The Rock Record
If a scientist finds a fish fossil at the bottom of a canyon and a cactus fossil at the very top, which fossil is the oldest?
The fish fossil
This process happens when liquid water seeps into a crack in a rock, freezes, and expands, eventually breaking the rock apart. What is it called?
Frost Wedging
Most of the world's earthquakes and volcanoes happen along the edges of these giant, moving slabs of Earth's crust. What are they?
Tectonic Plates
Energy sources like wind, sunlight, and water are "renewable." What does the word renewable mean?
They can be replaced or they never run out
To protect a city from a river overflowing during a heavy storm, engineers might build these tall dirt or concrete walls along the riverbanks. What are they called?
Levees
This scientific rule states that in a stack of sedimentary rock, the youngest layer is always found at the top. What is this rule?
The Law of Superposition
What is the main difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering breaks rock down; erosion moves the pieces away.
If you looked at a map of the world, where would you fidn the most active volcanoes?
The Ring of Fire/Along a plate boundary
Coal, oil, and natural gas are called "fossil fuels." Are these considered renewable or non-renewable resources?
Non-Renewable
In earthquake-prone areas like California, engineers use "base isolators" (shock absorbers) under buildings. What is their main goal?
To reduce shaking/damage during an earthquake
Scientists find a layer of seashells in the middle of a forest in the Ozarks. This is evidence that the forest was once covered by what?
An ocean or sea
Is the process of a river carving out a deep canyon over millions of years considered a "slow" change or a "fast" change to Earth's surface?
A slow change
When two tectonic plates slowly crash into each other over millions of years, what major landfeature is usually formed?
Mountains
What is one major environmental disadvantage of burning coal to produce electricity?
It produces air pollution/carbon dioxide/smoke
Why do people living near the coast often build their houses on tall stilts or pilings?
To protect the house from flooding/storm surges
If a rock layer has been tilted or folded, did that movement happen before or after the rock layer was originally formed?
After
Which natural force is most likely responsible for forming sand dunes in a desert?
Wind
True or False: Tectonic plate boundaries are only found on land; they do not exist under the ocean.
False
Which renewable energy source uses large turbines to capture the kinetic energy of moving air?
Wind energy
Before a natural hazard like a tornado or hurricane hits, cities use these to warn people to take cover.
Sirens or Emergency Alerts
Geologists use "index fossils" to match rock layers in different parts of the world. For a fossil to be a good index fossil, did the animal live for a very long time or a very short time?
A very short time
If a farmer plants a row of trees along the edge of a field to stop the wind from blowing away the soil, what is this "hazard solution" called?
A windbreaker
What do we call the long underwater mountain range found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where plates are pulling apart?
Mid-Ocean Ridge
Some people use "geothermal" energy to heat their homes. Where does the heat for geothermal energy come from?
Inside the Earth
Scientists use "seismographs" to monitor the Earth. What specific natural hazard are they trying to detect and measure?
Earthquakes