Row 1
What is the name of an extinct flightless bird that once lived on an Indian Ocean island?
Dodos
Where do the most diversified environments on Earth exist?
Tropical rain forests
What causes species to die out or become extinct?
Extreme changes in ecosystems
When were the Dodos extinct?
1681
What climate exists at the equator, where hot, humid air hangs like a thick, wet blanket, and sweat quickly coats your body?
Humid Tropical Climate
What is the name for seasonal breezes that bring either dry or damp conditions?
Monsoons
When petroleum is first extracted from the earth, it is termed what?
Crude Oil
A large body of air is referred to as what?
Air Mass
What is the name given to the process of producing energy using waterpower?
Hydroelectric Power
What can produce rain or snow as well as severe weather such as thunderstorms and icy blizzards?
Fronts
What provides nourishment, directly or indirectly, for all other life in the forest?
Plants
Which mineral resources are considered quite valuable?
Metals, Salt, Rocks, and Gemstones
The interrelated aspects of an ecosystem are in a ________ balance.
Fragile
Around how many species live in the Amazon River Basin in South America?
Around 50,000
What is the term for heat originating from within the Earth?
Geothermal Energy
What do we do with microscopic particles of matter to produce nuclear energy?
Splitting Atoms
What are the most important fossil fuels?
Coal, Petroleum, and Natural Gas
What results in heavy rain and powerful winds that can reach speeds of 155 mph (250 kph) or higher?
Hurricanes
Nuclear power does not harm the air, but it does generate hazardous wastes, which must be stored for how long?
Thousands of Years
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives is known as what?
Environment
Dodos, or flightless birds, used to inhabit where?
Mauritius
Resources that cannot be replaced is know as what?
Nonrenewable Resources
Which climate features a long, hot, dry season followed by brief spells of rain? Rainfall is significantly lower than in the equator, but still high. Summer temperatures often reach 90°F (32°C). Winters are cool, but rarely frigid.
Tropical Savanna Climate
What elements have contributed to the United States' status as one of the world's wealthiest countries?
Natural Resources
How does heat circulate across the Earth?
Ocean Currents
When do storms occur most frequently in the United States?
Spring and Summer
Which climate has the hottest and driest conditions, with deserts receiving less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain per year? Dry air and clear skies result in high daytime temperatures and rapid cooling at night.
Desert Climate
What is the term for entirely dying out?
Extinct
What is the most common cause of storms?
Two Air Masses Colliding
This climate occurs along east coasts near the tropics. In these areas, warm, moist air blows in from the ocean. Summers are hot and muggy. Winters are mild, with occasional frost and snow. Storms occur year-round. In addition, hurricanes can strike, bringing violent winds, heavy rain, and high seas.
Humid Subtropical Climate
Why are people clearing Earth's rain forests?
Farmland, Lumber, and other reasons
What is the term for desert-like conditions?
Desertification
What action has serious repercussions and can cause the soil to erode?
Clearing Land
Earth’s most important natural resources include what?
Air, Water, Soils, Forests, and Minerals
When plants and animals die, their remains decompose and produce what, for what?
Nutrients for the Soil and New Plant Growth
What is the cleanest-burning fossil fuel?
Natural Gas
Which climate features long, extremely cold winters and brief, cool summers? Temperatures remain below freezing for around half of the year. The climate's moderate rainfall supports huge evergreen forests, called taiga.
Subarctic Climate
What angle is the Earth tilted on?
Axis
Every day, you employ plants and creatures from the dinosaur epoch as energy supplies to do what?
Power Vehicles, Produce Heat, and Generate Electricity
Which climate has somewhat more rain than deserts, where short grasses are the most common flora but shrubs and trees thrive alongside streams and rivers?
Steppe Climate
Cold air is heavier than warm air, so what happens when it cools?
Heavy and Sinks
Which country is oil-rich but lacks water for food production?
Saudi Arabia
Because the Earth is a patchwork of climates, how do geographers distinguish various climates?
Looking at the temperature, precipitation, and native plant life.
What provides energy to plants, which use it to produce their own food?
The Sun
What do you call a dry spot on a mountainside facing away from the wind?
Rain Shadow
Where is the world's largest rainforest located?
Amazon River basin in South America
What climate exists at the poles and in high latitudes?
Polar Climates
Resources Earth replaces naturally is known as what?
Renewable Resources
What's the name of a small, rapidly twisting air funnel that reaches the ground?
