World Geography I test Earth Spheres

Where does all of the energy that reaches the Earth come from?

all of the energy that reaches the earth comes from the sun. Intercepted first by the atmosphere, a small part is directly absorbed, particularly by certain gases such as ozone and water vapor. Some energy is also reflected back to space by clouds and the earth's surface.

Core

consisting of very hot metal mostly iron mixed with nickel. This is what creates the electro-magnetic shield (the magnetosphere) around the earth which protects the atmosphere

The plates move by a process called ___________________ which is a _________________ movement used when a material is heated, expands, and rises then cools and falls. This process occurs in the_________________________

convection, circular, mantle beneath the plates,

What does "Bio" mean and who coined the term Biosphere and when?

"Bio" means life, and the term biosphere was first coined by a Russian scientist (Vladimir Vernadsky) in the 1920s.

In understanding the Hydrosphere, how much of the Earth's water is available for human consumption? (Give answer in a percentage)

2.5% which is freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only 1.3% of all freshwater (which was only 2.5% of all water) is surface water, which serves most of life's needs.

Water is more than ___________ of the earth's surface. The large landmasses on the surface are called _______________. ____________ are classified in terms of ____________ which is the difference in elevation. (land forms-mountains-2000ft, hills, plateaus, plains.) plateau-raised area, but the surface is ________________________.(some have deep gullies or canyons making them seem _______________.)

70%, Continents, Landforms, Relief, generally level, rough

Volcanos and the Ring of Fire

A circle of volcanoes surrounding the Pacific ocean The volatile movements are plates in the area create hot spots for volcanoes, earth quakes, island chains, and tsunami

What is the difference between a population and a community?

A number of individuals of the same species in a given area constitute a population. The number typically ranges anywhere from a few individuals to several thousand individuals. Bacterial populations can number in the millions. Populations live in a place or environment called a habitat. All of the populations of species in a given region together make up a community.

In the 1900s, ________________ suggested ______________________ theory. He suggested the earth was once a super continent called ______________. He believed it broke up over a _________________ years ago. He used evidence in the ____________________to strengthen his theory. By identifying certain ancient animals and plants in _______ _____ _____ _____were identical.

Alfred Wegener, Continental Drift, Pangea, 180 million, fossil record, South America, India, Africa, and Australia

What is chemical weathering?

Alters rocks chemical makeup by changing the minerals that make the rock or combining them with new chemical elements Most important factors are water and carbon dioxide

What is an Ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their environment. Ecosystems occur in all sizes.

What is the Lithosphere?

Around 30% of the Earth's surface is land, including continents, islands, ocean basins, and the ocean floor. This land and the crust of the Earth makes up the lithosphere.

Explain the Troposphere in 5 sentences?

Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into four layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The word troposphere comes from tropein, meaning to turn or change. All of the earth's weather occurs in the troposphere. It extends from the earth's surface to an average of 12 km (7 miles). The layer ends at the point where temperature no longer varies with height. This area, known as the tropopause, marks the transition to the stratosphere. Winds increase with height up to the jet stream

List and explain the four layers of the earth's atmosphere.

Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into four layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The word troposphere comes from tropein, meaning to turn or change. All of the earth's weather occurs in the troposphere. It extends from the earth's surface to an average of 12 km (7 miles). The layer ends at the point where temperature no longer varies with height. This area, known as the tropopause, marks the transition to the stratosphere. Winds increase with height up to the jet stream. The stratosphere is the layer above the troposphere, characterized primarily as a stable, stratified layer (hence, stratosphere) with a large temperature inversion throughout (see chart above). The main impact the stratosphere has on weather is that its stable air prevents large storms from extending much beyond the tropopause. The other main impact important to life deals with ozone First, temperature in the mesosphere decreases with height. The air is extremely thin at this level. In this layer, there is a significant temperature inversion. The few molecules that are present in the thermosphere receive extraordinary amounts of energy from the sun, causing the layer to warm. Unlike the layers discussed previously, there is no well defined boundary between the thermosphere and the exosphere (i.e., there is no boundary layer called the thermopause).

