David and Matt agree that the most annoying sound in the world is which of the following?
A hissing cat, an alarm, mosquitoes buzzing by your ears, or nails on a chalkboard
alarms
The hydrosphere is all the _________ on Earth, encompassing oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric vapor.
water
True or False: Earth's atmosphere is a dangerous layer of gases held by gravity.
False. Earth's atmosphere is a PROTECTIVE layer of gases held by gravity.
What does "biotic" mean?
living or resulting from the living
Which is larger: an ecosystem or a biome?
a biome
Metamorphic, sedimentary, mineralic, igneous
mineralic
If Matt had to pick a group of staffers to go on a camping vacation with, which two would he choose?
Tuttle, Jessie, Tom, David, or Mrs. H
David and Jessie
Which of the following gases is the most abundant in the Earth's atmosphere?
Oxygen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide
nitrogen
True or False: humans are not part of the biosphere.
False
Name an ecosystem found in the state of Vermont.
(answers vary)
"earth," "land," or "ground"
True or False: About 3% is freshwater, and over 68% of that is locked away in ice caps and glaciers.
True
Which atmospheric layer is the layer we live in and where most of the weather occurs?
Mesosphere, thermosphere, stratosphere, troposphere, or exosphere
Troposphere
Which singer does Matt think has the worst voice (yet this singer sings his favorite song!)?
Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Jay-Z, John Lennon, or Justin Bieber
Bob Dylan
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is a simple, linear path showing what organisms eat others, showing the the flow of energy from producer to predator. A food web is a complex, interconnected network of multiple overlapping food chains which shows multiple feeding relationships within an ecosystem.
What is the outermost layer of the earth called?
Core, plate, crust, lava, or mantle
Crust
Which two of the following fuel the water cycle?
The sun, the wind, gravity, or static,
the sun and gravity
Which middle school staff member does Tom think is the most predictable?
Mrs. H
Which 3 of the following abiotic things are found in the biosphere?
worms, fish, sunlight, squirrels, bacteria, water, or soil
sunlight, water, soil
What is an apex predator and provide an example.
An apex predator is an organism that is at the top of its food chain with few or no natural predators of its own.
(examples vary)
What are rocks made of?
Minerals
What does the word "salinity" mean?
How salty water is.
Describe how the greenhouse effect works.
The greenhouse effect is the process where atmospheric gases, particularly carbon dioxide, trap the sun's heat, which warms the Earth's surface (like a big, warm blanket of air.)
Name any type of biome on Earth.
(answers vary - but must describe a large, global-scale region defined by its distinct climate, vegetation, and animal life)
If Matt could pick a team to take on a ghost hunter reality TV show, he would pick which two middle school staffers?
Tom and Mrs. H -- especially because Tom would talk to the old ghosts about the past.