Spheres of Earth
This "sphere" is the thin layer of gases surrounding Earth, made mostly of nitrogen and oxygen.
A) Hydrosphere B) Atmosphere C) Lithosphere D) Biosphere
B) Atmosphere
his underwater extension of the coastal plain slopes gradually from land before dropping to the ocean floor.
A) Ocean basin B) Continental shelf C) Coastal plain D) Continental slope
B) Continental shelf
This is the term for a heavy oceanic plate diving underneath a lighter continental plate.A) Erosion B) Accretion C) Subduction D) Weathering
C) Subduction
This process changes liquid water into water vapor and is powered by energy from the sun.
A) Condensation B) Evaporation C) Precipitation D) Desalination
B) Evaporation
his force keeps the planets revolving around the sun.
A) Earth's rotation B) The sun's light C) The sun's heat D) The sun's gravitational pull
D) The sun's gravitational pull
This part of Earth includes oceans, lakes, rivers, and underground water.
A) Biosphere B) Lithosphere C) Hydrosphere D) Atmosphere
C) Hydrosphere
This is the tallest point on Earth, located in South Asia.
A) K2 B) Mount Kilimanjaro C) Mount McKinley D) Mount Everest
D) Mount Everest
his kind of weathering happens when large masses of rock are physically broken into smaller pieces, like when water freezes and expands in cracks.
A) Chemical weathering B) Physical weathering C) Erosion D) Accretion
B) Physical weathering
This process happens when water vapor cools and changes back into liquid water, forming clouds.
A) Evaporation B) Desalination C) Condensation D) Precipitation
C) Condensation
Mercury and Venus are scalding hot mainly for this reason.
A) Their size B) Being closest to the sun C) Volcanic activity D) Having thick atmospheres
B) Being closest to the sun
This word names the solid part of Earth, including the crust and the ocean basins.
A) Lithosphere B) Biosphere C) Atmosphere D) Hydrosphere
A) Lithosphere
This deep underwater canyon near Guam is Earth's deepest known depression.
A) Grand Canyon B) Mariana Trench C) Dead Sea D) Puerto Rico Trench
B) Mariana Trench
This external process wears away and carries off pieces of Earth's surface using wind, water, or ice.
A) Subduction B) Accretion C) Weathering D) Erosion
D) Erosion
Rain, snow, or sleet falling from clouds to Earth is called this.
A) Erosion B) Condensation C) Evaporation D) Precipitation
D) Precipitation
Earth is the largest planet in this group, which also includes Mercury, Venus, and Mars.
A) Dwarf planets B) Gas giants C) Inner planets D) Outer planets
C) Inner planets
This is the part of Earth made of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere together — where all living things exist.
A) Atmosphere B) Hydrosphere C) Lithosphere D) Biosphere
D) Biosphere
This is the lowest dry land point on Earth, located in Southwest Asia.
A) Death Valley B) Amazon Basin C) Shore of the Dead Sea D) Caspian Sea shore
C) Shore of the Dead Sea
These giant, slow-moving bodies of ice carve out U-shaped valleys as they move across Earth's surface.
A) Rivers B) Glaciers C) Tributaries D) Aquifers
B) Glaciers
This is the name for the process of removing salt from ocean water to make freshwater.
A) Desalination B) Evaporation C) Erosion D) Condensation
A) Desalination
This is the main reason life has not been found on other planets in our solar system.
A) Lack of water B) Too much oxygen C) Extreme temperatures D) Lack of gravity
C) Extreme temperatures
The atmosphere is made up of about 78% of this gas.
A) Oxygen B) Argon C) Nitrogen D) Carbon dioxide
C) Nitrogen
This is approximately the percent of Earth's surface that is covered by land.
A) 70% B) 50% C) 90% D) 30%
D) 30%
his is the scientific theory that explains the slow movement of Earth's plates, believed to be driven by heat and currents inside the Earth.
A) Erosion B) Desalination C) Weathering D) Plate tectonics
D) Plate tectonics
This word names an underground layer of porous rock soaked with slow-moving water — an important source of freshwater.
A) Continental shelf B) Moraine C) Aquifer D) Tributary
C) Aquifer
This — their stable path around the sun — is what keeps most asteroids, comets, and meteoroids from colliding with Earth.
A) Solar wind B) The moon's gravity C) Earth's atmosphere D) Their orbit around the sun
D) Their orbit around the sun