How did the Atmosphere come to have oxygen in it? What are some examples of processes that helped? (complete answer)

Billions of years of primary production by plants released oxygen from this carbon dioxide and deposited the carbon in sediments, eventually producing the oxygen-rich atmosphere we know today.

Explain each of the three processes of energy heat transfer from the earth to the atmosphere. Also provide an example for each in your explanation.

Conduction is the process by which heat energy is transmitted through contact with neighboring molecules. During the day, solar radiation heats the ground, which heats the air next to it by conduction. Convection transmits heat by transporting groups of molecules from place to place within a substance. Convection occurs in fluids such as water and air, which move freely. .The warm, light air at the equator rises and spreads northward and southward, and the cool dense air at the poles sinks and spreads toward the equator. As a result, two convection cells are formed. Radiation is the transfer of heat energy without the involvement of a physical substance in the transmission. Radiation can transmit heat through a vacuum.

What relationship does density have with the Hydrosphere?

Density of sea water is of prime importance in circulation of ocean waters because slight density differences causes water to move. Where density of sea water increases by lowering of temperature of evaporation at the surface, the water tends to sink displacing less dense water below it. Just like convection wind systems, such vertical movements of sea water are also described as convectional currents.

What is Evolution?

Ecosystems are dynamic communities changing over time in response to abiotic or biotic changes in the environment. Species must be able to adapt to these changes in order to survive. As they adapt, the organisms themselves undergo change. Evolution is the gradual change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species over time. It is important to note that it is the population that evolves, rather than individuals.

The Outer Planets are known as _____________ because they are less ______________ and more ____________ then the Inner planets

Gas giants, dense, gaseous

Geology

Geology the study of Earth's physical structure and history

What is a Glacier?

Glaciers are huge slow moving sheets of ice. They form over many years as layers of ice press together thawing slightly and then returning back to ice.

What is a species?

Groups of organisms that are physically and genetically related can be classified into species. There are millions of species on the earth, most of them unstudied and many of them unknown.

What is a food web? How does it work?

In order to understand the flow of energy and matter within an ecosystem, it is necessary to study the feeding relationships of the living organisms within it. Autotrophs that make their own food are known as producers, while heterotrophs that eat other organisms, living or dead, are known as consumers. A community has many food chains that are interwoven into a complex food web. The amount of organic material in a food web is referred to as its biomass. The result is a pyramid of energy flow, with producers forming the base level.

Landforms are usually formed by ______________ that originate In the earth's interiors ___________ are magma breaking through the crust. ___________ at the surface is known as ________.

Internal forces, Volcanoes, Magma, Lava

What is Erosion? What are the different types of Erosion? What natural formation is the most recognizable product of Erosion?

Is the movement of weathered materials such as gravel, soil, and water. Most common causes of erosion are water, wind, and glaciers. The most recognizable product of Erosion is the Grand Canyon.

Outer Planets

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Where did life first evolve and why?

Life evolved after oceans formed, as the ocean environment provided the necessary nutrients and support medium for the initial simple organisms. It also protected them from the harsh atmospheric UV radiation. As organisms became more complex they eventually became capable of living on land. However, this could not occur until the atmosphere became oxidizing and a protective ozone layer formed which blocked the harmful UV radiation. Over roughly the last four billion years, organisms have diversified and adapted to all kinds of environments

Inner Planets

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Give a complete description of the Hydro-logical cycle.

