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
