Vocabulary
This term is a solid substance found naturally in the earth and has never been alive.
Answer: What is a mineral?
This process separates metal from ore by melting it.
Answer: What is smelting?
Earth’s water system—including water on, above, and in the ground—is known by this term.
Answer: What is the hydrosphere?
Planting low-growing vegetation during off-seasons prevents destructive erosion.
Answer: What is planting ground cover?
97% of the Earth's water is what kind of water?
Answer: What is salt water?
This is a concentrated area of a specific mineral.
Answer: What is a vein?
The non-metal waste removed during smelting is called this.
Answer: What is dross?
70% of the Earth's freshwater is in this state.
Answer:What is frozen?
This farming method slows water as it flows downhill, reducing erosion.
Answer: What is contour plowing?
Evaporation removes water but leaves this behind, making oceans salty.
Answer: What are minerals/salt?
Layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock that hold and move groundwater.
Answer: What is an aquifer?
This red-orange metal is an excellent electrical conductor.
Answer: What is copper?
Most of Earth’s freshwater is stored not as liquid, but in these two huge frozen forms.
What are glaciers and ice sheets?
Leaving a field unplanted for a season helps the soil naturally replenish nutrients.
Answer: What is letting the field lie fallow?
These tiny ocean organisms produce large amounts of Earth’s oxygen through photosynthesis.
Answer: What are phytoplankton?
This floating sheet of ice forms where a glacier extends over the ocean.
Answer: What is an ice shelf?
This strong yet lightweight metal makes airplanes efficient.
Answer: What is aluminum?
The majority of usable freshwater for humans comes from these two sources.
Answer: What are aquifers and surface water?
This modern technology helps farmers water and fertilize only where needed.
Answer: What is GPS-guided farming?
The oceans provide fresh water through this cycle.
Answer: What is the water cycle?
This frozen material forms when seawater freezes.
Answer: What is sea ice?
Magma melting and cooling causes these mineral deposits to form in cracks.
Answer: What are veins of minerals?
This term refers to the lowering of groundwater levels due to heavy use.
Answer: What is drawdown?
Growing corn on the same field for 30 years reduces yield; this method would restore soil nutrients.
Answer: What is crop rotation?
This ocean current warms the eastern United States.
Answer: What is the Gulf Stream?