Most important feature of global environment of Earth is the hydrological cycle which determines the distribution of water on Earth's surface and in the atmosphere. The water is evaporated from surface of water bodies like oceans, lakes, rivers etc. as water vapor into atmosphere. It is also absorbed by plants from soil and lost as vapor to atmosphere through transpiration. The water vapor condenses in the atmosphere to form precipitation and thus water is returned from the atmosphere to the surface of Earth. Cyclic movement of water in different components of the global environment is termed hydrological cycle. OCEAN-WATER

Dwarf Planet and example

Not big enough to have a enough gravity to create objects to orbit them. Pluto

Subduction

Oceanic plates are denser then continental plates so when they meet the oceanic plate slides beneath the continental plate down towards the mantle. When two oceanic plates collide the denser plate will slide beneath the other. Volcanic islands may form during this collision.

What are the different levels of Ecology in order?

Organisms, Populations, Communities,Ecosystems, Biomes, Biosphere

The shifting of the earth is caused by many different __________________ If the rock layers____________ and______________ it is a result of a _______________. the main cause of ____________ is called Plate tectonics The ___________of the Earth is not __________ plate, there are _______ plates that make up the Earth's surface. These plates are not anchored in place, but slide over _______________________ layer of the ______________. The Earth's oceans and continents ride atop the plates

Reasons, bend and buckle, fold, shifting, Plate Tectonics Crust, one solid, many, hot and flexible, mantle

How did the oceans become Salinized?

Sea water may be described as a brine i.e. the solution of dissolved salts which have accumulated over past periods of geological time from the inflow of runoff water from the land masses.

The earth is part of the ______ system and it has _____ in its system. The earth is ______ times smaller than the sun.

Solar, 8 known planets, 109

What is the difference between Evolution and Natural Selection?

Species must be able to adapt to these changes in order to survive. As they adapt, the organisms themselves undergo change. Evolution is the gradual change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species over time. It is important to note that it is the population that evolves, rather than individuals. Natural selection is another process that depends on an organism's ability to survive in a changing environment. While evolution is the gradual change of the genetic makeup over time, natural selection is the force that favors a beneficial set of genes.

Diverging

Spreading zones were plates are moving away from each other.

The Inner Planets are known as _____________ planets because of their ________________

Terrestrial, solid and rocky surface

Where does the Earth's Hydrosphere come from?

The Earth did not have any hydrosphere in the beginning. It is thought that hydrosphere emerged as the result of processes taking place in the lithosphere. These processes released a substantial quantity of water vapor and juvenile waters during the geological history of Earth. Further, the amounts of water present in oceans, as ice and in atmosphere have fluctuated with appearance and disappearance of major periods of glaciations on the Earth.

What is biomass?

The amount of organic material in a food web

What is the Biosphere?

The biosphere is made up of all that is living on earth, from the smallest bacterium to the largest whale

Stresses in the Earth's crust cause _____ or _____ in the surface

faults; breaks

What is the Gaia Hypothesis? And how does it differ from the description of the Biosphere?

interactions between the biosphere and the other earth systems, there is almost no part of the earth's surface that has not been profoundly altered by living organisms. The earth is a living planet, even in terms of its physics and chemistry. A concept related to, but different from, that of the biosphere, is the Gaia hypotheses, which posits that living organisms have and continue to transform earth systems for their own benefit.

What is a Comet?

made of ice dust particles and frozen gases that have long feather like tail because they are evaporating due to the temperature fluctuation in space

What is loess?

mineral rich in dust and silt that can be blown away by strong winds (topsoil)

What is Meteoroid?

pieces of space debris chunks of rock and iron they usually burn up in Earth's atmosphere when they do strike Earth they are called meteorites

How thick is Earth's crust?

ranging from 5-22 miles thick

What is Asteroid?

small irregularly planet shaped objects

What does ""tropein" mean and what language is it from.

to turn or change, Greek

What is acid rain?

when chemicals caused by pollution mixed with condensation that falls in the form of rain.

Give an accurate description of the atmosphere.

