Atmosphere
What layer of the atmosphere is where planes fly?
Troposphere
This system contains all of the water on, above, and under Earth
Hydrosphere
What is the Earth's solid rocky outer layer called?
Crust
What term describes all living things on Earth?
Biosphere
What is the term for daily atmospheric conditions?
Weather
What two gases make up most of our atmosphere?
Nitrogen and oxygen
What are the 4 steps to the water cycle?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff
What are the powerful movements of Earth's plates called?
Plate Tectonics
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living and nonliving things interacting
What is the name for water falling from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail?
Precipitation
What is responsible for protecting our planet from harmful solar radiation?
Ozone Layer
What is the process called when water vapor cools and changes back into liquid droplets, forming clouds?
Condensation
What type of rock forms from cooled magma?
Igneous Rock
What process allows energy to flow through an ecosystem from the sun to producers (plants)?
Photosynthesis
What do we call the layer of gases surrounding Earth?
Atmosphere
What atmospheric layer is where meteors burn up?
Mesosphere
About what percentage of the planet is covered by water?
71%
What layer lies beneath the crust and is semi-solid?
How does breaking up habitats into smaller pieces (called habitat fragmentation) make it harder for animals to survive?
It limits animals’ space and resources, makes it harder to find mates, and can reduce their chances of survival
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term; climate is long-term
What is term where nitrogen gas is changed into ammonia?
Nitrogen fixation
What term describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, involving processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff?
Water cycle
What is the only true liquid layer of Earth?
Outer core
Name one way humans impact the biosphere
Pollution, urbanization, deforestation,
What effect causes the Earth's average temperature to rise due to greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gas effect