Spheres
What are the four spheres of earth science?
Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Geosphere
Glaciers flattening landforms are an example of this kind of force.
Destructive forces
What is the difference between elevation and relief?
Elevation: height above sea level of a landform.
Relief: distance from bottom to the top of a landform.
Where is most of Earth's fresh water stored?
Frozen in glaciers
Evaporation
What is the Cryosphere?
All the frozen water on Earth, part of the Hydrosphere.
When the Himalayas were formed, two tectonic plates crashed into each other and slowly pushed up the earth to form mountains. This is an example of what kind of force?
Constructive force
What kind of map uses contour lines to describe elevation?
Topographic map
Where is most of Earth's drinking water found?
Underground in aquifers
When water vapor rises into the cooler air of the atmosphere, what takes place?
Condensation
Which two spheres are interacting: A Polar bear swimming in the ocean.
Biosphere and Hydrosphere
How do volcanos build islands?
Underwater volcanoes spew magma, which cools under water and builds up slowly over time to make islands.
What kind of lake is formed by divergent tectonic plates?
Rift Valley Lake
Where is water pressure going to be the greatest when under water?
At the bottom of the body of water.
What is it called when water falls from the sky?
Precipitation
Which two spheres are interacting: A volcano spews lava into the ocean, the water cools the lava and it hardens and forms a new landmass.
Geosphere and Hydrosphere
When melting snow exposes the ground, which absorbs more heat, which melts more snow, which exposes more ground and absorbs more heat and so on, this is an example of what process?
Positive system feedback
A Lake formed when fast moving water deposits soil in a meander and cuts a new channel, by passing the meander and cutting it off from the main stream.
Oxbow lake
What is a Watershed?
An area of land and system of tributaries that feeds water into a river system.
What is run-off?
When excess water from the ground runs off the surface and into existing water systems.
In what sphere does weather take place?
Atmosphere
An area of the ocean floor that is marked by many mountain ridges spreading out from a divergent plate boundary.
Mid-oceanic ridge
Small deposits of soil that build into small islands where the mouth of a river meets the sea.
Delta
What is a recharge area?
A area of permeable rock on the surface that allows water to enter into an aquifer.
What is transpiration?