• The earth's atmosphere is a very thin layer wrapped around a very large planet. • Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (), which comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen (), which accounts for 21%. Various trace gases make up the remainder. • Based on temperature, the atmosphere is divided into four layers: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. • Energy is transferred between the earth's surface and the atmosphere via conduction, convection, and radiation.

What are the most common gases that make up the earth's atmosphere? (Give the percentages)

• Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (), which comprises 78% of the atmosphere, and oxygen (), which accounts for 21%. Various trace gases make up the remainder.

What is the cryosphere? What is its relationship to the Hydrosphere? What does it tell us about the state of the Earth's health?

The cryosphere is the part of the earth's hydrosphere comprised of frozen water. It plays a integral role in the global climate system through its influence on surface energy budgets, atmospheric moisture, hydrology, and atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The cyrosphere is a sensitive element of the climate system providing a key indicator of climate change. The increasing loss of Arctic sea ice and breakup of Antarctic ice shelves are two examples.

What are the two basic components of the Biosphere?

The ecosystem includes all living organisms and the abiotic or nonliving environment on which they depend for their energy and the nutrients they need to live.

Explain the ocean's relationship to the atmosphere.

The exchange of heat and moisture has profound effects on atmospheric processes near and over the oceans. Ocean currents play a significant role in transferring this heat poleward. Major currents, such as the northward flowing Gulf Stream, transport tremendous amounts of heat poleward and contribute to the development of many types of weather phenomena.

How are caves formed? Which type of weathering process is it?

The mixture of carbon dioxide and water creates a weak solution of carbonic acid that can dissolve certain types of rocks that can create caves(Limestone). This weathering process is called Chemical weathering

Provide and explain the basic structure of the water cycle.

The oceans cover nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface and play an important role in exchanging and transporting heat and moisture in the atmosphere. Most of the water vapor in the atmosphere comes from the oceans. Most of the precipitation falling over land finds its way back to oceans. About two-thirds returns to the atmosphere via the water cycle.

How does the Sun interact with the Hydrosphere?

The water body in the oceans absorbs a large amount of solar radiation and has far reaching impact on the heat balance of earth. The water in oceans moves up and down as well as from one place to other. These movements of oceanic water result in transfer of heat from one place to other and have fundamental influence on various components of water and energy balance of land and oceans. The distribution of water balance components has major role in creating and maintaining the climatic and weather conditions in different regions of earth.

What is Transpiration?

Transpiration is the evaporation of water into the atmosphere from the leaves and stems of plants. Plants absorb soilwater through their roots and this water can originate from deep in the soil. (For example, corn plants have roots that are 2.5 meters deep, while some desert plants have roots that extend 20 meters into the ground). Plants pump the water up from the soil to deliver nutrients to their leaves. This pumping is driven by the evaporation of water through small pores called "stomates", which are found on the undersides of leaves. Transpiration accounts for approximately 10% of all evaporating water.

__________________________________ is under water mountains extending around the Earth over _________________ miles. When sea floors spread it is called a _________ (Atlantic _____________). This became part of the theory of_________________ also the great ___________________

Underwater ridge system, 40000 miles, Rift, Rift, Plate tectonics, rift valley in Africa

What is the Hydrosphere? And what other Earth systems does it interact with?

Water is found in vapor, liquid and solid states in the atmosphere. The biosphere serves as an interface between the spheres enabling water to move between the hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere as is accomplished by plant transpiration. In all except the biosphere as a solid

What is Weathering?

Weathering is the breakdown of rock at or near Earth's surface

Moraines are the product of what? How can they be useful?

When glaciers recede they leave deep ridge like piles of rock and debris. They can act as dams blocking valleys and creating areas where water collects to make lakes.

Transformative

When plates slip and grind against each other.

What is mechanical weathering?

When rock is broken down physically. The process of soil building

Converging

When two continental plates collide neither will sink the collision will result in mountain ranges.

Mantel

a thick layer of rock around 1,800 miles thick; it is mostly solid; some upper layers are pliable allowing for chambers of molting magma