Climate Change
What human-made gas is primarily responsible for global warming?
Carbon dioxide C02
What is the name of the molten rock that flows out of a volcano during an eruption?
Lava ( magma when it's still underground)
What massive, rocky bodies orbiting the sun can cause catastrophic disasters if they collide with Earth?
Asteroids (or meteorites).
What is the name of the ancient, massive supercontinent that existed millions of years ago before breaking apart into our current continents?
Pangea
What is the imaginary line that wraps around the middle of the Earth, dividing it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
The equator
What do we call energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas?
Fossil Fuels
What natural disaster involves a sudden, violent shaking of the ground caused by movements within the Earth's crust?
An earthquake.
What are the massive, moving pieces of Earth's outer crust called that collide, slide, or pull apart to cause earthquakes?
Tectonic Plates
What are the massive, rigid pieces of the Earth's outer crust that slowly drift and move across the planet's surface?
Tectonic Plates
How long does it take for the Earth to complete one full orbit around the sun?
One year (or 365 days).
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term (day-to-day); climate is the long-term pattern over many years.
What is the name of the famous horseshoe-shaped region around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur?
The Ring of Fire.
What layer of the Earth lies directly beneath the crust and contains the hot, semi-fluid rock that drives plate tectonics?
The mantle
Which type of Earth crust is thinner but much denser and heavier: continental crust or oceanic crust?
Oceanic Crust
Which planet in our solar system is famous for its bright, beautiful rings made of ice and rock?
Saturn
What is the natural process where gases trap heat in the atmosphere to keep Earth warm?
The greenhouse effect
What giant ocean wave is usually triggered by an underwater earthquake or volcanic collapse?
What do we call a sudden, rapid slide of rock, earth, or debris down a steep slope, often triggered by an earthquake?
A landslide
What is the name of the German scientist who famously proposed the theory of "Continental Drift" in 1912?
Alfred Wegener
What gas do humans and animals breathe in to survive?
Oxygen
What is the term for cutting down large areas of forests?
Deforestation
What do we call a volcano that has not erupted in a long time but is still expected to erupt again in the future?
A dormant volcano.
What famous ancient Roman city was completely buried and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD?
Pompeii
Tectonic plates move at roughly the same speed that what part of the human body grows?
Fingernails (or hair; about 1 to 4 inches per year).
What do you call the process where water turns from a liquid into a gas or vapor?
Evaporation.