Category 1: Space & The Sun (Astronomy)
A scientist searching for a place where new solar systems might form is looking for this—a giant cloud of dust and gas.
What is a Nebula?
This type of rock forms directly from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
What is Igneous Rock?
Most of Earth's freshwater is not available for humans to drink because it is locked up here.
What are Ice Caps and Glaciers?
An area in a city that is significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas due to concrete and asphalt is called this.
What is an Urban Heat Island?
This gas, released by burning fossil fuels, is the primary driver of the enhanced greenhouse effect.
What is Carbon Dioxide (CO2)?
This law states that a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times, meaning it moves faster when closer to the Sun.
What is Kepler’s Second Law?
To locate the epicenter of an earthquake, scientists need data from at least this many seismic stations.
What is Three?
This human activity involves injecting water and chemicals into rocks to release natural gas, often risking groundwater contamination.
What is Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing)?
This term describes a species (like Kudzu) that is introduced to a new environment and outcompetes native species.
What is an Invasive Species?
Sea levels are rising due to melting ice and this process, where water expands as it gets warmer.
What is Thermal Expansion?
This motion of Earth is responsible for the day-night cycle, while this other motion defines the length of a year.
What are Rotation and Revolution?
When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the oceanic plate sinks because it is more ________.
What is Dense?
On a weather map, a blue line with triangles represents this type of front, which usually brings storms and cooler temperatures.
What is a Cold Front?
Planting the same crop in the same field year after year (Monoculture) depletes nutrients; doing this helps restore them.
What is Crop Rotation?
Solar, Wind, and Hydroelectric power are examples of this type of resource because they replenish naturally.
What are Renewable Resources?
Though we say Earth orbits the Sun, they actually both orbit a shared center of mass or balance point called this.
What is the Barycenter?
If a hillside has trees removed (deforestation), the risk of this geohazard increases significantly during heavy rain.
What is a Landslide?
These chemical compounds (CFCs) were banned because they destroyed the ozone layer, which protects us from UV radiation.
What are Chlorofluorocarbons?
A decline in local fish populations is often linked to this mining byproduct, which lowers the pH of river water.
What is Acid Mine Drainage?
Buying locally grown food reduces your ecological footprint primarily by reducing the pollution caused by ________.
What is Transportation?
When the Sun, Earth, and Moon align in a straight line (during Full or New Moons), they create these maximum-height tides.
What are Spring Tides?
This specific type of weathering occurs when water freezes in rock cracks, expands, and breaks the rock apart.
What is Frost Wedging (or Physical Weathering)?
During an El Niño event, the trade winds weaken, causing warm water to pile up in this ocean, altering global weather.
What is the Pacific Ocean?
Data shows that air pollution often has a greater health impact on low-income communities; this concept is known as Environmental ________.
What is Justice (or Inequity)?
Using "green infrastructure" like permeable pavement helps cities reduce this specific problem during storms.
What is Urban Flooding (or Runoff)?