Module 1: Earth's Resources
This layer of the Earth is composed mainly of iron and nickel and is divided into an inner and outer section.
What is the core?
Who first proposed the theory of continental drift?
Who was Alfred Wegener?
What process transfers heat through moving fluids?
What is convection?
Name one source of water that can be treated and reused.
Any of:
What type of variable is deliberately changed in an experiment?
What is the independent variable?
These radioactive isotopes are used to determine the absolute age of rocks.
What is radiometric dating?
At this plate boundary, new oceanic crust is created.
What is a divergent boundary?
This force helps pull oceanic plates into the mantle.
What is slab pull?
This farming practice commonly contributes to salinity.
What is irrigation?
What type of graph is generally best for displaying continuous data?
What is a line graph?
Name the three major rock types.
What are igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks?
Which scientist linked magnetic reversals with seafloor spreading?
Who were Vine and Matthews?
Which type of magma is generally hotter and less viscous?
What is mafic magma?
Name one introduced species that has significantly impacted Australia.
Examples:
Why should controlled variables remain constant?
To ensure a fair test and improve the validity of results.
This mineral group is rich in silica and commonly found in continental crust.
What are felsic minerals?
Give two pieces of evidence supporting plate tectonic theory.
Any two of:
Name two factors that influence ocean currents.
Any two:
Explain how land clearing can increase soil erosion.
Removing vegetation exposes soil to wind and water, allowing it to be washed or blown away.
What is the difference between reliability and validity?
Reliability refers to obtaining consistent results through repetition, while validity refers to whether the investigation actually measures what it intends to measure.
Explain why meteorites provide evidence for Earth's internal structure.
Because meteorites have compositions similar to Earth's building materials and indicate differentiation into dense metallic cores and lighter silicate layers.
Explain why transform boundaries rarely produce volcanoes.
Because plates slide past each other without creating or destroying crust, so magma is generally not produced.
Explain why subduction volcanoes are generally more explosive than hotspot volcanoes.
Because subduction produces silica-rich, viscous magma that traps gases until pressure builds, causing explosive eruptions.
Why are healthy ecosystems considered valuable natural resources?
They provide ecosystem services such as clean water, fertile soils, climate regulation, biodiversity and resources for humans.
Describe three ways scientists improve the quality of an investigation.