Catastrophic Events
If a volcano on an island erupts, it will affect the local ecosystem. Which is NOT a way the ecosystem would be affected?
A) lava will burn down all the trees on the volcano | B) lava will heat up the air and kill all life in the local area |
C) dust will be thrown into the air and affect plants across the island | D) lava will run into the ocean around the island, killing organisms in the coral reefs |
What is B?
TRUE or FALSE - the Panhandle Plains region of Texas is characterized by high winds and elevation and low precipitation.
What is TRUE?
Water running continuously over rocks causing them to break down.
What is weathering?
Which water tank will show more algae growth, one that is left alone or one that has a small amount of fertilizer added each day?
The tank with a small amount to fertilizer added each day.
A student conducted an experiment measuring how long it took running water to break down certain types of rock. In which situation listed below would the results be most useful?
A) a farmer trying to decide on how to plant his crops in order to prevent erosion | B) a sculptor deciding which type of rock to use in a monument |
C) a university groundskeeper deciding what kind of turf to plant in the football stadium | D) a property owner wanting to protect their property from chemical weathering |
What is B?
What part of a hurricane causes the most damage to coastal regions?
What is a storm surge?
What ecoregion of Texas is characterized by dense woods - the Piney Woods area or the South Texas Plains area?
What is Piney Woods?
A boy made a birdbath out of poured concrete, and his father suggested that he seal the surface to make it watertight. In terms of weathering, why would he suggest doing that?
In cold, wet weather, any water that seeped into the concrete could freeze and cause the birdbath to crack.
If you wanted to measure the effects of runoff from a sprinkler system, where would the best places to place water collection containers be?
In any channel flowing to nearby surface water.
Analyze the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition on the environment in ecoregions of Texas.
What is TEKS 7.8B?
Explain the impact of floods on an ecosystem, both harmful and beneficial.
(answers may vary)
Harmful Example - soil erosion along rivers
Beneficial Example - water/irrigation for crops
List one (1) characteristic of the Big Bend ecoregion of Texas.
(answers may vary)
Mountainous
Little precipitation
Temperature varies
High evaporation rate
Chihuahuan Desert
What process is most likely responsible for the shaping of the Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle?
What is water weathering?
What equipment would be more useful for analyzing the effects of human activity on a watershed - a triple beam balance, a beaker and a hotplate, or a hand lens and a notebook?
What is a hand lens and a notebook?
Predict and describe how different types of catastrophic events impact ecosystems such as floods, hurricanes, or tornadoes.
What is TEKS 7.8A?
What does Tsunami mean in Japanese?
What is harbor wave?
List two (2) characteristics of the Gulf Coast ecoregion of Texas.
(answers may vary)
High rates of precipitation
Low evaporation rate
Warm temperatures
Low elevation
Beaches
Describe at least two (2) effects erosion can have on coastal regions in Texas.
(answers may vary)
Example 1 - Competition for resources would increase.
Example 2 - Habitats would be lost.
If landfills did not take the necessary steps to properly seal the areas where trash is buried, what would be the most likely effect the landfill could have on groundwater in the area?
What is pollution of groundwater?
The surface land area where water enters an aquifer.
What is a recharge zone?
List at least 5 states that are included in the area known as "tornado alley."
Any five from - Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
List all of the characteristics of the Prairies and Lakes ecoregion of Texas (as described in your notes).
Rolling to level ground
Many lakes
Temperatures vary
Moderate to high winds
Farmland
Explain how you would test the effects of weathering on various types of rocks found in Texas. You must include a hypothesis and the steps you would take to test your hypothesis.
(answers may vary)
Students design an experiment in which sand is placed on one side of a clear plastic container and water fills in the other side. They sprinkle a colored powder on the sand, and then pour water over the sand. The water washes the colored powder into the water already in the container, changing its color. What do you think the students are trying to model in this experiment?
What is pollution of surface water?
Both define and give one example of weathering, erosion, and deposition.
(answers may vary)