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Questions and Answers
What are the large landmasses on Earth's surface called?
What are the large landmasses on Earth's surface called?
What is the solid rock portion of Earth's surface called?
What is the solid rock portion of Earth's surface called?
Lithosphere
What is the thin layer of gases surrounding Earth called?
What is the thin layer of gases surrounding Earth called?
Atmosphere
What is the term for all the water at and near the surface of the earth?
What is the term for all the water at and near the surface of the earth?
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What consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists?
What consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists?
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Continental drift is the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface.
Continental drift is the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface.
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What is the sun, planets, and all the other objects that revolve around the sun called?
What is the sun, planets, and all the other objects that revolve around the sun called?
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What is the Earth's core made of and where is it?
What is the Earth's core made of and where is it?
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What is the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core called?
What is the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core called?
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What is the thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle called?
What is the thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle called?
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What is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth called?
What is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth called?
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What is a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans called?
What is a large stream of moving water that flows through the oceans called?
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What are swells and ridges produced by winds in water called?
What are swells and ridges produced by winds in water called?
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What is the regular rise and fall of the ocean's surface influenced by the moon's gravity called?
What is the regular rise and fall of the ocean's surface influenced by the moon's gravity called?
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What is the area from which a single stream or river and its tributaries drains all of the water called?
What is the area from which a single stream or river and its tributaries drains all of the water called?
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What is water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock called?
What is water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock called?
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What is the upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater called?
What is the upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater called?
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What is a natural feature of the earth's surface called?
What is a natural feature of the earth's surface called?
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What is the earth's surface from the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean called?
What is the earth's surface from the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean called?
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What is the combination of the surface shape and composition of the landforms and their distribution in a region called?
What is the combination of the surface shape and composition of the landforms and their distribution in a region called?
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What are sections of the Earth's crust that move due to convection currents called?
What are sections of the Earth's crust that move due to convection currents called?
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What is a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other called?
What is a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other called?
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What is a tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, come together, or crash into each other called?
What is a tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, come together, or crash into each other called?
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What is a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions called?
What is a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions called?
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What is a break in the earth's crust called?
What is a break in the earth's crust called?
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What is a device that measures the strength of an earthquake called?
What is a device that measures the strength of an earthquake called?
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What is the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's focus called?
What is the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's focus called?
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What is a giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor called?
What is a giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor called?
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What is magma that reaches Earth's surface called?
What is magma that reaches Earth's surface called?
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What is a major belt of volcanoes that rims the Pacific Ocean called?
What is a major belt of volcanoes that rims the Pacific Ocean called?
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What is the breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface called?
What is the breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface called?
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What are small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things called?
What are small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things called?
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What is the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by physical means called?
What is the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by physical means called?
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What is the process in which rock is broken down by changes in its chemical makeup called?
What is the process in which rock is broken down by changes in its chemical makeup called?
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What are processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away called?
What are processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away called?
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What is a landform made of sediment that is deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake called?
What is a landform made of sediment that is deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake called?
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What is a wind-formed deposit made of fine particles of clay and silt that produce fertile soil called?
What is a wind-formed deposit made of fine particles of clay and silt that produce fertile soil called?
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What is a large mass of moving ice and snow on land called?
What is a large mass of moving ice and snow on land called?
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What is a process by which glaciers form and spread called?
What is a process by which glaciers form and spread called?
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What are piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers called?
What are piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers called?
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What is organic, dark material remaining after decomposition by microorganisms called?
What is organic, dark material remaining after decomposition by microorganisms called?
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What is the third planet from the Sun in the solar system called?
What is the third planet from the Sun in the solar system called?
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What is the distance from the sun to the Earth?
What is the distance from the sun to the Earth?
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Study Notes
Continents, Earth's Structure, and Processes
- Continents are large landmasses on Earth's surface.
- The lithosphere is the solid rock portion of Earth's surface.
- The atmosphere is a thin layer of gases surrounding Earth.
- The hydrosphere includes all water on and near Earth's surface.
- The biosphere encompasses all life on Earth and the environments they inhabit.
- Continental drift is the hypothesis that continents move across Earth's surface.
