Astro
What is the primary force that caused the formation of the solar system?
Gravity
How do ocean currents influence global climate?
They transfer heat around the globe.
What is the main difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term atmospheric conditions, climate is the long-term average over decades.
What drives the movement of tectonic plates?
Mantle convection
How do biotic and abiotic factors interact in an ecosystem?
Abiotic factors shape the environment, affecting biotic life.
How does Earth's tilt affect the seasons?
The hemisphere that is tilted towards the sun will experience summer, and the hemisphere that is tilted away will experience winter.
What is the primary driver of the hydrological cycle?
Solar Energy
How do greenhouse gases influence Earth’s climate?
They trap heat in the atmosphere.
How do earthquakes occur?
From the release of energy along fault lines.
How does biodiversity contribute to ecosystem resilience?
Diverse ecosystems are more stable and resilient to changes
How do eclipses occur in the Earth-Moon-Sun system?
When one celestial body moves into the shadow of another. Solar eclipses occur when the moon casts a shadow on the earth, and a lunar eclipse occurs when the earth casts a shadow on the moon.
How do human activities impact river basins and water quality?
Pollution and overuse can degrade water quality.
What is the Coriolis Effect, and how does it influence wind patterns?
It causes moving air to turn due to Earth's rotation. (This is why hurricanes look like pinwheels.)
What is the process by which rocks are broken down by natural forces?
Weathering
What is a keystone species, and why is it important?
A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem.
How does latitude affect the planet's temperature?
The spherical shape of the earth causes the sun's intensity to change depending on the distance from the equator: the closer a location is to the equator, the more of the sun's energy will be absorbed due to the sun being directly "overhead". On the other hand, the closer to the poles the location is, the sun will appear closer to the horizon, causing a lower angle and less energy will be absorbed.
How does the water cycle affect weather patterns?
It influences precipitation and humidity.
What is the primary cause of wind?
Differences in air pressure.
What is the significance of the mid-ocean ridge?
It's a site of seafloor spreading
How do changes in abiotic factors impact species distribution?
Species may migrate, adapt, or face extinction
What are Kepler's 3 laws of planetary motion?
1: Planets orbit the sun in an ellipse, with the sun at one foci.
2. The law of equal areas: planets move faster when they are closer to the sun (perihelion) and slower when they are farther away (aphelion).
3. Planets take longer to complete one revolution around the sun when they are farther away from the sun, and less time when they are closer. (Mercury's "year" is much shorter than Jupiter's, for example).
How do wetlands contribute to ecosystem health?
They filter water, store floodwaters, and provide habitat.
How does human activity affect the carbon cycle?
Burning fossil fuels increases atmospheric CO2 levels.
What is the term for the point on Earth’s surface directly above an earthquake’s focus?
Epicenter
What is the impact of invasive species on native ecosystems?
They can outcompete native species and disrupt ecosystems