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Questions and Answers
Which of the following is NOT considered a natural resource important for human survival?
What distinguishes renewable resources from non-renewable resources?
What is the primary energy transformation method used to convert fossil fuels into electricity?
Which of these sources is NOT typically classified as renewable?
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What impact does deforestation have on global warming?
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What does the term 'geology' specifically refer to within Earth science?
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How is hydroelectric power considered renewable?
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Which branch of Earth science would primarily study the composition and changes in the ocean?
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What fundamental principle does the law of conservation of energy illustrate?
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What are the effects of rising greenhouse gases primarily attributed to?
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What distinguishes renewable resources from non-renewable resources?
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Which of the following describes kinetic energy?
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Which specialty under geology focuses on understanding earthquakes?
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What role do meteorologists play in society?
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What is a consequence of human alteration of habitats?
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What is the primary focus of historical geology?
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Biotic resources are derived from which of the following sources?
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What does oceanography primarily help to understand regarding climate change?
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What is a characteristic of a balanced ecosystem?
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Which of the following best defines a natural disturbance?
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What is a major contributor to animal and plant extinctions today?
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How does water pollution generally occur?
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What factor primarily differentiates point source pollution from non-point source pollution?
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Which element is one of the six hazardous air pollutants identified by the EPA?
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What does the 'Reduce' in the 3 Rs stand for?
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Which action is considered the least effective in the 3 Rs hierarchy?
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What does anthropogenic pollution primarily refer to?
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What is one effect of eutrophication caused by pollutants in water bodies?
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What is the depth range of the mantle below the Earth's surface?
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What is the primary composition of the mantle?
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What process allows mantle material to become molten as it rises?
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What was Edmund Halley's theory regarding the structure of the Earth?
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What drives the movements of ionized material in the outer core that contribute to Earth's magnetic field?
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What is the primary focus of integrated waste management?
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Which layer of the Earth is the thinnest and outermost?
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What is the primary material that makes up oceanic crust?
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What characterizes the outer core of the Earth?
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Which of the following is NOT a priority of integrated waste management?
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What is the average thickness of the continental crust?
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How is oceanic crust primarily formed?
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What is a characteristic temperature range at the center of the Earth?
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Which mineral compositions are higher in the continental crust compared to oceanic crust?
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What method is employed in the secondary prevention of pollution?
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Study Notes
Earth Science
- Earth science is the study of Earth and neighboring planets.
- Earth Science is the study of different historical events and processes involved in Earth's formation.
- Earth Science comprises four branches: Geology, Meteorology, Astronomy, and Oceanography.
- Geology is the study of Earth, divided into physical and historical geology.
- Physical geology examines Earth's structure, form, and components.
- Historical geology investigates past processes and events that shaped Earth and life.
- Seismology focuses on earthquakes, while volcanology studies volcanoes.
- Meteorology analyzes, predicts, and forecasts weather patterns.
- Oceanographers study ocean tides, waves, processes, and changes.
Natural Resources
- Natural resources are naturally occurring materials beneficial to humans.
- Natural resources can be classified as renewable or nonrenewable, and biotic or abiotic.
- Renewable resources are plentiful or replenish quickly.
- Nonrenewable resources are limited and take a very long time to replenish.
- Biotic resources originate from living organisms or decayed organic matter (e.g., fossil fuels).
- Abiotic resources are derived from non-living, non-organic materials.
Energy
- Energy is the capacity to do work or cause change, measured in Joules (J).
- Energy exists as kinetic energy (energy in motion) or potential energy (stored energy).
- Thermal, electric, and nuclear energy are examples of kinetic and potential energy forms.
- Energy sources can be classified as renewable or nonrenewable.
- The law of conservation of energy states that energy is never created or destroyed, only transformed.
Energy Sources
- Coal, oil, wood, and gas are examples of non-renewable energy sources.
- Wind, water, and solar are examples of renewable energy sources.
- Burning fuels, like coal or oil, produces heat.
- Turning a turbine in a magnetic field generates electricity.
- Turbines can be driven by burning fuels, wind, or water.
Electricity Production
- Windmills and dams use turbines to generate electricity.
- Windmills use rotor blades driven by wind to spin turbines.
- Dams use water flowing past turbine blades to generate electricity.
- Solar power can be passively collected (buildings designed for solar absorption) or actively collected (solar panels).
Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources
- Both renewable and non-renewable resources contribute to electricity production, which powers homes, transportation, and other activities.
- Renewable resources are easily replenished, while non-renewable resources are finite.
- Wind energy, water energy, geothermal energy, and biomass are renewable resources.
- Hydroelectric power is renewable because the water used is replenished.
- Plants are renewable resources providing shelter, food, and energy.
- Fossil fuels (crude oil, natural gas, coal) are non-renewable resources formed over millions of years.
Human Impact on the Environment
- Human activities pose significant threats to Earth's biodiversity.
- Human activities contribute to habitat alteration, climate change, and species extinction.
- Habitat alteration includes deforestation, urbanization, pollution, and over-harvesting.
- Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities accelerate climate change.
- Deforestation reduces Earth's ability to absorb CO2, leading to increased global warming.
- Land erosion caused by deforestation impacts land and water ecosystems.
Ecosystems
- An ecosystem comprises living and non-living components interacting within a habitat.
- A balanced ecosystem maintains stability and harmony.
- Disturbances, both natural and human-caused, can disrupt ecosystem balance.
- Natural disturbances can cause destruction but usually have temporary effects and may even bring benefits.
