Key Terms and Key Phrases
The Earth system that contains all living things.
What is: Biosphere
Define Water Cycle
What is: The continuous movement of water on, above, or below Earth's surface.
Name the frozen portion of water on Earth's surface
What is: Cryosphere
Name the largest reservoir of water on Earth.
What is: The Ocean
A mixture of gases that forms a layer around Earth.
What is: Atmosphere
Define Rock Cycle
What is: The series of processes that transport and continually change rocks into different forms.
Name the lowest level of Earth's atmosphere.
What is: Troposphere
Describe how clouds are formed.
What is: Water condenses into millions of small water drops that come together in the air.
The system containing all of Earth's water.
What is: Hydrosphere
The process by which plants release water vapor through their leaves.
What is: Transpiration
Name the three layers of the geosphere.
What are: Crust, Mantle, and Core
Name two of four factors that are used to describe weather.
What are: Air temperature, Air pressure, Wind, and Humidity
Water that is stored in the cracks and pores beneath earth's surface.
What is: Groundwater
Name the difference between weather and climate.
What is: Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a certain time and place while climate is the average state of the atmosphere over a period of time.
Name the three major types of rocks
What are: Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic
Name a process that forms sedimentary rock.
What are: Deposition, weathering, and/or compaction.
Naturally occurring, inorganic solids that have crystal structures and definite chemical compositions.
What is: Minerals
Define Uplift
What is: The process that moves large bodies of Earth materials to higher elevations.
Name the four major spheres that make up the Earth and its systems.
What is: Biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere
Name the steps of the water cycle.
What is: Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation