Advanced Earth Systems
Name the layer of Earth that flows like a solid over geological time but allows tectonic plates to move.
asthenosphere
Name the weather phenomenon that forms from rotating thunderstorms with winds over 74 mph.
Tornado
Identify the disaster caused by sudden movement along a fault.
Earthquake
Name a human activity that releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Burning fossil fuels
Explain why a skewed rainfall dataset might affect the mean more than the median.
extreme values pull mean up or down, median is more resistant
Explain how convection in the mantle drives plate tectonics.
Heat from the core causes mantle rock to rise and sink, moving plates
Explain how El Niño affects global weather patterns.
warm Pacific water changes pressure/wind patterns, causing droughts, floods, and temperature changes worldwide
Explain why underwater earthquakes can create tsunamis.
sudden seafloor displacement moves water, creating massive waves
Explain how deforestation contributes to climate change.
fewer trees absorb CO₂, increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases
Describe how a moving average line can help identify long-term temperature trends in noisy climate data.
A moving average smooths short-term fluctuations to reveal the overall trend in temperature over time.
Identify the process that cycles water between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
hydrologic cycle
Name the tropical cyclone that forms over warm ocean water and can exceed 150 mph winds
Hurricane
Describe the difference between a volcanic eruption and a supervolcanic eruption.
supervolcanoes eject far more magma and gases, affecting global climate
Describe how urban development can worsen flooding
impermeable surfaces increase runoff, reducing absorption
Explain how a standard deviation can show the variability of monthly rainfall in a city over a year.
Standard deviation measures how much each month’s rainfall differs from the average, showing consistency or variability.
Describe how the lithosphere interacts with the atmosphere to create mountains.
plate collision pushes up land, influencing wind and weather patterns
Explain how a cold front causes thunderstorms.
cold air pushes warm air upward, causing condensation and storm clouds
Explain how hurricanes can intensify over warm ocean currents.
warm water fuels convection and latent heat release, increasing storm strength
Explain the feedback loop between melting ice caps and warming
ice melts → less sunlight reflected → more warming → more ice melts
Describe how scientists use proxy data to study past climates.
tree rings, ice cores, and sediment cores provide clues to historical climate
Explain why the cryosphere affects global sea levels and climate.
ice and snow reflect sunlight and store water; melting alters sea level and temperature
Describe the jet stream’s effect on storm formation.
fast high-altitude winds guide storms and influence their speed/intensity
Identify the type of landslide triggered by heavy rain, earthquakes, or volcanic activity.
debris flow / mudslide
Identify the chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide when coal burns.
C + O₂ → CO₂
Explain why line graphs are used for temperature trends but bar graphs for monthly rainfall.
line graphs show continuous change; bar graphs show discrete quantities