Earth's Spheres & Ecology
100 Points: This sphere includes all of Earth’s liquid water on the surface, underground, and in the air.
What is the Hydrosphere?
These horizontal lines measure angular distance North or South of the Equator and never intersect.
What are Latitude lines (or Parallels)?
A mineral is defined as a naturally occurring, solid substance with an orderly crystal structure that is non-living, or this word.
What is Inorganic?
Igneous rocks that form below Earth's surface from slow-cooling magma are classified as this type.
What is Intrusive Igneous?
Paleontologists use these widespread, abundant fossils that lived for a short geologic timeframe to easily date rock layers.
What are Index fossils?
The atmosphere is primarily composed of these two gases.
What are Nitrogen and Oxygen?
The Prime Meridian passes through this famous location near London.
What is Greenwich, England?
This mineral test reveals a mineral's true color by rubbing it across an unglazed porcelain tile.
What is the Streak test?
This process turns loose, unconsolidated sediments into solid sedimentary rock through compaction and cementation
What is Lithification?
The Law of Superposition states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layer is found here.
What is at the Bottom?
In an energy pyramid, this exact percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next higher level.
What is 10%?
Earth rotates $360degrees in 24 hours, meaning every single time zone spans this many degrees of longitude.
What is 15 degrees?
This relative scale measures a mineral's scratch resistance from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).
What is the Mohs Hardness Scale?
Fossils are almost exclusively found in this specific rock type because high heat and pressure would destroy them.
Sedimentary
Gaps of time in the rock record caused by periods of erosion or non-deposition are called this
What are Unconformities?
Organisms that adapt easily to changing conditions due to having a large range of tolerance are known by this general name.
What are Generalists?
If it is 12:00 PM (noon) at the Prime Meridian 0, it is this exact time at 45 degreeS W.
What is 9:00AM?
When a mineral breaks cleanly along smooth, flat planes where atomic bonds are weak, it exhibits this physical property.
What is Cleavage?
Metamorphic rocks that display distinct parallel layers or dark/light mineral bands are referred to as this.
What is Foliated?
According to the Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships, if a fault or magma intrusion cuts through three rock layers, the fault is this age relative to the layers.
What is Younger?
This sub-sphere of the hydrosphere consists of frozen glaciers and sea ice and is monitored to collect climate change data.
What is the Cryosphere?
[DAILY DOUBLE 🌟]: When contour lines cross a river valley on a topographic map, they form a "V" shape that points in this specific direction.
What is Upstream (toward higher elevation / the river's source)?
Any mineral deposit mined out of Earth's crust that contains valuable minerals that can be extracted for profit is called this.
What is an Ore?
Pumice is an extrusive igneous rock that cools so rapidly above ground that it traps expanding gases, giving it this porous appearance.
What are Holes (or a Vesicular texture)?
The amount of time required for 50% of radioactive parent atoms to decay into stable daughter atoms is known as this
What is a Half-Life?