GEOL 125 Final

CL: Principle 1 - Concept C

Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms as well as entire species.

CL: Principle 1 - Concept B

Changes in one or more of these climate conditions can produce damaging changes in ecosystems.

NSES

National Science Education Standards

OL: Principle 1 - Concept F

The ocean is an integral part of the water cycle and is connected to all of the earth's water reservoirs via evaporation and precipitation processes.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept G

The ocean is connected to major lakes, watersheds and waterways because all major watersheds on Earth drain to the ocean. Rivers and streams transport nutrients, salts, sediments and pollutants from watersheds to estuaries and to the ocean.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 7

The ocean is largely unexplored.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept A

The ocean is the dominant physical feature on our planet Earth—covering approximately 70% of the planet's surface. There is one ocean with many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.

OL: Principle 7 - Concept A

The ocean is the last and largest unexplored place on Earth—less than 5% of it has been explored. This is the great frontier for the next generation's explorers and researchers, where they will find great opportunities for inquiry and investigation.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept D

The temperature of a specific place on Earth's surface tends to rise and fall in a somewhat predictable pattern every day and over the course of a year.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept C

The tilt of Earth on its axis causes solar energy to fall more directly on different parts of Earth during different times of the year, resulting in seasonal changes.

EL: Geosphere Principle 3 - Concept B

The topography of the land, shaped by plate tectonics, weathering, erosion and sediment deposition, affects the flow path of atmospheric currents.

EL: Geosphere Principle 3 - Concept A

The topography of the seafloor, formed by plate tectonics and sediment deposition, affects the flow path of deep ocean currents.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 3 - Concept A

The troposphere extends from the Earth's surface up to about 11 km. Almost all weather occurs within this layer.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 4 - Concept A

The volume of ice on Earth is affected by a number of factors, including the arrangement of the continents and the orbital configuration of Earth.

EL: Energy Principle 3 - Concept B

The water (hydrologic) cycle describes the movement of water between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 7

Humans depend on Earth for resources.

Climate Forecast

A forecast for how rainfall or temperature in a coming season is likely to be different from climatology. Climate forecast are generally based on the chances (or probability) that an event will occur, for example that rainfall or temperature will be either below normal, near normal, or above normal.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 3 - Concept C

Above the stratosphere are the mesosphere and thermosphere, respectively.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 3 - Concept B

Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, which contains the ozone that shields the Earth's surface from most of the high-energy ultraviolet radiation emitted by the Sun.

EL: Energy Principle 2 - Concept A

Abrupt climate perturbations can occur within a matter of days or weeks and include events such as volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 1 - Concept C

Airborne particulates (aerosols) can result in either cooling or warming; they also play a part in the hydrologic cycle through their role in precipitation.

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept B

All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and mass cycling within and between Earth's systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth's interior. The flowing energy and cycling matter cause chemical and physical changes in Earth's materials and living organisms. For example, large amounts of carbon continually cycle among systems of rock, water, air, organisms, and fossil fuels such as coal and oil.

Atmosphere fact 1

All humans live in Earth's atmosphere - we depend on it for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Environmental Literacy: Energy Principle 4

All life on Earth receives energy through interaction with Earth's systems.

EL : Energy fact 3

All life on Earth requires energy and raw materials. Most life forms obtain these necessities either by direct conversion of sunlight into food or by consumption of other life forms. The use of technology helps humanity to extract energy from the Earth system in ways other than simple consumption. These technological developments contribute to a highly complex web of linkages and feedbacks; thorough understanding of the Earth system cannot be achieved without taking into account all of these energy interrelationships. This unit will focus on flows of energy between and among Earth systems and the role that humanity plays in determining Earth's energy state.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept H

Although the ocean is large, it is finite and resources are limited.

AAAS

American Association for the Advancement of Science

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept H

An Earth-science-literate public is essential for reducing risks from natural hazards. This literacy leads to the promotion of community awareness about natural hazards and to the development of scientifically informed policies that reduce risk.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept I

An Earth-science-literate public, informed by current and accurate scientific understanding of Earth, is critical to the promotion of good stewardship, sound policy, and international cooperation. Earth science education is important for individuals of all ages, back-grounds, and nationalities.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept B

An ocean basin's size, shape and features (islands, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys) vary due to the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates. Earth's highest peaks, deepest valleys and flattest vast plains are all in the ocean.

ASL: Principle 5 - Concept D

As a result of the long time scales inherent in some Earth Systems processes, the impacts of some events may be felt only slowly throughout the Earth System and may continue to be influential long after the original event has changed. For example, because of the long time scale of deep ocean circulation, an abrupt regional change in ocean salinity may take centuries to be reflected in the global circulation of the ocean.

ASL: Principle 3 - Concept E

Atmospheric circulations distribute matter and energy globally and establish weather and climate patterns.

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 3

Atmospheric circulations transport matter and energy.

Environmental Literacy: Atmosphere Principle 4

Atmospheric circulations transport matter and energy.

EL : Atmosphere fact 5

Atmospheric circulations transport matter and energy. Unequal heating of Earth's surface produces movement in the atmosphere.

ASL: Principle 3 - Concept D

Atmospheric transport of water affects the formation and development of clouds, precipitation, and weather systems, which are all important components of the global water cycle.

EL: Biosphere Principle 1 - Concept C

Because natural selection is highly dependent on a life form's environment, climate has played a part in guiding the evolution of life. Past changes in climate have had notable, sometimes drastic, effects on the biosphere.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept C

Biological diversity, both past and present, is vast and largely undiscovered. New species of living and fossil organisms are continually found and identified. All of this diversity is interrelated through evolution

ASL: Principle 4 - Concept C

Both weather and climate vary by region based on latitude, altitude, land use, proximity to physical feature such as the ocean and mountains, and ocean currents.

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept G

Changes in part of one system can cause new changes to that system or to other systems, often in surprising and complex ways. These new changes may take the form of "feedbacks" that can increase or decrease the original changes and can be unpredictable and/or irreversible. A deep knowledge of how most feedbacks work within and between Earth's systems is still lacking.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept G

Changes in the ocean's circulation have produced large, abrupt changes in climate during the last 50,000 years.

CL: Principle 4 - Concept E

Changes in the oceans impact the atmosphere and climate patterns around the globe. In turn, changes in the atmosphere impact the ocean temperatures and currents. The dominant pattern of natural climate variability - ENSO - provides an example of the dynamic coupling between ocean and atmosphere.

CL: Principle 4 - Concept F

Circulation in and evaporation of water from the oceans regulate the temperature of Earth. Changes in deep ocean circulation in the past have produced large and rare, abrupt changes in climate.

ASL: Principle 7 - Concept E

Citizens need to become educated about Earth's atmosphere to make informed decisions on issues at local, regional, and global scales.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept C

Climate information can be used to reduce the vulnerability/enhance the resilience of human communities and ecosystems; the importance of continuing to improve understanding of climate system is crucial.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept B

Climate is understood as the atmospheric conditions (i.e., weather variables) averaged over a long period of time (season, year, or longer) and over a large area (region, continent, or larger).

EL : Energy fact 5

Climate may vary over small and large temporal and spatial scales. This variability is the result of changes in energy flows within the Earth system.

Environmental Literacy: Energy Principle 2

Climate may vary over small or large temporal and spatial scales. This variability is the result of changes in energy flows within the Earth system.

CL: Principle 2 - Concept A

Climate science is based on the assumption that Earth's climate system is understandable and, therefore, that many important aspects are predictable.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept F

Coastal regions are susceptible to natural hazards (tsunamis, hurricanes, cyclones, sea level change, and storm surges).

EL: Geosphere Principle 1 - Concept A

Convection in the outer core, along with Earth's rotation, generates Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic field deflects the solar wind around the planet, preventing the stripping away of Earth's atmosphere.

EL: Geosphere Principle 1 - Concept B

Convection in the solid mantle is a contributing factor in the movement of the plates of the Earth's crust. Plate interactions change the shapes, sizes, and positions of continents and ocean basins. These changes have affected the pattern of ocean and atmospheric flows in the past, resulting in climate change at the regional and global level.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept B

Daily variations in solar energy over Earth, caused by the planet's spherical shape, influence many weather and climate processes.

ASL: Principle 6 - Concept B

Data about Earth's atmosphere are gathered by direct (in situ) measurement of temperature, precipitation, wind, pressure, and other variables, as well as by indirect (remote sensing) measurements taken at a distance using ground-based, satellite, and airborne instruments.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept G

Decisions about energy use and adapting to the effects associated with climate change are made at all levels, from the individual to the global.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept A

Decisions about human activities that affect climate and climate change should involve weighing scientific evidence against uncertainties about future economic growth, energy use, ecosystem integrity, costs and opportunities, probabilities and risks, moral values, and cultural norms.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept F

Decisions of one generation both provide opportunities and limit the range of possibilities open to the next generation.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept E

Differences in the intensity of sunlight warm Earth's surface and produce daily, seasonal and long-term variations in temperature.

