Human Impact
What is a watershed?
A watershed is a land area that collects precipitation and runoff, and drains it into a common body of water.
What is gravity?
Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center.
Why is Earth called the "Goldilocks Planet"?
it is located at just the right distance from the Sun
What do fossils tell us about Earth's past?
How life has changed over time, how the environment has changed, and how continents were once connected.
What causes earthquakes?
Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy when tectonic plates slip past each other.
How can pollution affect groundwater?
Pollution can affect groundwater by contaminating it with chemicals, bacteria, or other harmful substances that seep into the ground through various pathways like agricultural runoff
How does gravity affect the orbit of planets around the Sun?
constantly pulling them towards the Sun's center, which, combined with their forward momentum, results in a stable, elliptical path around the star
What is one reason that the presence of water is essential for life on Earth?
it acts as a "universal solvent," meaning it can dissolve a wide variety of substances, allowing organisms to absorb and transport necessary nutrients throughout their bodies;
What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?
Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's surface is made up of large, moving plates of solid rock.
Describe how mountains are formed.
Mountains are primarily formed when tectonic plates collide, causing the Earth's crust to buckle, fold, and rise upwards, creating mountain ranges.
Describe one way human activity impacts ocean systems.
overfishing
pollution
habitat destruction,
ocean acidification due to carbon dioxide emissions,
climate change causing warming,
introduction of invasive species,
nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff,
noise pollution from ships,
and oil spills
Explain how gravity keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth.
The Moon stays in orbit around Earth because of Earth's gravity, which constantly pulls the Moon towards its center
How does the atmosphere protect life on Earth?
Acts as a shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun
Regulating temperature by trapping heat
Providing the necessary oxygen for breathing
How does the principle of superposition help scientists understand Earth's history?
Establishing that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are at the bottom and the younger rocks are at the top
What are hot spots in relation to plate tectonics?
a localized area in the Earth's mantle where exceptionally hot magma rises from deep within the planet, causing volcanic activity on the surface
What is the relationship between humans and water resources?
allow us to get food, transportation, water, medicine, tourism, stabilize global temperatures
Why do objects fall to the ground when dropped?
Objects fall to the ground when dropped because of the force of gravity
What is the significance of Earth's distance from the Sun?
it places our planet within the "Goldilocks zone,"
Name one way scientists gather evidence of Earth's changes over time.
studying fossil records
How do plate tectonics contribute to volcanic eruptions?
creating the conditions necessary for magma to rise to the Earth's surface
Analyze a beneficial influence of human activity on water systems.
Construction and management of Reservoirs
Describe the role of gravity in the formation of the solar system.
pulling together the dispersed gas and dust from a collapsing nebula, causing it to clump and coalesce into the Sun at the center and the planets in orbit around it
Describe how the composition of Earth's atmosphere supports life.
Earth's atmosphere supports life by primarily containing nitrogen and oxygen
Describe a significant event that changed Earth's surface in the last million years.
Pangea
Explain how ocean basins are formed through plate tectonics.
the process of seafloor spreading at divergent plate boundaries