Vocabulary
This is the force that every object exerts on all other objects because of their masses.
Gravity
The brittle, rocky outer layer of the Earth.
Crust
A thick middle layer in the solid part of the Earth.
Mantle
Explain the geosphere.
All rocks and Earth materials on the planet.
What does topography describe?
The shape of a given area.
Topographic features formed by processes that shape Earth’s surface.
Landforms
The dense metallic center of the Earth.
Core
A rigid layer consisting of the crust and the uppermost mantle.
Lithosphere
Explain the hydrosphere.
All water inside the Earth and in the atmosphere.
Explain how a plateau differs from a plain.
While both a plateau and plain are flat landforms, a plateau has a high level of elevation and risen from the ground. It also has a low relief. A plain is a flat area with low elevation and low relief.
The amount of mass in a material per unit volume.
Density
Plastic layer within the mantle.
Asthenosphere
Where is the oceanic crust?
The crust under the ocean.
Explain the biosphere.
All living things on the Earth.
Describe the coastal plains and the central plains.
Both plains have low elevation and low relief. The coastal plains are at sea level and the central plains are in the midwestern portion of the United States and are used mainly for farming and grazing of farm animals.
The outer part of the magnetic field that interacts with Earth’s particles.
Magnetosphere
Where is the continental crust? Where is it the thickest?
The crust on land, thickest under large mountains.
What is included in the mantle?
The asthenosphere and the upper mantle.
Explain the cryosphere.
All frozen water on the Earth.
Explain the location of the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains, then explain the topography of both.
The Rocky Mountains are in the west with high relief and elevation. The Appalachian Mountains are in the east with a semi-high relief and elevation.
Explain why everything on or near Earth is pulled toward Earth’s center.
Due to the large mass of Earth, all objects in and on the Earth are pulled to the center due to the large gravitational force.
What is included in the lithosphere?
The crust and upper mantle.
Explain what the two levels inside the core are made of.
Inner core: nickel and metal , solid. Outer core: liquid metal.
How do Earth’s systems interact?
The systems interact by sharing different characteristics. The biosphere and the cryosphere share water, as well as the hydrosphere. The geosphere shares the earth with the biosphere and the hydrosphere.
Summarize Earth’s crust based on the basis of relative position, density, and composition.
The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth and is composed of the least dense materials such as silicon. The mantle is the second layer within the Earth and depending on the level.