Climate Literacy: Principle 7

EARTH'S CLIMATE SYSTEM IS INFLUENCED BY COMPLEX HUMAN DECISIONS INVOLVING ECONOMIC COSTS AND SOCIAL VALUES

Climate Literacy: Principle 4

EARTH'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE SYSTEMS ARE THE RESULT OF COMPLEX INTERACTIONS

Climate Literacy: Principle 5

EARTH'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE VARY OVER TIME AND SPACE

Climate Literacy: Principle 6

EVIDENCE INDICATES HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE IMPACTING THE CLIMATE SYSTEM

Earth Science fact 2

Earth Science Literacy is especially important at this time in history. There are many challenges facing humanity—dwindling energy and mineral resources, changing climates, water short-ages—directly relating to the Earth sciences. There are many difficult decisions that governments, local and national, will have to make concerning these issues, and how well humans survive the twenty-first century will depend upon the success of these decisions.

ASL: Principle 2 - Concept E

Earth also emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Almost all of the energy emitted comes from the solar energy absorbed by Earth's surface. This terrestrial energy is absorbed by atmospheric trace gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases in Earth's atmosphere. It may be reemitted form the atmosphere, either to space, where it is lost to the Earth System, or back to Earth, where it is again absorbed, producing a "Greenhouse Effect". This natural Greenhouse Effect is neccessary for life to exist on Earth.

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept C

Earth exchanges mass and energy with the rest of the Solar System. Earth gains and loses energy through incoming solar radiation, heat loss to space, and gravitational forces from the sun, moon, and planets. Earth gains mass from the impacts of meteoroids and comets and loses mass by the escape of gases into space.

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept C

Earth formed from the accumulation of dust and gas, and multiple collisions of smaller planetary bodies.Driven by gravity, Earth's metallic core formed as iron sank to the center. Rock surrounding the core was mostly molten early in Earth's history, and slowly cooled to form Earth's mantle and crust. The atoms of different elements combined to make minerals, which combined to make rocks. Earth's ocean and atmosphere began to form more than 4 billion years ago from the rise of lighter materials out of the mantle

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 1

Earth has a thin atmosphere that sustains life.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 2

Earth is 4.6 billion years old.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 3

Earth is a complex system of interacting rock, water, air, and life.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 4

Earth is continuously changing.

Earth Science fact 1

Earth is our home. We rely upon it for our existence in many different ways. Its resources feed us and provide the materials of our way of life. Even modest changes to Earth's systems have had profound influences on human societies and the course of civilization. Understanding these systems and how they interact with us is vital for our survival.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept A

Earth is our home; its resources mold civilizations, drive human exploration, and inspire human endeavors that include art, literature, and science. We depend upon Earth for sustenance, comfort, places to live and play, and spiritual inspiration.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 5

Earth is the water planet.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept F

Earth materials take many different forms as they cycle through the geosphere. Rocks form from the cooling of magma, the accumulation and consolidation of sediments, and the alteration of older rocks by heat, pressure, and fluids. These three processes form igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.

ASL: Principle 2 - Concept A

Earth receives energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. Some of this solar energy is absorbed by the atmosphere, some is scattered back to space, and some is transmitted through the atmosphere to be absorbed or reflected by Earth's surface. The solar energy reflected by Earth's surface is absorbed, scattered, reflected, or transmitted by the atmosphere.

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept C

Earth science investigations take many different forms. Earth scientists do reproducible experiments and collect multiple lines of evidence. This evidence is taken from field, analytical, theoretical, experimental, and modeling studies.

EL: Energy Principle 4 - Concept A

Ecosystems play an important role in energy cycling and climate regulation.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept G

Earth scientists and engineers develop new technologies to extract resources while reducing the pollution, waste, and ecosystem degradation caused by extraction. For example, land reclamation can partially restore surface environments following surface mining.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept F

Earth scientists are continually improving estimates of when and where natural hazards occur. This analysis is done through continuously monitoring Earth, increasing our understanding of the physical processes that underlie its changes, and developing scientific models that can explain hazard-related scientific observations.

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept F

Earth scientists construct models of Earth and its processes that best explain the available geological evidence. These scientific models, which can be conceptual or analytical, undergo rigorous scrutiny and testing by collaborating and competing groups of scientists around the world. Earth science research documents are subjected to rigorous peer review before they are published in science journals.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept H

Earth scientists document and seek to understand the impacts of humans on global change over short and long time spans. Many of these human impacts on Earth's systems are not reversible over human lifetimes, but through human cooperation their impacts on future generations can be lessened and even reversed.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept J

Earth scientists help society move toward greater sustainability. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal, are being developed. They will replace fossil fuels as those become scarcer, more expensive to retrieve from Earth, and undesirable due to environmental damage. Earth scientists foster global cooperation and science-informed stewardship that can help to ensure the availability of resources for future generations.

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept D

Earth scientists must use indirect methods to examine and understand the structure, composition, and dynamics of Earth's interior. With the exception of wells and mine shafts drilled into Earth, direct observations of Earth's interior are not possible. Instead, Earth scientists observe the interior of the planet using seismic waves, gravity, magnetic fields, radar, sonar, and laboratory experiments on the behavior of materials at high pressures and temperatures.

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept B

Earth scientists use a large variety of scientific principles to understand how our planet works. Earth scientists combine study of Earth's geology with aspects of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics in order to understand the complexities of the Earth system.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 1

Earth scientists use repeatable observations and testable ideas to understand and explain our planet.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept B

Earth scientists use the geologic record to distinguish between natural and human influences on Earth's systems. Evidence for natural and human influences on Earth processes is found in ice cores and soils, and in lake, estuary, and ocean sediments.

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept E

Earth scientists use their understanding of the past to forecast Earth's future. Earth science research tells us how Earth functioned in the past under conditions not seen today and how conditions are likely to change in the future.

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept A

Earth scientists find solutions to society's needs. Earth scientists work on challenging problems that face humanity on topics such as climate change and human impacts on Earth. Earth scientists successfully predict hazards to humans and locate and recover natural resources, making possible the flourishing of humans on Earth.

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 7

Earth's atmosphere and humans are inextricably linked.

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 4

Earth's atmosphere changes over time and space, giving rise to weather and climate.

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 5

Earth's atmosphere continuously interacts with the other components of the Earth System.

ASL: Principle 5 - Concept A

Earth's atmosphere exchanges energy and matter within the Earth System through processes such as photosynthesis, the water cycle, biogeochemical cycles, the rock cycle, and ocean currents.

Environmental Literacy: Atmosphere Principle 2

Earth's atmosphere has mass and exerts pressure that is greater at sea level and decreases with altitude.

ASL: Principle 1 - Concept A

Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of gases with small, but important, quantities of liquid and solid particles.

Environmental Literacy: Atmosphere Principle 3

Earth's atmosphere is composed of a series of layers that vary in composition, density, and temperature with height above the Earth's surface.

ASL: Principle 5 - Concept C

Earth's atmosphere plays and important role in biogeochemical cycles int he Earth System. For example, the atmosphere is a reservoir of carbon on the Earth System, storing carbon released from natural processes and fossil fuel burning. Plants extract carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

ASL: Principle 1 - Concept D

Earth's atmosphere sustains and protects living things. Its composition has changed over time, as it has been influenced by life and by geological and geochemical processes. Through photosynthesis, plants produce the oxygen in the atmosphere that makes life possible.

CL: Principle 4 - Concept B

Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice are dynamic, but change at different rates. Significant changes in any of these are likely to influence all other components of the climate system in complex ways.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept F

Earth's climate has changed in the past, is currently changing, and is expected to change in the future

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept H

Earth's climate is an example of how complex interactions among systems can result in relatively sudden and significant changes. The geologic record shows that interactions among tectonic events, solar inputs, planetary orbits, ocean circulation, volcanic activity, glaciers, vegetation, and human activities can cause appreciable, and in some cases rapid, changes to global and regional patterns of temperature and precipitation.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept G

Earth's climate is remarkably sensitive to changes in the planet's energy balance.

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept D

Earth's crust has two distinct types: continental and oceanic. Continental crust persists at Earth's surface and can be billions of years old. Oceanic crust continuously forms and recycles back into the mantle; in the ocean, it is nowhere older than about 200 million years.

