographic_4983105.htm

8. Enumerate and discuss briefly the major types of volcanic landforms.

Each volcanic landforms are classified based on how violent or gentle the eruption was, and how slow or
fast the flow of the magma was depends on its viscosity. The major types of volcanic landforms include:
flood basalts, shield volcanoes, cinder cones (also called scoria cones), stratovolcanoes (also called
composite cones), lava domes, and calderas.

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 Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

Flood basalts are characterized by gentle eruption where large volume of low-viscosity and low-gas
magmas erupt from the fissures or cracks of a volcano.

Shield volcano is a result of a gentle eruption of a low viscous magma which is fast moving magma due
to its low viscosity. It is also an enormous volcano.

Cinder cones or scoria cones erupts a higher or an increase on its magma viscosity. It is typically a short
lived volcano and scarcely survive erosion. It is also the smallest volcanic landforms.

Stratovolcanoes or composite cones are.violent erupting volcanoes that emits highly viscous magma and
pyroclastic materials. Stratovolcanoes are tall, snow-covered, and classic cone-shaped.

Lava domes are steep-sided dome-shaped of harden lava. Lava tends to clogged the vent since it was
highly viscous which means it was thick ang slow moving magma.

Calderas are the largest of the violent types of volcanoes. It was like an emptied magma chamber
because its summit was blown by a massive gas eruption.

2 – METEOROLOGY

Activities/Assessment

Multiple Choice

1. What is the atmosphere?

b. A layer of fluids surrounding an object.

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 Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

c. A layer of gas surrounding planet or moon.

d. A cloud of gas that allow us to breathe.

e. A layer of oxygen that surrounds planet or moon.

2. What makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere?

a. Oxygen

b. Nitrogen

c. Carbon dioxide

d. Water vapour and other gases

3. At what layer do most airplanes fly at the top of?

a. Stratosphere

b. Thermosphere

c. Mesosphere

d. Troposphere

4. What is the hottest layer in the atmosphere?

a. Mesosphere

b. Thermosphere

c. Stratosphere

d. Troposphere

5. What does the ozone layer do?

a. It protects us from meteors.

b. It protects us from violent solar flares.

c. It protects us from ultraviolet radiation.

d. It helps us breathe.

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6. What is temperature?

a. How high or low something is.

b. How hot or cold something is.

c. How fast or slow something is.

d. How the weather works.

7. Water freezes at_______.

a. 100 degrees Celsius
b. 0 degrees Celsius

c. 37 degree Celsius

d. 20 degree Celsius

8. All of the following are temperature scales except:

a. Gabriel

b. Kelvin

c. Celsius

d. Fahrenheit

9. Clouds are mainly made of_______.

a. Air

b. Water

c. Snow

d. Cotton
10. What kind of cloud is puffy and white?

a. Stratus

b. Cirrus

c. Cumulus

d. Cumulonimbus

11. Stratus clouds are______.

a. Gray in color

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b. Rainclouds

c. Very Tall

d. Layered

12. Long, skinny clouds are called________.

a. Cirrus
b. Cumulus

c. Stratus

d. Hanging Clouds

13. Cumulonimbus clouds are also called_______.

a. Water Clouds

b. Heavy Clouds

c. Puffy Clouds

d. Rain Clouds
14. An instrument used to measure wind speed is called_______.

a. Anemometer

b. Aneroid Barometer

c. Thermograph

d. Tachometer

15. With an increase in altitude, air pressure________.

a. Increases at a constant rate.

b. Increases at decreasing rate.

c. Decreases at a constant rate.

d. Decreases at a decreasing rate.

16. Winds are generated by the______.

a. Coriolis Force

b. Pressure gradient force

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 Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

c. Friction force

d. Centripetal force

17. The Coriolis force is ________ in the upper troposphere because_______.

a. Enhanced, the pressure gradient is weaker

b. Enhanced, there is less friction

c. Enhanced, there is more friction

d. Decreases, air moves to high latitudes

18. Sea breezes_______

a. Are local winds blowing from the sea during the afternoon in coastal area

b. Require a surface region of high pressure inland

c. Occur when the temperature at the seashore is higher than that inland

d. Are usually less intense than land breezes

19. In which of the following situations is the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere the highest?

a. When the relative humidity is 50%

b. When the relative humidity is 70%

c. When the relative humidity is 90%

d. We cannot tell without knowing the temperature in each situation

20. If “fair” weather is approaching, the pressure tendency would probably be:

a. Falling

b. Steady

c. Rising

d. Pressure tendency has nothing to do with forecasting fair or stormy weather

Lesson 3: ASTRONOMY

Activities/Assessment

Reflection and Reactions

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 Module 3: BASIC CONCEPTS IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

1. Explain briefly the development of Astronomy as a field of science.

Astronomy started long time ago. It started as an attempt to explain and study the planets and stars.
That is why early civilization performed methodical observations of the night sky, and astronomical
artifacts have been found from much earlier periods. It evolved and becomes a broader field of study.
And during the 20th century, astronomy split into observational and theoretical branches.

2. Why Sun is considered a Star?

The sun is considered a star because it has all the characteristics of one. In fact, the sun is unremarkable.
There are countless stars with the same attributes as the sun throughout the universe.

3. Illustrate and describe briefly the major planets in the solar system.

Currently, there are eight planets in our solar system. The inner planets are the Mercury, Venus, Earth,
and Mars. These inner planets are rocky planets while the other four outer planets are mostly gas giants
and ice giants. Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants whereas Uranus and Neptune are ice giants.

4. Enumerate and discuss the components of galaxy.

Galaxies are sprawling systems of dust, gas, dark matter, and anywhere from a million to a trillion stars
that are held together by gravity. Nearly all large galaxies are thought to also contain supermassive black
holes at their centers. Our sun is just part of millions of stars in the galaxy, and our galaxy is just one of
many galaxies in the universe that is also just one of universe in the multiverse. Our universe is bigger
and complex than we think it is.

5. Compare and contrast three major forms of galaxy.

There are three major forms of galaxy and each has different features. Their names were derived from
its basic appearance or shapes.

A spiral galaxy has a flat, spinning disk with a central bulge surrounded by spiral arms. That spinning
motion, at speeds of hundreds of kilometers a second, may cause matter in the disk to take on a
distinctive spiral shape, like a cosmic pinwheel.

Elliptical galaxies are shaped as their name suggests: They are generally round but can stretch longer
along one axis than along the other, so much so that some take on a cigar-like appearance.

Irregular galaxies, on the other hand, appear misshapen and lack a distinct form unlike the two galaxies,
often because they are within the gravitational influence of other galaxies close by. They are full of gas
and dust, which makes them great nurseries for forming new stars.

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