Tornado
Because the environment changes as you climb a mountain, temperatures drop and there is less plant life, which climates are cold and frigid in mountainous areas and unique because they consist of several climate zones?
Highland Climates
What is the name for places with tall grasses, scattered trees, and shrubs?
Savannas
What are the areas near the poles known as?
Higher Latitudes
What has traditionally served as a reliable source of heat?
Coal
What is the name given to gusts that blow in the same direction across significant portions of the Earth?
Prevailing Winds
What are examples of ecosystems?
Garden pond, a City Park, a Prairie, and a Rain Forest
What are the names of weather phenomena capable of creating tornadoes?
Thunderstorms and blizzards
What is the name given to decayed plant or animal matter?
Humus
What resource helped the United States become one of the world’s wealthiest countries?
Natural Resources
What can influence an area’s climate by affecting both temperature and precipitation?
Mountains
We transform metals to manufacture items like bicycles and watches, so the majority of natural resources are what?
Raw materials for other products
What causes the warm air to spread over Europe?
Westerlies
What is another term for oil?
Petroleum
What is the term for the temperature and precipitation from one hour to the next, or day to day?
Weather
Hot air rises and flows toward the poles, whereas cold air descends and travels to where?
The Equator
The Gulf Stream runs north over the United States' East Coast before turning east across the Atlantic to become what?
North Atlantic Drift
What are border deserts called?
Steppes
What climate exists near the equator in the low latitudes?
Tropical Climates
What is the term used to describe planting trees to replace lost forestland?
Reforestation
What is the most typical name of strong winds and heavy snowfall in the winter?
Blizzards
What are the areas around the equator known as?
Lower Latitudes
What is the name for a location where a plant or animal lives?
Habitat
Which climate has four different seasons: short and scorching summers, pleasant spring and fall, and lengthy, cold, and snowy winters?
Humid Continental Climate
Which climate includes lengthy and extremely cold winters, temperatures above freezing only during the brief summer, light rainfall, and only mosses, lichens, and small bushes grow?
Tundra Climate
This resource heats and cools slower than land, thus what causes the neighboring land's temperature to be milder?
Large bodies of water
Hurricanes generate huge walls of water known as what?
Storm Surges
What is the name for nonrenewable materials created from the remains of ancient plants and animals?
Fossil Fuels
What are the five general climate zones?
Tropical, Temperate, Polar, Dry, and Highland
Which climate has bone-chillingly cold temperatures, with lows of more than -120°F (-84°C) recorded; snow and ice are present all year, but precipitation is light?
Ice Cap Climate
Winds that originate in warm air or pass over a lot of water frequently carry __________?
Moisture
What is the name given to soil layers that are permanently frozen?
Permafrost
Which climate exists on the west coastlines, where winds bring moisture in from the sea?
Marine West Coast Climate
A group of plants and animals that rely on one another for survival and the environment in which they reside is known as what?
Ecosystem
Why are certain regions warmer than others?
Earth’s tilt, movement, and shape
Dodos were first observed in what year?
1507
What is the projected weather for a certain location based on facts and experience called?
Climate
What conditions limit where plants and animals can live?
Temperature, Rainfall, and Soil Conditions
Who or what has the ability to adapt to certain environments?
Plants and Animals
What climate features hot, dry, and sunny summers, with warm and damp winters? Shrubs and small trees coexist with larger trees dispersed around the landscape.
Mediterranean Climate
What is coal mainly used for today?
Create Electricity at Power Plants
What more is required for life in addition to air and water?
Fertile Soil
Soil deteriorates and can no longer support as many plants, resulting in the expansion of desert in what sort of environment?
Fragile Dry Environments
What is the name of the warm current that moves north along the United States' East Coast?
The Gulf Stream
The clearing of trees is known as what?
Deforestation
Soils can lose fertility in a variety of ways, including wind and water ________, which can remove topsoil.
Erosion
What do geothermal power plants produce by using steam and hot water from within the Earth?
Electricity
Winds that originate in frigid air or pass across large areas of land are frequently _____?
Dry
Renewable resources include what?
Water, Soil, Trees, Plants, and Animals
In the middle latitudes, where the equator meets the poles, what climate prevails?
Temperate Climates
What is the name given to oil that has been treated to make items like plastic and cosmetics?
Petrochemicals
What determines which plants will grow and how well?
Soils