- The solar system includes the sun, planets, and their orbiting objects.
Earth's Internal Structure
- Earth's core is made of iron and nickel.
- The mantle is a hot, solid layer between the core and crust.
- The crust is the thin, solid outermost layer.
Hydrologic Cycle and Surface Water
- The hydrologic cycle describes water movement in the hydrosphere, including evaporation, precipitation, and runoff.
- Currents are large streams of moving ocean water.
- Waves are water swells and ridges caused by wind.
- Tides are the regular rise and fall of ocean levels due to the Moon's gravity.
- Drainage basins are areas drained by a single river and its tributaries.
- Groundwater is water held underground.
- The water table is the upper limit of the saturated groundwater zone.
Landforms and Topography
- Landforms are natural surface features.
- Topographic features describe surface shape and landform distribution.
- Continental shelves are the submerged edges of continents.
Plate Tectonics
- Tectonic plates are sections of Earth's crust that move.
- Divergent boundaries occur where plates move apart.
- Convergent boundaries occur where plates collide.
- Transform boundaries occur where plates slide past each other.
- Faults are breaks in Earth's crust.
- Seismographs measure earthquake strength.
- The epicenter is the point on the surface directly above an earthquake's focus.
- Tsunamis are giant waves caused by underwater earthquakes.
- Lava is molten rock that reaches the surface.
- The Ring of Fire is a zone of active volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean.
Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
- Weathering is the breakdown of rocks.
- Mechanical weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces physically.
- Chemical weathering changes rock composition chemically.
- Erosion is the movement of weathered material.
- Deltas are landforms formed by river deposition.
- Loess is wind-deposited silt.
- Glaciers are large masses of moving ice.
- Glaciation is the process of glacier formation and movement.
- Moraines are piles of glacial debris.
- Humus is organic material from decomposed organisms.
Earth in Space and Solar System
- Earth is the third planet from the sun.
- Earth's distance from the sun is roughly 93 million miles.
- Comets are icy bodies with vapor trails.
- Asteroids are rocky space objects.
- The asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter's orbits.
- Earth's circumference is approximately 24,900 miles.
- Earth's diameter is about 7,900 miles.
Earth's Structure (Continued)
- The outer core is a liquid layer surrounding the inner core.
- The inner core is a solid sphere at the center of Earth.
- The mantle is the layer surrounding the core, containing most of Earth's mass.
- Magma is molten rock formed in the Earth's mantle.
- The crust is the thin outer rocky layer.
- Pangaea was an ancient supercontinent.
- Panthalassa was the ocean surrounding Pangaea.
Geographic Concepts
- Absolute location: Exact position on Earth.
- Relative location: Position in relation to other places.
- Location: Where a place is (absolute and relative).
- Physical characteristics: Earth's surface features (landforms, water, climate).
- Human characteristics: Human-created elements (history, culture).
- Place: Describes specific characteristics of an area.
- Human-Environment Interaction (HEI): How humans interact with their environment.
- Movement: How places connect through people, ideas, or goods.
- Regions: Shared characteristics that help define an area.
- Formal regions: Regions based on government/administrative boundaries.
- Functional regions: Regions defined by a common function.
- Vernacular regions: Regions defined by perception.
- Reference maps: Show geographic locations.
- Thematic maps: Display specific variables across an area.
- Navigational maps: Show routes.
- Surveys: Data collection for map accuracy.
- Global Information Systems (GIS): Databases of spatial information.
- Latitude: Distance north/south of the equator.
- Longitude: Distance east/west of the prime meridian.
Weather, Climate, and biomes
- Solstice: Two times per year when the sun is furthest from the equator.
- Equinox: Two times per year when day and night are equal length.
- Weather: Atmosphere conditions at a particular time.
- Climate: Average weather conditions over a long period.
- Convectional precipitation: Rain caused by surface heating.
- Frontal precipitation: Rain caused by clashing air masses.
- Orographic precipitation: Rain caused by mountains forcing air upwards.
- Rain shadow: Dry region on a mountain's leeward side.
- Climate types: Categorized by temperatures and precipitation (Tropical wet, Tropical wet-dry, Semiarid, Desert, Mediterranean, Marine west coast, Humid subtropical, