Physical World-Chapter 2

Which of the following examples illustrates the difference between physical weathering and chemical weathering?

A rock is broken into smaller pieces by physical weathering, but some cave formations are created by chemical weathering

Why is landform a misleading term

Landforms are also found underwater.

Which factor has the greatest effect on soil building?

climate

Which of the following is caused directly by plate tectonics?

earthquakes

gigantic; exceedingly large

enormous

the movement of weathered rock and material by wind, glaciers, and moving water

erosion

the process of converting into vapor, or gas

evaporation

arising outside of

external

a crack or break in Earth's crust

fault

process of cracking that occurs when the folded land cannot be bent any further

faulting

a bend in layers of rock, sometimes caused by plate movement

fold

Which is most likely to have the greatest effect on a landscape?

glacial erosion

a large body of ice that moves across the surface of the Earth

glacier

water located underground within the Earth that supplies wells and springs

groundwater

The water that most people drink and use in their homes comes from

groundwater and aquifers.

Where is 97 percent of the world's water found?

in oceans

Desalination is most used

in places where freshwater is scarce.

A major hurdle to desalination is

its cost.

a globe-shaped body

sphere

process by which magma wells up between oceanic plates and pushes the plates apart

spreading

process by which oceanic plates dive beneath continental plates, often causing mountains to form on land

subduction

the upper layer of land

surface

Earth is one of the four

terrestrial planets

a plausible general principle offered to explain observed facts

theory

Which of the following best describes the movement of planets, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids?

They revolve around the Sun.

Which part of the biosphere provides oxygen?

atmosphere

a thin layer of gases that surrounds the Earth

atmosphere

innermost layer of the Earth made up of a super-hot but solid inner core and a super-hot liquid outer core

core

to bring into being or cause to exist

create

outer layer of the Earth, a hard rocky shell forming Earth's surface

crust

the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming

desalination

Pluto is considered to be a(n)

dwarf planet.

the watery areas of the Earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water

hydrosphere

About 70% of Earth's surface is part of the

hydrosphere.

Lakes and rivers are part of the

hydrosphere.

piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers

moraine

Which of the following is part of the lithosphere?

ocean basins

the term scientists use to describe the activities of continental drift and magma flow, which create many of Earth's physical features

plate tectonics

The physical processes that create most of Earth's physical features, including mountains, are known as

plate tectonics.

Rain, snow, and sleet are examples of

precipitation

moisture that falls to the Earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow

precipitation

Which layer of Earth includes Earth's surface?

the crust

What drives the water cycle?

the sun

regular movement of Earth's water from ocean to air to ground and back to the ocean

water cycle

What causes rivers to swell as they flow toward a lake, gulf, sea, or ocean?

water from tributaries

In condensation, warm air cools and

water vapor becomes liquid.

chemical or physical processes that break down rocks into smaller pieces

weathering

An example of an external force of change is

weathering.

Which natural landform joins two continents?

Isthmus of Panama

How does accretion cause continents to grow outward?

Debris from the leveling off of underwater mountains piles up.

thick middle layer of the Earth's interior structure consisting of hot rock that is dense but flexible

mantle

Which is true about subduction?

It involves an oceanic plate moving beneath a continental plate.

Why doesn't the total volume of water in the water cycle change?

The amount of water that evaporates is the same as the amount of water that falls back to Earth.

How do seas, gulfs, and bays differ from oceans?

They are partially enclosed by land.

Why are gas giant planets sometimes reffered to as "mini solar systems"?

They have moons.

slow process in which an oceanic plate slides under a continental plate, creating debris that can cause continents to grow outward

accretion

underground water-bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel

aquifer

the part of the Earth where life exists

biosphere

the process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air cools

condensation

the theory that the continents were once joined and then slowly drifted apart

continental drift

part of a continent that extends out underneath the ocean

continental shelf

uppermost layer of the Earth that includes the crust, continents, and ocean basins

lithosphere

What creates ridges and islands when plates spread apart?

magma

molten rock that is located below Earth's surface

magma