Environmental Literacy: Energy Principle 5

Earth's energy budget is studied through sustained observations such as the measurement of incident solar radiation, ocean temperatures, and thermal emission properties of the atmosphere. Computer models use these data to predict what effect a change to one aspect of the energy budget could have on other aspects, and on the entire Earth system.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept A

Earth's geosphere changes through geological, hydrological, physical, chemical, and biological processes that are explained by universal laws. These changes can be small or large, continuous or sporadic, and gradual or catastrophic.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept C

Earth's interior is in constant motion through the process of convection, with important consequences for the surface. Convection in the iron-rich liquid outer core, along with Earth's rotation around its axis, generates Earth's magnetic field. By deflecting solar wind around the planet, the magnetic field prevents the solar wind from stripping away Earth's atmosphere. Convection in the solid mantle drives the many processes of plate tectonics, including the formation and movements of the continents and oceanic crust.

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept A

Earth's rocks and other materials provide a record of its history. Earth scientists use the structure, sequence, and properties of rocks, sediments, and fossils to recon-struct events in Earth's history. Decay rates of radioactive elements are the primary means of obtaining numerical ages of rocks and organic remains. Understanding geologic processes active in the modern world is crucial to interpreting Earth's past.

Environmental Literacy: Geosphere Principle 4

Earth's rocks provide a record of its history.

EL : Geosphere fact 5

Earth's sediments and rocks provide a record of its history. The geologic record shows that climate has natural variations due to interactions among the various Earth systems.

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept F

Earth's systems are dynamic; they continually react to changing influences. Components of Earth's systems may appear stable, change slowly over long periods of time, or change abruptly with significant consequences for living organisms.

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept D

Earth's systems interact over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. These scales range from microscopic to global in size and operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions among Earth's systems have shaped Earth's history and will determine Earth's future.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept D

Earth's tectonic plates consist of the rocky crust and uppermost mantle, and move slowly with respect to one another. New oceanic plate continuously forms at mid-ocean ridges and other spreading centers, sinking back into the mantle at ocean trenches. Tectonic plates move steadily at rates of up to 10 centimeters per year.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept E

Earth's water cycles among the reservoirs of the atmosphere, streams, lakes, ocean, glaciers, groundwater, and deep interior of the planet. The total amount of water at Earth's surface has remained fairly constant over geologic time, although its distribution among reservoirs has varied.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept B

Earth, like other planets, is still cooling, though radioactive decay continuously generates internal heat. This heat flows through and out of Earth's interior largely through convection, but also through conduction and radiation. The flow of Earth's heat is like its lifeblood, driving its internal motions.

CL: Principle 4 - Concept A

Energy differences within and between the land, ocean, ice cover, and atmosphere result in energy flows that drive weather and climate variations.

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 2

Energy from the Sun drives atmospheric processes.

ASL: Principle 2 - Concept B

Energy from the Sun is transformed into other forms of energy in the Earth System. In the atmosphere, these other forms include thermal energy of gas molecules, the kinetic energy of wind, and the latent heat of evaporation stored in water vapor.

EL: Energy Principle 1 - Concept B

Energy from the Sun is transformed into other forms of energy in the Earth system.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 4 - Concept D

Energy in the atmosphere includes thermal (gas molecules), kinetic (wind), and the latent heat of evaporation (stored in water vapor).

EL : Energy fact 1

Energy is a physical quantity that determines not only the rate at which the different Earth systems change, but also determines the nature of the interactions among them. Energy enters the Earth system primarily in the form of solar radiation; however, many of the dynamic aspects of the geosphere are the result of heat from the Earth's interior generated by the radioactive decay of certain elements. The amount of energy flowing from the Sun and being retained by the Earth has changed continuously over the course of its history, and will continue to do so.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 4 - Concept A

Energy is exchanged between the atmosphere and other Earth systems via evaporation and precipitation of water, radiative transfer, and thermal convection.

EL: Energy Principle 1 - Concept D

Energy is exchanged within systems and across boundaries between the land, ocean and atmosphere. For example, the ocean absorbs much of the Sun's radiation and loses heat to the atmosphere through evaporation, while the atmosphere regulates the radiation of energy from Earth's surface back to space.

ASL: Principle 3 - Concept B

Energy is exchanged within the atmosphere, as well as gained and lost across its interfaces with land and ocean through physical, geological, and biological processes organized in Earth System cycles (e.g., the water cycle). These exchanges help drive atmospheric circulations.

OL: Principle 2 - Concept C

Erosion—the wearing away of rock, soil and other biotic and abiotic earth materials—occurs in coastal areas as wind, waves, and currents in rivers and the ocean move sediments

OL: Principle 5 - Concept I

Estuaries provide important and productive nursery areas for many marine and aquatic species.

EL: Biosphere Principle 4 - Concept B

Evaporative transpiration by plants is an important part of the hydrologic cycle.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept G

Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

CL: Principle 6 - Concept F

Evidence indicates that changes in many physical and biological systems are linked to human caused warming.

EL: Geosphere Principle 5 - Concept A

Evolution of organisms and the preservation of their remains as fossils in sedimentary rocks help scientists to understand past climate.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept B

Evolution, including the origination and extinction of species, is a natural and ongoing process. Changes to Earth and its ecosystems determine which individuals, populations, and species survive. As an outcome of dynamic Earth processes, life has adapted through evolution to new, diverse, and ever-changing niches.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept A

Fossils are the preserved evidence of ancient life. Fossils document the presence of life early in Earth's history and the subsequent evolution of life over billions of years

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept I

Fossil fuels and uranium currently provide most of our energy resources. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, take tens too hundreds of millions of years to form. Their abundance will make them the dominant source of energy for the near future. New sources, such as methane hydrates, are being explored.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept H

Fresh water is less than 3% of the water at Earth's surface. Most of this fresh water is stored as glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. Less than 1% of Earth's near-surface water is drinkable liquid fresh water, and about 99% of this water is in the form of groundwater in the pores and fractures within soil, sediment, and rock.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept B

From the ocean we get foods, medicines, and mineral and energy resources. In addition, it provides jobs, supports our nation's economy, serves as a highway for transportation of goods and people, and plays a role in national security.

CL: Principle 2 - Concept E

Fundamental characteristics of the climate system have been researched and are understood well enough to make reasonably accurate predictions about the climate system and, therefore, to support decision making, even though research continues into many aspects of climate change.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept E

Gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, temporarily trap infrared radiation from the warmed surface of Earth. The additional warmth in the atmosphere created by the greenhouse effect allows liquid water and other life-supporting processes to exist on much of Earth's surface.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept B

Geology affects the distribution and development of human populations. Human populations have historically concentrated at sites that are geologically advantageous to commerce, food production, and other aspects of civilization.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept D

Gradual changes in Earth's orbit around the Sun over tens of thousands of years alter the spatial distribution and intensity of solar energy received on Earth, causing long-term warming and cooling trends, such as ice ages and the warm periods in between them.

EL: Biosphere Principle 2 - Concept A

Habitats in the ocean are defined by environmental factors such as salinity, temperature, oxygen, pH, light, nutrients, pressure, nature of the substrate, and circulation patterns. Marine ecosystems include organisms ranging in size from microscopic phytoplankton and zooplankton to larger plants and animals. Most primary productivity on Earth occurs in the ocean, and is mainly the result of photosynthesis by phytoplankton.

EL: Biosphere Principle 2 - Concept B

Habitats in the terrestrial realm are defined by environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, light availability, and nature of the substrate. Terrestrial organisms live in or on the ground or in freshwater systems, whereas some spend a significant proportion of time airborne. Most primary productivity in these habitats is the result of plant photosynthesis.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept D

Hazardous events can be sudden or gradual. They range from sudden events such as earthquakes and explosive volcanic eruptions, to more gradual phenomena such as droughts, which may last decades or longer. Changes caused by continual processes such as erosion and land subsidence can also result in risks to human populations, as with the increased risk of flooding in New Orleans.

ASL: Principle 3 - Concept A

Horizontal and vertical imbalances in the Earth System produced by unequal heating of Earth's surface create movement in the atmosphere and the ocean.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept F

Human activities accelerate land erosion. At present, the rate of global land erosion caused by human activities exceeds all natural processes by a factor of ten. These activities include urban paving, removal of vegetation, surface mining, stream diversions, and increased rain acidity.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept E

Human activities alter the natural land surface. Humans use more than one-third of the land's surface not covered with ice to raise or grow their food. Large areas of land, including delicate ecosystems such as wetlands, are trans-formed by human land development. These land surface changes impact many Earth processes such as groundwater replenishment and weather patterns.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept C

Human activities can contribute to the frequency and intensity of some natural hazards. These hazards include floods, landslides, droughts, forest fires, and erosion.

CL: Principle 6 - Concept B

Human activities have affected the land, oceans and atmosphere and have altered regional and global climate. These activities include burning fossil fuels, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of forest cover, and rapidly expanding farming, development and industrial activity.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept A

Human activities significantly change the rates of many of Earth's surface processes. Humankind has become a geological agent that must be taken into account equally with natural processes in any attempt to understand the workings of Earth's systems. As human populations and per capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do our impacts on Earth's systems.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept G

Human activities significantly alter the biosphere. Earth is experiencing a worldwide decline in biodiversity—a modern mass extinction—due to loss of habitat area and high rates of environmental change caused by human activities. The rates of extinctions are now comparable to the rates of mass extinctions in the geologic past.

