Branches of Earth Science
Which branch studies Earth's oceans?
What is oceanography?
Name the four main Earth systems.
What are the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere?
Collecting information about an object or area from a distance using satellite‑ or airborne‑based sensors.
What is remote sensing?
What does GPS stand for?
What is the Global Positioning System?
What is the term for the line of latitude at 0°?
What is the Equator?
Which branch focuses on the atmosphere and weather patterns?
What is meteorology?
Which system contains all of the water on Earth, including oceans, rivers, lakes, ice, groundwater and water in the air?
What is the hydrosphere?
Distinguish between active and passive remote sensing.
Active sensors emit energy and measure the reflection; passive sensors detect natural radiation reflected or emitted by the surface.
How many satellites does a GPS receiver typically use to determine its precise location?
At least four.
Lines on a topographic map that connect points of equal elevation are called what?
What are contour lines?
Which branch examines Earth's materials, processes and history?
What is geology?
What percentage of Earth's water is saltwater?
About 97%.
Name one example of a passive remote-sensing satellite that records visible and infrared wavelengths to monitor Earth's surface.
What is Landsat?
What is the main purpose of a GIS (Geographic Information System)?
To capture, store, analyze and display data related to positions on Earth's surface.
Which coordinate refers to a position’s east–west location relative to the prime meridian?
What is longitude?
Which branch investigates objects beyond Earth's atmosphere?
What is astronomy?
Which system comprises all living organisms and their environments?
What is the biosphere?
Name one active remote‑sensing instrument that measures sea‑surface height by bouncing microwave pulses off the ocean.
What is a radar altimeter, such as OSTM/Jason‑2?
Give one example of a real-world application of GPS technology.
Navigation in smartphones or vehicles, tracking shipments, surveying, etc.
Sonar uses what type of waves to detect objects underwater?
What are sound waves?
Which branch studies interactions between organisms and their environments and human impact?
What is environmental science?
Describe one way the hydrosphere and atmosphere interact through the water cycle.
Water evaporates from oceans or lakes into the atmosphere and returns as precipitation, transferring energy and matter.
Why is remote sensing important in cartography and Earth science?
It provides current, detailed information about Earth's surface, atmosphere and oceans without physical contact, enabling accurate maps and monitoring.
Provide one example of how GIS can be used to support decision-making in Earth science.
Combining layers like population density, land use and flood risk to plan evacuation routes; mapping habitat ranges; analyzing geological hazards; etc.
Name one map projection used to show large areas and describe one of its distortions.
Mercator projection – distorts the size of landmasses near the poles (or gnomonic/conic projections with their distortions).