The Different Colors of Light Observed During Auroras Are Due

question 24

Multiple Choice

The different colors of light observed during auroras are due to:

• A) solar wind particles of different energy interacting with the ozone layer.
• B) solar wind particles heating atmospheric gases to different temperatures.
• C) radioactive decay of solar wind particles.
• D) de-excitation of different atmospheric gases excited by solar wind particles.

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Definitions:

Oceanic Plateau

Elevated regions of the ocean floor, characterized by a relatively flat topography, and often formed by volcanism or large igneous provinces.

Back-Arc Spreading

The formation of new oceanic crust behind a volcanic arc, resulting from the divergent movement of plates at a convergent boundary, a reiteration emphasizing plate tectonic mechanisms.

Mesozoic Jurassic

A geologic period within the Mesozoic Era, known for the dominance of dinosaurs and the presence of significant geological and climatic changes.

Thrust Sheets

Large sections of the Earth's crust that have been moved horizontally over other rocks by tectonic forces.