CL: Principle 6 - Concept A

Human beings are an integral component of Earth's climate system.

EL: Biosphere Principle 5 - Concept A

Human civilization is not separate from, but is embedded in, the larger context of the complex interconnectedness of ecosystems, the biosphere, and the other major Earth systems. Humanity affects all of these systems and is in turn affected by them.

ASL: Principle 7 - Concept C

Human cultures around the world have adapted differently over hundreds to thousands of years to their unique local and regional weather and climate. Societies have different levels of vulnerability to rapidly changing weather and climate conditions. Severe weather can have major impacts on individuals as well as society. Global and regional climate change may bring major changes to vulnerable cultures.

Earth Science fact 3

Human history is a record of the creativity and ingenuity of people solving difficult problems. The solutions to the current Earth-science-related challenges will also come from human creativity, as individuals or corporate businesses. However, as our modern society and its needs have become increasingly complex, so have the solutions. It will take a deep and subtle understanding of Earth's systems for future generations to be able to feed, clothe, house, and provide a meaningful exis-tence for all humans

CL: Principle 1 - Concept D

Human societies have developed interconnected food, energy, transportation, and socioeconomic systems that take advantage of existing climate conditions and, thus, are vulnerable to climate changes.

CL: Principle 1 - Concept E

Human systems have developed during an unusually stable period in Earth's cliamte history.

EL: Energy Principle 4 - Concept B

Humanity's energy needs are met through various interactions with other Earth systems, and these interactions can have large-scale consequences that impact the balance of these systems.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept E

Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (point source, non-point source, and noise pollution) and physical modifications (changes to beaches, shores and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept D

Humans affect the quality, availability, and distribution of Earth's water through the modification of streams, lakes, and groundwater. Engineered structures such as canals, dams, and levees significantly alter water and sediment distribution. Pollution from sewage runoff, agricultural practices, and industrial processes reduce water quality. Overuse of water for electric power generation and agriculture reduces water availability for drinking.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept G

Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards, but can engage in activities that reduce their impacts. Loss of life, property damage, and economic costs can be reduced by identifying high-risk locations and minimizing human habitation and societal activities in them, improving construction methods, developing warning systems, and recognizing how human behavior influences preparedness and response.

ESL: Principle 9 - Concept C

Humans cause global climate change through fossil fuel combustion, land-use changes, agricultural practices, and industrial processes. Consequences of global climate change include melting glaciers and permafrost, rising sea levels, shifting precipitation patterns, increased forest fires, more extreme weather, and the disruption of global ecosystems.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 9

Humans significantly alter the Earth.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 4 - Concept B

Ice and snow reflect as much as 90% of the solar radiation that falls upon them, helping to maintain cooler global temperatures. When ice and snow melt, less solar radiation is reflected by the land or water surface, thus allowing the Earth to warm.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 4 - Concept D

Ice is an especially powerful agent of weathering and erosion.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept G

Ice is an especially powerful agent of weathering and erosion. Water expands as it freezes, widening cracks and breaking apart rocks. Movement of massive glaciers can scour away land surfaces. The flowing ice of glaciers covers and alters vast areas of continents during Ice Ages.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept B

Identification and understanding of facts and assumptions about climate change are essential to informed decision making to solve related problems.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept D

Industrialization has the potential to improve the quality of life in the short-term but also creates long-term challenges, including increased energy demand and the resultant adverse impacts on ecosystems and the climate system.

EL : Geosphere fact 2

In the outer core, these flows are believed to be responsible for generating a magnetic field that extends far into space. This field, the magnetosphere, serves to protect the Earth from much harmful particle radiation from the Sun and from deep space. Closer to the Earth's surface, convective flows in the mantle associated with seafloor spreading move the tectonic plates of Earth's crust. These motions, which have been happening for billions of years and continue today, generate much of the large-scale topography of the Earth's surface. The topography of both the seafloor and the continents has important consequences for flows of matter and energy in the hydrosphere and atmosphere. The movement of the plates over, under and against each other gives rise to processes including continental drift, uplift and mountain building, subduction, earthquakes, and volcanism. These processes can have profound effects on the composition of the atmosphere and hydrosphere over time.

ASL: Principle 6 - Concept E

Inaccuracies and the imprecision inherent in instruments, mathematical representation of physical processes, model resolution, and discrete numerical calculations limit the accuracy of the resulting simulations and prediction. Models improve with technological theoretical advances, which improve data quality and quantity and our ability to represent physical processes. The chaotic nature and inherent complexity of some natural processes ultimately limits how far in advance atmospheric phenomena can be predicted, forcing the use of statistical projections.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept H

Individuals as well as community, government, business and industry leaders can contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation.

ASL: Principle 5 - Concept B

Interactions and feedbacks among the components of the Earth System can produce short-term oscillations (such as El Niño and La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean), long-term changes in the state of the system (such as global warming), and abrupt, unexpected events (such as sudden release of methane from permafrost).

CL: Principle 4 - Concept H

Interactions between components of the Earth's climate system result in changes to the system and produce emergent phenomena unique to the system. Human beings are an integral part of Earth's climate system. Human activities such as fossil fuel burning or deforestation can affect climate and alter the equilibrium of the climate system.

EL: Energy Principle 2 - Concept C

Intermediate time-scale climate changes take place over hundreds to thousands of years, such as those arising from changes in thermohaline ocean circulation.

Climate Literacy: Principle 1

LIFE ON EARTH HAS BEEN SHAPED BY, DEPENDS ON, AND AFFECTS CLIMATE

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept G

Landscapes result from the dynamic interplay between processes that form and uplift new crust and processes that destroy and depress the crust. This interplay is affected by gravity, density differences, plate tectonics, climate, water, the actions of living organisms, and the resistance of Earth materials to weathering and erosion.

Environmental Literacy: Biosphere Principle 1

Life began approximately 3.5 billion years ago and, in general, has grown more complex over time.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept H

Life changes the physical and chemical properties of Earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Living organisms produced most of the oxygen in the atmosphere through photosynthesis and provided the substance of fossil fuels and many sedimentary rocks. The fossil record provides a means for understanding the history of these changes.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 6

Life evolves on a dynamic Earth and continuously modifies Earth.

EL : Biosphere fact 3

Life has been present for a large percentage of Earth's history and has changed over time as it has adapted to changes in the Earth system. Life now inhabits nearly every environment in the Earth system.

Environmental Literacy: Biosphere Principle 4

Life is a key component of biogeochemical cycles.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept I

Life occupies a wide range of Earth's environments, including extreme environments. Some microbes live in rocks kilometers beneath the surface, within glacial ice, and at seafloor vents where hot fluids escape from the oceanic crust. Some of these environments may be similar to the conditions under which life originated, and to environments that exist on other planets and moons.

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept F

Life on Earth began more than 3.5 billion years ago. Fossils indicate that life began with single-celled organisms, which were the only life forms for billions of years. Humans (Homo sapiens) have existed for only a very small fraction (about 0.004%) of Earth's history

CL: Principle 1 - Concept F

Life on Earth, including microbes, plants, and animals such as humans, can influence climate substantially and has throughout the evolution of life on the planet.

Environmental Literacy: Biosphere Principle 5

Life's relationship with climate consists of a web of complex interactions and feedbacks. All life on Earth is affected by climatic conditions while simultaneously impacting those conditions.

EL : Biosphere fact 5

Life's relationship with the Earth system consists of a web of complex interactions and feedbacks. All life, including human life, is affected by climate.

EL : Biosphere fact 4

Life, due to its extended history on Earth, has become an integral component of biogeochemical cycles within the Earth system.

ASL: Principle 7 - Concept B

Living organisms can and do change the composition of Earth's atmosphere and its processes. Many human activities, such as farming, forestry, building of cities, and burning of fossil fuels, alter atmosphere composition and thereby impact the functioning of ecosystems, human health, and climate on local, regional, and global scales.

EL: Energy Principle 2 - Concept D

Long-term climate changes can occur over time-scales of tens of thousands of years or more, including changes resulting from variation in Earth's orbital configuration (Milankovitch Cycles) or from the movement of tectonic plates.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept E

Many active geologic processes occur at plate boundaries. Plate interactions change the shapes, sizes, and positions of continents and ocean basins, the locations of mountain ranges and basins, the patterns of ocean circulation and climate, the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes, and the distribution of resources and living organisms.

