Earth's Place in the atmosphere
How many planets are in our solar system?
8
What are the three phases of water?
Solid (ice), Liquid, Gas (water vapor)
List Earth's layers in order (Starting from the inside, working out)
Inner core, Outer core, Mantle, Asthenosphere, Lithosphere, Crust
What is the difference between abiotic and biotic?
Biotic- Living
Abiotic- Nonliving
Burning fossil fuels mainly releases which greenhouse gas?
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
What is the difference between high albedo and low albedo? Give one example of each
High albedo surfaces are more reflective, while low albedo surfaces absorb more heat.
Low- Land, Roads, Dark Surfaces
High- Snow, Ice, Sand, Atmosphere
Which property allows water to stick to the window?
Adhesion
The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of incredibly active volcanoes on Earth. Which statement most accurately explains why the Ring of Fire contains so many active volcanoes?
The Ring of Fire is along convergent plate boundaries, leading to volcanic activity.
What do tree rings tell us?
They show the past climate- warm/wet has thick rings vs cold/dry years has thin
What is the Clean Water Act?
A U.S. law that protects the nation’s waters (rivers, lakes, wetlands).
What is the first step of the Solar Nebular Theory? AKA. What did a solar system start as?
Nebula
What are the three ways energy is transferred?
Convection, Conduction, and Radiation
Who was Alfred Wegener? What was his theory?
He was a German Meteorologist and Geophysicist. He came up with the Continental Drift Theory.
What contributes to acid rain?
Air pollution
What is an ecological footprint?
It is the amount of land, water, and resources needed to support a lifestyle.
What is eccentricity? What is the formula?
A number between 0-1 that describes how “stretched out” an orbit is.
Calculate eccentricity:
distance between the two foci/length of major axis
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather: short-term; daily conditions can change quickly (temp, rain, wind, etc)
Climate: long-term; average weather patterns over decades
What are the two types of magma? How are they different?
Low Silica (Mafic- gentle eruptions)
High Silica (Felsic- explosive)
The Industrial Revolution marks the beginning of which epoch due to a clear increase in CO2?
Anthropocene Epoch
What is deforestation and what effect does it have on the environment?
Deforestation is the large-scale removal of trees and forests. It increases carbon dioxide release.
What were Kepler's three laws?
1st Law: Law of Ellipses: planets move in ellipses (oval shapes) with the Sun at one of the two foci.
2nd Law: Planets move faster when they are closer to the sun
3rd Law: Planets further from the sun take longer to orbit it
What are the three wind cells? What do they do? Where are they located?
Hadley Cells: near equator (0-30), creates trade winds and tropical climates
Ferrel Cells: mid-latitudes (30-60), helps generate westerlies
Polar Cells: near poles (60-90), drive cold air circulation
Which type of rock forms by heat and pressure without melting?
Metamorphic
What is biomagnification? What does this mean?
Process where toxin concentrations increase at higher trophic levels up the food chain, meaning top predators are most affected by toxins
Why do human need natural resources?
They provide food, water, shelter, energy, and medicine