Earth's Structure & Rocks
Name Earth's three main layers in order from most dense to least dense
Core, mantle, crust.
What was the supercontinent that existed over 225 million years ago?
Pangea
Where do most earthquakes occur?
Along plate boundaries
Which layer of the atmosphere is where weather occurs?
Troposphere
Define renewable and nonrenewable resources in one sentence each
Renewable: can be replaced in a short time (solar, wind); Nonrenewable: form over millions of years (coal, oil)
What type of rock forms when layers of sediment are compacted and cemented together?
Sedimentary rock.
What is convection and how does it help move tectonic plates?
Convection: circulation of material due to temperature and density differences; moves plates in the mantle.
What is the focus of an earthquake? What is the epicenter?
Focus: point inside Earth where quake starts; Epicenter: point on surface above focus.
Explain the difference between weather and climate in one short sentence.
Weather is short-term local atmospheric conditions; climate is long-term average patterns over a region
Name the three main fossil fuels.
Coal, oil, natural gas
What process changes an igneous or sedimentary rock into a metamorphic rock?
Heat and pressure
State the Theory of Plate Tectonics in one sentence
Earth’s outer shell is broken into plates that move over the mantle.
What are the three main parts of a volcano and describe where each is located.
Crater (opening at top)
main vent (path for magma up the middle)
magma chamber (melted rock storage)
Name the layers of the atmosphere in order at which they exist from the Earth’s surface to space
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
Which two fossil fuels forms when plankton dies, is buried and changed by extreme heat and pressure.
Oil and Natural Gas
Which one of earth's systems contains all of earth's layers and minerals
Geosphere
Describe the three types of plate boundaries and give one landform or event associated with each.
Divergent — plates move apart (mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys).
Convergent — plates collide (mountain ranges, subduction zones, trenches, volcanoes).
Transform — plates slide past (strike-slip faults, earthquakes).
Explain why many active volcanoes are around the "Ring of Fire."
Because many plate boundaries (subduction zones) around the Pacific produce melting and volcanism
Name and briefly describe the three main steps of the water cycle.
Evaporation (liquid → vapor)
Condensation (vapor → liquid forming clouds)
Precipitation (water returns to Earth).
Name five renewable energy sources and state where each energy comes from.
Solar (sun), Wind (air movement), Water/hydro (flowing water), Geothermal (Earth heat), Biomass (plants/waste).
Which one of earth's systems Includes all of the gases that surround Earth
Atmosphere
Use evidence (name two types) scientists use to show that plates have moved over time.
Fossil distribution, matching rock layers across continents, seafloor spreading patterns (magnetic stripes), GPS measurements.
Describe how plate boundaries influences earthquakes
as transform plate boundaries slide past one another they cause stress on the plates (Rocks) triggering earthquakes
List the seven weather variables used to describe weather (name all seven).
Wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, air pressure, cloud coverage, precipitation.
Describe one human activity that increases use of natural resources and one environmental effect it may cause.
Example: Increased fossil fuel use → more greenhouse gas emissions → climate change impacts.