OL: Principle 2 - Concept A

Many earth materials and geochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept F

Mass extinctions occur when global conditions change faster than species in large numbers can adapt. Mass extinctions are often followed by the origination of many new species over millions of years as surviving species evolve and fill vacated niches.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept E

Microorganisms dominated Earth's early biosphere and continue today to be the most widespread, abundant, and diverse group of organisms on the planet. Microbes change the chemistry of Earth's surface and play a critical role in nutrient cycling within most ecosystems.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept D

More complex life forms and ecosystems have arisen over the course of Earth's history. This complexity has emerged in association with adaptations to new and constantly changing habitats. But not all evolution causes greater complexity; organisms adapting to changing local environments may also become simpler.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept B

Most life in the ocean exists as microbes. Microbes are the most important primary producers in the ocean. Not only are they the most abundant life form in the ocean, they have extremely fast growth rates and life cycles.

ASL: Principle 7 - Concept A

Most living organisms on Earth are dependent on Earth's atmosphere and its processes for survival. We require oxygen for breathing; rely on ozone in the stratosphere to protect us from harmful radiation from the Sun; depend on prevailing wind patterns to drive ocean upwelling and so supply food; rely on wind to power turbines, sails, and ventilators; and need rain from drinking water and agriculture.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept E

Most of Earth's water (97%) is in the ocean. Seawater has unique properties: it is saline, its freezing point is slightly lower than fresh water, its density is slightly higher, its electrical conductivity is much higher, and it is slightly basic. The salt in seawater comes from eroding land, volcanic emissions, reactions at the seafloor, and atmospheric deposition.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 4 - Concept C

Most of the freshwater on Earth is stored as ice on Antarctica and Greenland.

OL: Principle 4 - Concept A

Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere originally came from the activities of photosynthetic organisms in the ocean.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept D

Most rain that falls on land originally evaporated from the tropical ocean.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept D

Much of the world's population lives in coastal areas.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept E

Natural hazards can be local or global in origin. Local events can have distant impacts because of the interconnectedness of both human societies and Earth's systems. For example, a volcanic eruption in the Pacific Ocean can impact climate around the globe.

Earth Science Literacy: Principle 8

Natural hazards pose risks to humans.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept A

Natural hazards result from natural Earth processes. These hazards include earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, droughts, landslides, volcanic eruptions, extreme weather, lightning-induced fires, sinkholes, coastal erosion, and comet and asteroid impacts.

ESL: Principle 8 - Concept B

Natural hazards shape the history of human societies. Hazardous events can significantly alter the size of human populations and drive human migrations. Risks from natural hazards increase as populations expand into vulnerable areas or concentrate in already-inhabited areas

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept C

Natural resources are limited. Earth's natural resources provide the foundation for all of human society's physical needs. Most are nonrenewable on human time scales, and many will run critically low in the near future.

OL: Principle 7 - Concept D

New technologies, sensors and tools are expanding our ability to explore the ocean. Ocean scientists are relying more and more on satellites, drifters, buoys, subsea observatories and unmanned submersibles.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 1 - Concept A

Nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) are the principal constituents of the atmosphere. These elements are essential for most life on Earth.

CL: Principle 2 - Concept D

Observations, experiments, and theory used to construct and refine computer models and develop scientific explanations lead to better understanding of the linkages between the atmosphere-ocean system and how it relates to the overall climate system's behavior. As a result, more reliable projections of future climate changes will develop over time.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept D

Ocean biology provides many unique examples of life cycles, adaptations and important relationships among organisms (symbiosis, predator-prey dynamics and energy transfer) that do not occur on land.

OL: Principle 7 - Concept F

Ocean exploration is truly interdisciplinary. It requires close collaboration among biologists, chemists, climatologists, computer programmers, engineers, geologists, meteorologists, and physicists, and new ways of thinking.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept F

Ocean habitats are defined by environmental factors. Due to interactions of abiotic factors such as salinity, temp-erature, oxygen, pH, light, nutrients, pressure, substrate and circulation, ocean life is not evenly distributed temporally or spatially, i.e., it is "patchy". Some regions of the ocean support more diverse and abundant life than anywhere on Earth, while much of the ocean is considered a desert.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept A

Ocean life ranges in size from the smallest virus to the largest animal that has lived on Earth, the blue whale.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept H

Oil and natural gas are unique resources that are central to modern life in many different ways. They are the precursors to chemicals used to make numerous products, such as plastics, textiles, medications, and fertilizers. Petroleum sources are needed to manufacture most industrial products.

ASL: Principle 2 - Concept C

On human time scales, the energy emitted by the Sun is nearly constant, varying only very slightly due to solar activity. The amount of solar energy received at a point on Earth's surface varies due to Earth's spherical shape, its daily rotation about its tilted axis, its annual revolution around the Sun, and the slight elliptical shape of Earth's orbit, leading to important cycles such as day and night, and the seasons. In addition, cloud cover and aerosols can reduce the amount of solar enerfy that reaches Earth's surface.

EL: Biosphere Principle 3 - Concept A

On land, access to water is a key factor in determining how life adapts to its environment. Climate largely determines the availability of water in terrestrial ecosystems.

EL: Energy Principle 3 - Concept C

Other biogeochemical cycles (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous) also play key roles in Earth's climate system.

ASL: Principle 1 - Concept E

Other bodies in the Solar System also have atmospheres. Their composition and motions vary considerably from those of Earth's atmosphere due to planetary size, place in the Solar System, speed of rotation, and other planetary processes.

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept B

Our Solar System formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago. Some of this gas and dust was the remains of the supernova explosion of a previous star; our bodies are therefore made of "stardust." This age of 4.6 billion years is well established from the decay rates of radioactive elements found in meteorites and rocks from the Moon.

ASL: Principle 6 - Concept C

Our understanding of Earth's atmosphere allows scientists to develop numerical (computer) models that can be used to simulate Earth's weather and climate. Such models are fundamental to modern weather analysis and forecasting and are essential to scientists' efforts to understand Earth's past climate and predict future climate.

ASL: Principle 6 - Concept A

Our understanding of Earth's atmosphere comes from analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of accurate and purposeful observation of the atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, land surface, and Polar Regions.

CL: Principle 2 - Concept B

Our understanding of climate differs in important ways from our understanding of weather. Thus, climate scientists' ability to predict climate patterns months, years, or even decades into the future is not constrained by the limitations meteorologists face in forecasting weather on much shorter timescales (days to weeks into the future).

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept G

Over Earth's vast history, both gradual and catastrophic processes have produced enormous changes. Super-continents formed and broke apart, the compositions of the atmosphere and ocean changed, sea level rose and fell, living species evolved and went extinct, ice sheets advanced and melted away, meteorites slammed into Earth, and mountains formed and eroded away

OL: Principle 7 - Concept C

Over the last 40 years, use of ocean resources has increased significantly, therefore the future sustainability of ocean resources depends on our understanding of those resources and their potential and limitations.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 4 - Concept C

Patterns of atmospheric circulation are affected by many things, including the shape of the continents and the ocean basins, Earth's rotation, and temperature differences.

ASL: Principle 3 - Concept C

Patterns of circulation in Earth's atmosphere can be observed at many different spatial scales form global to local. Temperature differences, the rotation of Earth on its axis, and the configuration of the continents and oceans establish the large-scale atmospheric circulation.

EL: Biosphere Principle 4 - Concept A

Photosynthesis by primary producers is an important part of the carbon cycle.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 2 - Concept D

Plate tectonic motions change the size and shape of ocean basins, and alter coastlines and features on the seafloor. These changes influence ocean circulation patterns over long timescales.

EL : Geosphere fact 3

Plate tectonics, driven by convection in the mantle, explains how Earth's crust and uppermost mantle are broken into plates that move in relation to one another. This movement changes the size, shape, and position of continents and ocean basins and plays a role in determining global climate.

EL: Geosphere Principle 1 - Concept C

Processes arising from plate tectonics, such as earthquakes and volcanism, can have direct and profound effects on the other Earth systems.

Climate Change

Refers to long-term changes in the climate. Climate change can be natural, or might be caused by changes people have made to the land and atmosphere (e.g., urbanization, pollution).

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept E

Regions where organisms actively interact with each other and their environment are called ecosystems. Ecosystems provide the goods (food, fuel, oxygen, and nutrients) and services (climate regulation, water cycling and purification, and soil development and maintenance) necessary to sustain the biosphere. Ecosystems are considered the planet's essential life-support units.

CL: Principle 4 - Concept G

Relatively small increases in amounts of greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides and some refrigerants—can magnify the greenhouse effect.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept D

Resources are distributed unevenly around the planet. Resource distribution is a result of how and where geologic processes have occurred in the past, and has extremely important social, economic, and political implications.

OL: Principle 2 - Concept D

Sand consists of tiny bits of animals, plants, rocks and minerals. Most beach sand is eroded from land sources and carried to the coast by rivers, but sand is also eroded from coastal sources by surf. Sand is redistributed by waves and coastal currents seasonally.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 3 - Concept B

Sea level changes as ocean water expands or contracts due to changes in the temperature of the water.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 3 - Concept C

Sea level changes as plate tectonic motions alter the size and shape of ocean basins.

