hydrosphere
this is a term refers to the total amount of water on a planet,including water on the surface underground and in the air
What is the hydrosphere?
covering approximately 2.7 million square miles,this south american basin is the largest in the world by area
what is the Amazon basin?
it takes Earth this many days to complete one full revolution around the sun.
what is 365 days?
this type of rock forms forms the cooling and solidification of molten magma of lava
what is igneous rock?
only about this small percentage of all the water on earth is considered fresh water
what is 3%?
about 97% of earths hydrosphere consist of this type of water,which is found in the oceans
what is saltwater?
this term refers to high land or ridge that separates two neighboring drainage basins
what is a divide?
The tilt of Earths axis as it orbits the sun is the primary reason for seasonal occurance
what are the seasons?
these three main categories classify rocks based on how they are formed
what are igneous,sedimentary,and metamorphic
oceans cove approximately this percentage of the earths total surface
what is 70?
while oceans hold about 97% of earths water, majority of the planets freshwater is actually trapped in these large masses of ice
what are glaciers?
this north american basin drains 31 U.S states and 2 Canadian provinces emptying into the gulf of mexico
what is the Mississippi river basin?
An eclipse that occurs when the earth passes directly between the sun and the moon
what is a lunar eclipse ?
this mineral is often easily identified by its distinct smell which resembles rotten eggs
what is sulfur?
this term describes the measurement of the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water
what is salinity ?
this term describes the measurement of the amount of dissolved salts in a body of water
what is salinity?
often called the "cradle of civilization" this basin is formed by the tigris and Euphrates rivers in western Asia
what is the Mesopotamian basin?
the scientific name for the "spinning" of earth on its axis which takes 24 hours
what is rotation?
the process of breaking down rocks into smaller pieces without changing their chemical composition
what is physical (or mechanical) weathering?
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level,primarily caused by the moons gravitational pull
what are tides?
this is the specific term for a layer of permeable rock or sediment that stores and allows the flow of groundwater
what is an aquifer?
this is the specific term for a basin that is "closed" meaning is does not drain into an ocean but instead evaporates or seeps into the ground
what is an Endorheic basin?
this model of the universe,popularized in ancient times,incorrectly placed earth at the center
what is the geocentric model?
this organic-rich soil layer contains the greatest amount of decayed material and nutrients
what is topsoil (or the O/A horizon)?
an underground layer of water-bearing rock of sediment from which groundwater can be extracted
what is an aquifer?