EARTH’S SYSTEMS
What are the four main Earth systems?
Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere.
What is the hydrosphere?
The Earth system that contains all of Earth’s water.
What are the three main types of rock?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
What is the atmosphere?
The layer of gases surrounding Earth.
What is the biosphere?
The Earth system that includes all living things.
Which Earth system includes all living things?
The biosphere.
What are the 3 stages of the water cycle we mentioned in class?
Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation
What is weathering?
The process of breaking down rock into smaller pieces.
What is air pressure?
The weight of air pressing down on objects.
What is biodiversity?
The variety of species in an area or on Earth.
Which Earth system is made of gases surrounding Earth?
The atmosphere.
Name 2 examples of freshwater bodies of water or reservoirs.
Examples include rivers, lakes, streams, glaciers, or groundwater.
What is erosion?
The movement of sediment from one place to another.
What is an air mass?
A large body of air with similar temperature, air pressure, and moisture.
What is a biome?
A large region with a specific climate and certain plants and animals.
What Earth systems interact during a volcanic eruption?
The geosphere (lava), atmosphere (ash and gases), biosphere (living things affected), and sometimes the hydrosphere (lava entering water).
Why is freshwater considered limited compared to salt water?
Because most of Earth’s water is salt water in oceans, and only a small percentage is fresh water.
How does sedimentary rock form?
Sediment is deposited, then compacted and cemented together over time.
What is a rain shadow?
A dry area on one side of a mountain caused by precipitation falling on the other side.
How can plants affect the geosphere over time?
Plant roots can break down rock and help form soil.
Give one example of how all four Earth systems interact.
Rain (atmosphere) falls into rivers (hydrosphere), flows over rocks and soil (geosphere), and supports plants and animals (biosphere).
Describe how the hydrosphere interacts with the geosphere during heavy rainfall.
Rainwater can cause erosion by moving soil and sediment, changing the shape of land.
How can igneous rock become metamorphic rock?
Through intense heat and pressure beneath Earth’s surface.
Why does one side of a mountain receive more rain than the other?
Air rises on one side, cools, and releases moisture as precipitation; the other side becomes dry (rain shadow).
Explain how photosynthesis connects the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
Plants use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the hydrosphere to make food and release oxygen.