OL: Principle 2 - Concept B

Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 3 - Concept A

Sea level falls as water is stored on land as ice in glaciers or ice sheets, and rises as that ice melts and returns water to the ocean.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept D

Sea level is the average height of the ocean relative to the land, taking into account the differences caused by tides. Sea level changes as plate tectonics cause the volume of ocean basins and the height of the land to change. It changes as ice caps on land melt or grow. It also changes as sea water expands and contracts when ocean water warms and cools

EL : Hydrosphere fact 7

Sea level is the average height of the ocean relative to the land. Sea level changes over time due to a number of factors

Environmental Literacy: Hydrosphere Principle 3

Sea level is the average height of the ocean relative to the land. Sea level changes over time due to a number of factors.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept I

Shorelines move back and forth across continents, depositing sediments that become the surface rocks of the land. Through dynamic processes of plate tectonics and glaciation, Earth's sea level rises and falls by up to hundreds of meters. This fluctuation causes shorelines to advance and recede by hundreds of kilometers. The upper rock layers of most continents formed when rising sea levels repeatedly flooded the interiors of continents.

EL: Energy Principle 2 - Concept B

Short term climate oscillations can occur over time-scales of months to decades, and include events such as the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or North Atlantic Oscillation, among others.

Atmosphere fact 4

Since there is no sharp boundaries in the atmosphere, pollutants resulting from industrial emissions in one place can travel across country and continental boundaries and negatively affect those that did not create the pollution.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept I

Slowing or reversing human impact on climate change trends might be accomplished by combining short-term strategies -- such as conservation, more efficient use of resources, and the switch from carbon-intensive energy to renewable sources -- with long-term investments in technology research and implementation, and by adopting sustainable development strategies, such as building alternative energy infrastructure and a "green" economy.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept F

Soil, rocks, and minerals provide essential metals and other materials for agriculture, manufacturing, and building. Soil develops slowly from weathered rock, and the erosion of soil threatens agriculture. Minerals and metals are often concentrated in very specific ore deposits. Locating and mining these ore deposits provide the raw materials for much of our industry. Many electronic and mechanical devices have specific requirements for particular rare metals and minerals that are in short supply.

ASL: Principle 2 - Concept D

Solar energy drives many chemical, biological, and physical processes that affect Earth's atmosphere. These include processes such as photosynthesis, evaporation of liquid water to produce water vapor, formation of smog, and the formation and destruction of ozone.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept A

Solar energy heats Earth's surface and thus the atmosphere, causing movements of air masses and introducing water in the global water cycle.

Environmental Literacy: Energy Principle 1

Solar energy is the driving force for Earth's climate system.

EL : Energy fact 4

Solar energy is the driving force for Earth's climate system. Solar energy received by Earth varies due to many factors, is transformed and exchanged between Earth systems, and drives large-scale movements in the ocean and atmosphere.

EL: Energy Principle 1 - Concept A

Solar energy measured at the Earth's surface (insolation) varies due to Earth's shape, its orientation with respect to the Sun, and the characteristics of its orbit around the Sun. Earth's tilt and orbit cause the annual cycle of seasons and associated temperature changes. Cyclical, long-term changes in Earth's orbit and tilt, called Milankovitch Cycles, have profound effects on insolation and therefore global climate

CL: Principle 6 - Concept C

Some changes resulting from human activities have decreased the capacity of the environment to support various species.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept C

Some major groups are found exclusively in the ocean. The diversity of major groups of organisms is much greater in the ocean than on land.

ESL: Principle 2 - Concept E

Studying other objects in the solar system helps us learn Earth's history. Active geologic processes such as plate tectonics and erosion have destroyed or altered most of Earth's early rock record. Many aspects of Earth's early history are revealed by objects in the solar system that have not changed as much as Earth has.

CL: Principle 3 - Concept F

Sunlight is the ultimate source of most of the energy used by humans. The energy in fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal comes from energy captured long ago from the sun.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 2 - Concept A

Surface ocean currents are driven primarily by wind. Examples of these currents include the Gulf Stream, the Kuroshio Current, the equatorial current system, and the Antarctic circumpolar current.

Climate Literacy: Principle 3

THE SUN IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR THE CLIMATE SYSTEM

ESL: Principle 1 - Concept G

Technological advances, breakthroughs in interpretation, and new observations continuously refine our understanding of Earth. This Earth Science Literacy framework must be a living document that grows along with our changing ideas and concepts of Earth.

OL: Principle 2 - Concept E

Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 2 - Concept C

The Coriolis effect, due to Earth's rotation, impacts the movement of ocean currents, giving rise to phenomena such as gyres.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 1

The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept C

The El Niño Southern Oscillation causes important changes in global weather patterns because it changes the way heat is released to the atmosphere in the Pacific.

EL : Atmosphere fact 2

The atmosphere behaves like a fluid; therefore it is able to transport energy as well as gas, dust and water vapor around the Earth. Acted upon by the combination of Earth's rotation and the energy from the Sun, the atmosphere is in constant motion. Closer to the ground, this motion is influenced by the shape of the land. Wind friction on the surface of the ocean creates waves and drives ocean currents in combination with the Coriolis force. Moving air masses create the weather patterns we experience, and, over time, the aggregate of these patterns in any given location is what is known as climate.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 1 - Concept B

The atmosphere contains greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) that cause more solar energy to be retained on Earth.

CL: Principle 7 - Concept E

The atmosphere covers the entire surface of Earth; thus, activities that effect climate (e.g., energy use leading to greenhouse gas release into the atmosphere) in one region affect human beings and other species worldwide.

ASL: Principle 1 - Concept B

The atmosphere has mass, is bound to Earth by gravity, and exerts pressure which is greater near Earth's surface and decreases with altitude.

EL : Atmosphere fact 1

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases and aerosols that envelops the Earth, extending from the surface up to an altitude of about 100 kilometers. Due to Earth's gravity, the atmosphere is most dense at the surface and becomes thinner with altitude, until it gives way to the vacuum of outer space. The atmosphere is conceptually divided into four layers. The troposphere is nearest the surface, followed by the stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The troposphere is where almost all of the phenomena we associate with weather and climate occur.

EL : Atmosphere fact 4

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases with small, but important, quantities of liquid and solid particles. The composition of the atmosphere affects the amount of solar energy received and retained on Earth and has changed over time.

Environmental Literacy: Atmosphere Principle 1

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases with small, but important, quantities of liquid and solid particles. The composition of the atmosphere affects the amount of solar energy received, and has changed over time.

Atmosphere fact 2

The atmosphere is continuously changing - changes from hour to hour and day to day give us weather, while changes over periods of months to millennia give us climate.

ASL: Principle 1 - Concept C

The atmosphere, which is very thin relative to Earth's radius, varies vertically in layers which differ in composition, density, and temperature. The lowest 8-16 km of the atmosphere - the troposphere - contains most of Earth's weather systems.

Climate

The atmospheric conditions (i.e., weather variables) over a long period of time (season, year, or longer) and over a large area (region, continent, or larger) as well as the climatic extremes.

Weather

The atmospheric conditions at any given time or place. Such conditions and others include temperature, precipitation, humidity, air pressure, cloudiness, and wind speed and direction.

Environmental Literacy: Biosphere Principle 2

The biosphere consists of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

EL : Biosphere fact 1

The biosphere is made up of all living things in the Earth system. Life began in the ocean approximately 3.5 billion years ago, and evolved in parallel with changes in the other Earth systems. Today there are few environments on Earth that do not support life in some form; these different environments are called ecosystems. The biosphere can be thought of as one global ecosystem comprised of many smaller ecosystems. The prevalence of life is significant in contributing to the characteristics of other Earth systems. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere is the result of life's long history on Earth, and life continues to be a major factor in maintaining the atmosphere's oxygen levels through photosynthesis. The geosphere contains sedimentary layers made of the remains of ancient life forms, and most of humanity's energy needs are met through the burning of fossil fuels extracted from these deposits. This burning changes the composition of the atmosphere, which in turn affects the amount of solar energy retained in the Earth system, which affects the life forms in the biosphere.

EL: Energy Principle 3 - Concept A

The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon between reservoirs in the atmosphere, ocean, lithosphere, and biosphere. When more carbon is stored in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane, the greenhouse effect is amplified.

CL: Principle 4 - Concept D

The carbon cycle influences climate in a variety of ways, including seasonal interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, and the formation and consumption of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas, is removed from the atmosphere in the ocean and other parts of the Earth system through biologic and geologic processes.

