Earth as a system
Earth consists of:
Rocks,air, water and living things.
Between: abiotic and biotic factors
Abiotic factors : nonliving parts of the ecosystem
Biotic factors: living and once living parts of an ecosystem
What is an organism?
An organism is an individual living thing.
Process in which gases trap heat near earth is known as ___________
Greenhouse effect
All humans are members of what species?
Home sapiens
Scientists divide Earth into four parts:
Geosphere (rocks), atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water) and biosphere (living things)
Between ecosystem and habitat:
Ecosystem: all organisms living in an area together with their physical environment. Ecosystems don't have clear boundaries.
Habitat: A particular place where an organism usually lives.
What is a species?
A species is a group of organisms that can mate to produce fertile offspring.
Where do earthquakes occur most?
Most earthquakes take place at or near tectonic plate boundaries.
What is the Ring of Fire?
Tectonic plate boundaries along the Pacific ocean that contain nearly 75 percent of the world's active volcanoes that are on land. A large amount of people live on or near the Ring of Fire.
Based on their chemical composition, scientists divide Earth into three layers, what are these?
Crust, mantleand core
Between a population and a community
Population: all the members of the same specie that live in the same place at the same time
Community: every population is part of a community which is a group of various species that live in the same place and interact with each other.
What are tectonic plates?
A block of lithosphere, the rigid, outermost layer of the Earth divided into pieces called tectonic plates.
What is erosion? Give an example.
The removal and transport of surface materials. Erosion wears down rocks and makes them smoother as time passes. Water and wind can change the landscape of our planet. EX. Grand Canyon
What is the highest mountain on Earth and where is it located?
Mount Everest (29,032 feet) located between Nepal and Tibet in the range of the Himalayas.
If you consider physical properties instead of their chemistry, Earth can be divided into five layers, what are these?
Lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core and inner core.
Between conduction and convection
Conduction: is the flow of heat from a warmer object to a colder object when they are placed in direct physical contact.
Convection: transfer of heat by air currents. Hot air rises and cold air sinks.
Water cycle
It is the continuous movement of water into the air onto land and back to water sources
Name 4 of the major tectonic plates
Pacific, North American, South American, African, Eurasia, and Antarctic plates. There is also Nazca and Indian plates, smaller plates.
How many trees are cut down daily for the production of toilet paper?
Approximately 27,000 trees are cut down daily just to make toilet paper.
Why is Earth considered a closed system?
Earth is a closed system because the only thing entering is energy from the sun and only thing that leaves is heat , and it is unable to dispose of waste or take in new supplies.
Between crust and mantle
Crust is composed almost entirely of light elements. Thinnest, outer most layer, 5km to 8 km thick beneath the oceans and 20km to 70km thick beneath the continents.
Mantle is the layer between the crust and the core, made of dense, iron rich materials, 2,900km thick.
What is radiation?
Radiation is the transfer of energy across space and in the atmosphere.
What is one of the most important functions of the world ocean?
The capacity of the World ocean to absorb and store energy from sunlight to regulate temperatures in Earth's atmosphere. If the ocean did not regulate atmospheric and surface temperatures, it would be too hot for life to exist.
Why are bees important for the environment?
They pollinate, this is important for our food consumption as well as production of textiles. They ensure biodiversity of plants and animals.