- Human disturbances can cause long-lasting negative impacts on ecosystems.
Extinction
- Humans are responsible for the majority of animal and plant extinctions.
- Habitat destruction through land clearing and fragmentation contributes to extinction.
- Anthropogenic pollution (from fossil fuels, garbage, fertilizers) alters ecosystems and can lead to extinction.
- Conserving habitats, reducing fossil fuel consumption, and recycling are ways to prevent extinctions.
Pollution
- Pollution disrupts the natural balance of the environment by introducing harmful substances or energy.
- Water pollution occurs when pollutants contaminate water bodies, affecting organisms and water usability.
- Pollution sources can be natural or human-made (anthropogenic).
- Point sources release pollutants from a specific location, while non-point sources are widespread or difficult to pinpoint.
- Surface water pollution affects lakes, rivers, and seas, while groundwater pollution contaminates aquifers.
- Pollutants cause various water quality issues, including reduced dissolved oxygen, eutrophication, heavy metal contamination, and pathogen presence.
Air Pollution
- Air pollution is the presence of harmful substances or energy in the atmosphere, posing risks to living organisms.
- Air pollutants originate from natural and human sources, with point and non-point sources.
- Primary pollutants cause direct damage, while secondary pollutants form through atmospheric reactions.
- The Clean Air Act of 1970 set regulations to monitor and control air pollution.
- The EPA identifies and limits six major air pollutants harmful to human health: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulate matter, and lead.
Waste Reduction
- The 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) form a waste reduction strategy to lessen environmental impacts.
- Reduce involves consuming less to minimize resource use and production.
- Reuse involves repurposing existing resources to avoid purchasing new ones.
- Recycle involves transforming used materials into new products.
- The 3 Rs operate in a hierarchy of effectiveness, with Reduce being the most beneficial and Recycle the least.
Integrated Waste Management
- Integrated waste management combines strategies for waste management and reduction.
- Waste management involves handling and disposing of waste responsibly.
- Waste reduction aims to minimize waste production and find alternative uses for waste.
- Priorities in integrated waste management include: primary prevention (reducing waste generation), secondary prevention (recycling, reusing, composting), and waste management (handling disposed waste).
Earth's Layers
- Earth's layers are categorized by their chemical composition.
- The three primary layers are the crust, mantle, and core.
- The crust is the thinnest and outermost layer.
- The mantle is the thickest layer, located between the crust and core.
- The core is the innermost layer, with the outer core being liquid.
- Temperatures at Earth's center reach approximately 5,400-6,500 degrees Celsius, with some estimates reaching 7,000 degrees Celsius.
Oceanic Crust
- Oceanic crust is Earth's youngest crustal type, formed at mid-ocean ridges.
- Oceanic crust forms as tectonic plates diverge, releasing mafic lava that solidifies.
- Magnetic stripes in oceanic crust indicate the reversal of Earth's magnetic poles.
- Oceanic crust is thinner than continental crust and has a density of 3 grams per cubic centimeter.
Continental Crust
- Continental crust is thicker than oceanic crust, ranging from 30 to 50 kilometers in thickness.
- Continental crust is primarily felsic rock rich in silicon, oxygen, aluminum, sodium, and potassium.
- Continental crust forms at convergent plate boundaries (where plates collide).
- Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust, with a density of 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter.
Mantle
- Largest portion of Earth's geosphere
- Consists of the upper and lower mantle
- Begins below the crust and lithosphere at the Mohorovicic discontinuity
- Ends just outside the outer core of the Earth at the Gutenberg discontinuity
- Extends from 35 to 2980 kilometers below Earth's surface
- Almost entirely solid rock
- Behaves like a viscous liquid over long geological spans of time
- Forms convection currents due to Earth's geothermal gradient
- Geothermal gradient exists because of leftover heat from Earth's formation and the decay of radioactive elements
- As mantle material rises, it reaches the asthenosphere
- The asthenosphere is a ductile and easily deformed portion of the upper mantle
- Material reaching the asthenosphere spreads out and undergoes decompression allowing some regions to melt
- Some melted material can be deposited at mid-ocean ridges through volcanism
- Provides insight into the mantle's composition which seems to be mostly ultramafic rock like peridotite
- Convection currents driving plate tectonics can sometimes uplift mantle material through obduction
- Obduction deposits mantle rock at the surface
Earth's Core
- Earth is divided into three sections based on its chemical composition:
- Crust
- Mantle
- Core
- Core has two layers:
- Outer core: made of mostly liquid iron and nickel
- Inner core: made up of solidified and purified iron
- Inner core temperature could range between 5400 and 6000 degrees Celsius
- Inner core has an average depth of 6470 km
- Rheology is the study of how materials deform under stress
- Rheology helped geologists understand the Earth's core
Hollow Earth Theory
- Edmund Halley theorized that the Earth was hollow
- His calculations were based on a misunderstanding of Earth's magnetic fields and a miscalculation about the moon's density by Isaac Newton
- Newton calculated the moon's density based on its ability to influence the tide, resulting in a much higher density than reality
- This led Halley to believe that the Earth must be hollow to account for this discrepancy
Earth's Magnetic Field
- Also known as geodynamo
- How the geodynamo works is still a mystery
- Theorized that the Earth's magnetic field is created by movements of ionized material in the outer core
- Iron is pulled into the core of the Earth
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Description
Explore the fundamental concepts of Earth Science and the classification of natural resources in this quiz. From geology to meteorology, you'll learn about Earth's processes and how different resources benefit humanity. Test your knowledge on these critical topics!