EL : Atmosphere fact 3

The characteristics of the atmosphere make life possible on Earth. The atmosphere's blend of gases determines the wavelengths of solar radiation that reach the Earth's surface and, likewise, how much of this energy is radiated back into space. This property of the atmosphere plays a crucial role in determining global climate, which is sensitive to changes in the proportions of the different atmospheric ingredients. This unit presents the essential ideas that illustrate the role of the atmosphere in global climate.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept G

The consensus of scientific opinion is that the natural processes driving Earth's long-term climate changes cannot entirely explain the rapid changes observed in recent decades, nor do they solely predict those projected for coming decades.

EL : Hydrosphere fact 3

The cryosphere is a part of the Earth system where changes in climate are happening the most rapidly. Changes in the cryosphere affect the hydrosphere through exchange of fresh water that causes alterations in thermohaline circulation. Large amounts of fresh water flowing into the ocean from melting glaciers on land raise sea level and also change water temperature and salinity, thus influencing the behavior of the global ocean circulation system.

EL : Hydrosphere fact 2

The immense size of the ocean makes it a powerful driver of global climate. Wind-driven surface currents and deep ocean (thermohaline) currents, driven by differences in temperature and density, move tremendous amounts of water, energy and nutrients between the high latitudes and the equatorial regions. This transport takes place on a timescale ranging from minutes to hundreds of years in a continuous oceanic conveyor belt that encircles the Earth.

EL: Biosphere Principle 1 - Concept A

The earliest evidence for life indicates that it began in the ocean and was microbial in nature. Microbial life is still by far the most abundant and widespread life on Earth.

CL: Principle 1 - Concept A

The evolution of organisms can be driven by specific climatological conditions, including but not limited to temperature, humidity, precipitation, and sunlight.

Climate System

The five physical components (atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryo- sphere, lithosphere, and biosphere) that are responsible for the climate and it's variations

EL : Energy fact 6

The flow of energy drives biogeochemical cycles that play key roles within and between the Earth systems.

ESL: Principle 3 - Concept A

The four major systems of Earth are the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. The geosphere includes a metallic core, solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments. The atmosphere is the envelope of gas surrounding Earth. The hydrosphere includes the ice, water vapor, and liquid water in the atmosphere, the ocean, lakes, streams, soils, and groundwater. The biosphere includes Earth's life, which can be found in many parts of the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Humans are part of the biosphere, and human activities have important impacts on all four spheres.

Environmental Literacy: Geosphere Principle 5

The geologic record shows that climate has natural variations resulting from interactions among tectonic events, solar output, ocean circulation, changes in Earth's orbit and rotation, volcanic activity, glaciers, extraterrestrial bodies, and life.

EL : Geosphere fact 1

The geosphere is the foundation of the Earth system. It consists of the solid Earth—a sphere that condensed out of the disk of gas and dust that was the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. The gravity associated with Earth's mass determines its spherical shape, and is responsible for the composition of the geosphere as a function of depth. Denser elements like nickel and iron have tended to settle toward the core, while lighter elements have been displaced toward the surface. Heat, generated by the decay of radioactive elements, causes convective flows of material within the Earth.

CL: Principle 6 - Concept D

The increased burning of fossil fuels since the start of the industrial revolution has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Because carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for many years (hundreds to thousands of years) before being removed by natural processes, this has contributed to Earth's warming.

Likely and Very Likely

The intergovernmental panel on climate change defines likely and very likely terms to indicate the assessed likelihood, using experiment judgment, of an outcome or result: Virtually certain > 99% probability or occurrence, Extremely likely > 95%, Very likely > 90%, and Likely > 66%.

Environmental Literacy: Geosphere Principle 1

The interior of the Earth is composed of concentric layers. Convection in some of these layers drives processes that affect other parts of the Earth System.

EL : Biosphere fact 2

The number of different life forms in the biosphere is unknown, but is estimated to be anywhere from 5 to 50 million species. This variety of species is sometimes referred to as biodiversity, which changes over time. The geologic record shows several occasions in the past where biodiversity has dropped sharply. Some of these intervals in the geologic record provide clues as to what caused these changes, while other mass extinctions still remain a mystery. Each time, the biosphere has recovered over millions of years to reoccupy the ecosystems left empty. Observations indicate that we are currently in a period of sharply declining biodiversity.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept B

The ocean absorbs much of the solar radiation reaching Earth. The ocean loses heat by evaporation. This heat loss drives atmospheric circulation when, after it is released into the atmosphere as water vapor, it condenses and forms rain. Condensation of water evaporated from warm seas provides the energy for hurricanes and cyclones.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept A

The ocean affects every human life. It supplies freshwater (most rain comes from the ocean) and nearly all Earth's oxygen. It moderates the Earth's climate, influences our weather, and affects human health.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 6

The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 2

The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth.

EL : Hydrosphere fact 5

The ocean circulates water around the Earth on time scales varying from seasonal to hundreds of years.

Environmental Literacy: Hydrosphere Principle 2

The ocean circulates water around the Earth on time scales varying from seasonal to hundreds of years.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept A

The ocean controls weather and climate by dominating the Earth's energy, water and carbon systems.

Ocean Fact

The ocean covers most of our planet, is the source of most life on Earth, regulates our weather and climate, provides most of our oxygen, and feeds much of the human population.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept E

The ocean dominates the Earth's carbon cycle. Half the primary productivity on Earth takes place in the sunlit layers of the ocean and the ocean absorbs roughly half of all carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere.

OL: Principle 3 - Concept F

The ocean has had, and will continue to have, a significant influence on climate change by absorbing, storing, and moving heat, carbon and water.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 3

The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.

OL: Principle 6 - Concept C

The ocean is a source of inspiration, recreation, rejuvenation and discovery. It is also an important element in the heritage of many cultures.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept E

The ocean is three-dimensional, offering vast living space and diverse habitats from the surface through the water column to the seafloor. Most of the living space on Earth is in the ocean.

Environmental Literacy: Hydrosphere Principle 5

The ocean is three-dimensional, offering vast living space and diverse habitats, yet it is finite and its resources are limited.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 4

The ocean make the Earth habitable.

Ocean Literacy: Principle 5

The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

ESL: Principle 6 - Concept G

The particular life forms that exist today, including humans, are a unique result of the history of Earth's systems. Had this history been even slightly different, modern life forms might be entirely different and humans might never have evolved.

EL: Geosphere Principle 4 - Concept B

The pattern of polarity reversals of Earth's magnetic field provides a means of assigning relative ages to sediments and rocks.

CL: Principle 6 - Concept E

The preponderance of scientific evidence indicates that the observed increase in global average temperatures since the latter part of the 20th century is very likely due to documented increases in human-induced greenhouse gas concentrations, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.

Climate Variability

The range of values, such as temperature and precipitation, for climate at a particular location can take over time.

Environmental Literacy: Geosphere Principle 2

The rock cycle explains how the three different rock types (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) are formed, and how they cycle through the geosphere.

EL: Geosphere Principle 2 - Concept A

The rock cycle serves to regulate the amount of carbon in the atmosphere through the weathering, erosion, deposition and subduction of carbonate rocks. This carbon can be re-injected into the atmosphere via volcanic eruptions and other processes.

EL: Geosphere Principle 4 - Concept A

The structure, sequence and properties of rocks provide clues to events in Earth's history. Decay rates of radioactive elements are the primary means of obtaining numerical ages of rocks and organic remains.

OL: Principle 4 - Concept B

The first life is thought to have started in the ocean. The earliest evidence of life is found in the ocean.

Environmental Literacy: Energy Principle 3

The flow of energy drives biogeochemical cycles, which play a key role within and between Earth's system

OL: Principle 5 - Concept G

There are deep ocean ecosystems that are independent of energy from sunlight and photosynthetic organisms. Hydrothermal vents, submarine hot springs, methane cold seeps, and whale falls rely only on chemical energy and chemosynthetic organisms to support life.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 2 - Concept B

Thermohaline circulation is driven by differences in the density of water masses due to changes in salinity and temperature. This circulation incorporates intermediate and deep-water currents in a three-dimensional pattern.

EL: Biosphere Principle 1 - Concept B

Through the process of evolution by natural selection, life grew in complexity as it became better adapted to ecosystems that were themselves evolving towards higher complexity.

OL: Principle 1 - Concept C

Throughout the ocean there is one interconnected circulation system powered by wind, tides, the force of the Earth's rotation (Coriolis effect), the Sun, and water density differences. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land masses influence the path of circulation.

OL: Principle 5 - Concept H

Tides, waves and predation cause vertical zonation patterns along the shore, influencing the distribution and diversity of organisms.

ASL: Principle 6 - Concept D

To generate predictions, numerical models must begin with observations of Earth's atmosphere and the planet's land and ocean surfaces. These data are used to provide starting conditions or the models that are as complete as possible.

OL: Principle 7 - Concept B

Understanding the ocean is more than a matter of curiosity. Exploration, inquiry and study are required to better understand ocean systems and processes.

EL: Energy Principle 1 - Concept C

Unequal heating of Earth's surface by the Sun causes movement in the atmosphere and ocean, giving rise to circulation patterns in these systems that play an important role in global climate.

EL: Atmosphere Principle 4 - Concept B

Unequal heating of Earth's surface produces movement in the atmosphere.

OL: Principle 7 - Concept E

Use of mathematical models is now an essential part of ocean sciences. Models help us understand the complexity of the ocean and of its interaction with Earth's climate. They process observations and help describe the interactions among systems.

Climate Literacy: Principle 2

WE INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CLIMATE SYSTEM THROUGH OBSERVATION AND MODELING

CL: Principle 4 - Concept C

Water cycling on Earth is fundamental to weather and climate.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 1 - Concept A

Water has unique physical properties, including the way in which it absorbs and releases heat, reflects sunlight, absorbs carbon, expands upon freezing and dissolves other materials. These properties determine the role water plays in influencing the characteristics and behavior of the other Earth systems.

EL: Geosphere Principle 2 - Concept B

Water is an essential ingredient of the geosphere and the rock cycle; it erodes and transports sediments from the land to the ocean basins, aiding the recycling of continental crust. It is also important in processes deep within the Earth, including plate tectonics.

Environmental Literacy: Biosphere Principle 3

Water is essential for all life on Earth.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept B

Water is essential for life on Earth. Earth is unique in our Solar System in that water has coexisted at Earth's surface in three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) for billions of years, allowing the development and continuous evolution of life.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept A

Water is found everywhere on Earth, from the heights of the atmosphere to the depths of the mantle. Early in Earth's history, surface water accumulated through both outgassing from its interior and the capture of some extra-terrestrial ice. Water vapor in the atmosphere condensed and rained out as the planet cooled.

EL : Hydrosphere fact 4

Water plays a major role in determining the behavior and characteristics of all Earth's systems. Its movement between the different Earth systems comprises the hydrologic cycle.

Environmental Literacy: Hydrosphere Principle 1

Water plays a major role in determining the behavior and characteristics of all of Earth's systems. Its movement between the different systems comprises the hydrologic cycle.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept D

Water plays an important role in many of Earth's deep internal processes. Water allows rock to melt more easily, generating much of the magma that erupts as lava at volcanoes. Water facilitates the metamorphic alteration of rock and is integral to plate tectonic processes.

ESL: Principle 7 - Concept E

Water resources are essential for agriculture, manufacturing, energy production, and life. Earth scientists and engineers find and manage our fresh water resources, which are limited in supply. In many places, humans with-draw both surface water and groundwater faster than they are replenished. Once fresh water is contaminated, its quality is difficult to restore.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept F

Water shapes landscapes. Flowing water in streams strongly shapes the land surface through weathering, erosion, transport, and deposition. Water participates in both the dissolution and formation of Earth's material.

EL: Hydrosphere Principle 1 - Concept B

Water transports energy, solutes, and sediments as it moves through the water cycle's different reservoirs. Oceanic energy transport has a major impact on regional and global climate.

ESL: Principle 5 - Concept C

Water's unique combination of physical and chemical properties are essential to the dynamics of all of Earth's systems. These properties include the manner in which water absorbs and releases heat, reflects sunlight, expands upon freezing, and dissolves other materials

CL: Principle 2 - Concept C

We gain understanding of climate and how it has changed over time from observational data from weather stations, buoys, satellites, radars, ice and ocean sediment cores, tree rings, cave deposits, native knowledge, and other sources.

Environmental Literacy: Atmosphere Principle 6

We increase our understanding of Earth's atmosphere through direct observation, data collection, and modeling. Atmospheric data are gathered using weather stations, balloons, satellites, aircraft, buoys, and direct sampling.

Environmental Literacy: Biosphere Principle 6

We increase our understanding of Earth's biosphere through observation, data collection, and modeling. Observations of Earth's biosphere are made through the use of direct methods such as sampling or collecting census data and indirect methods such as satellite remote sensing and photography.

Environmental Literacy: Hydrosphere Principle 6

We increase our understanding of Earth's hydrosphere through direct and sustained observation, data collection, and modeling.Data from the Earth's hydrosphere are gathered using buoys, ships, satellites, submersibles, and direct sampling. Satellite observations are a very important element of our strategy for understanding the oceans and cryosphere.

Environmental Literacy: Geosphere Principle 6

We increase our understanding of the geosphere through direct observation, data collection, and modeling. Data are gathered through sediment core and rock sample analyses as well as geophysical measurements such as seismic, radar, and satellite observations.

Atmospheric Science Literacy: Principle 6

We seek to understand the past, present, and future behavior of the Earth's atmosphere through scientific observation and reasoning.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept C

Weather and climate variations, such as the seasons or El Niños and La Niñas, can be described by their duration, magnitude or frequency. These variations range from a fraction of a second to many years.

ASL: Principle 4 - Concept B

Weather changes over time periods ranging from seconds to weeks. Climate changes over intervals ranging from years to millennia. Earth's history has been marked by gradual variations in global climate caused by long-term cyclic variations in Earth's orbit and axial tilt, and modulated by changes over geologic time in the sizes and distribution of the continents. These gradual variations have been punctuated by relatively abrupt climatic shifts caused by volcanic eruptions and sudden redistributions of mass and energy in the Earth System.

ASL: Principle 7 - Concept D

Weather forecasts and predictions of future climate assist us in implementing mitigation strategies and adaption to new climatic conditions.

ASL: Principle 4 - Concept A

Weather is the state of Earth's atmosphere at a particular place and time. The climate of a particular place encompasses the long term range of weather conditions at that place. Earth's global climate is determined by the energy received from the Sun and is regulated by atmospheric composition and by atmospheric and oceanic circulations.

EL : Atmosphere fact 6

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time and differs from climate, which refers to average weather conditions over long time scales.

Environmental Literacy: Atmosphere Principle 5

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time and differs from climate, which refers to average weather conditions over long time scales.

CL: Principle 5 - Concept A

Weather is understood as the atmospheric conditions at any given time or place. Such conditions include temperature, precipitation, humidity, air pressure, cloudiness, and wind speed and direction.

ASL: Principle 4 - Concept D

Weather phenomena are important to human society. As evidenced in art, literature, and human culture over time, some atmospheric phenomena are beautiful, inspiring the human spirit. Severe weather, such as thunderstorm, tornadoes, and hurricanes, can bring rapid, dramatic changes to ecosystems and to individuals, property, and infrastructure.

ESL: Principle 4 - Concept H

Weathered and unstable rock materials erode from some parts of Earth's surface and are deposited in others. Under the influence of gravity, rocks fall downhill. Water, ice, and air carry eroded sediments to lower elevations, and ultimately to the ocean.

Environmental Literacy: Geosphere Principle 3

Weathering, erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment by water and ice shape the surface of the Earth.

EL : Geosphere fact 4

Weathering, erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment by water, ice and wind shape the surface of the Earth.

EL : Hydrosphere fact 1

When observed from space, Earth's striking blue color is due to the fact that it is nearly three-quarters covered with water. Water in all of its forms (solid, liquid, gas), including oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, glaciers, and clouds, comprises the hydrosphere. The cryosphere is a subsystem of the hydrosphere and includes all water in its solid form including, but not limited to, ice sheets, glaciers, ice shelves, sea ice, and snow.

EL : Hydrosphere fact 6

When water is stored as ice, it becomes part of the Earth's cryosphere. This ice occurs on land as glaciers and ice sheets, and in the ocean as ice shelves and sea ice.

Environmental Literacy: Hydrosphere Principle 4

When water is stored as ice, it becomes part of the Earth's cryosphere. This ice occurs on land as glaciers and ice sheets, and in the ocean as ice shelves and sea ice.

Atmosphere fact 3

While Earth's atmosphere provides many benefits, such as oxygen, rain, and power from the wind, it also brings hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and droughts.

EL : Energy fact 2

Without this energy nothing could move, change, live, or reproduce. Energy drives motion in the Earth's crust that shapes the surface of the planet; these surface features in turn influence solar energy-driven flows in the ocean and atmosphere. These flows distribute energy through the Earth system in ways that support the rich assortment of life in the biosphere. This constant redistribution of energy is very closely tied to the state of global climate.

An ocean-literate person:

• understands the Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts about the functioning of the ocean; • can communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way; and • is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources.

A climate-literate person:

• understands the essential principles of all aspects of the Earth system governing climate patterns that are presented in this document; • knows how to gather information about climate and weather, and how to distinguish credible from non-credible scientific sources on the subject; • communicates about climate and climate change in a meaningful way; • and makes scientifically informed and responsible decisions regarding climate.

An Earth-science-literate person:

• understands the fundamental concepts of Earth's many systems • knows how to find and assess scientifically credible information about Earth • communicates about Earth science in a meaningful way • is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding Earth and its resources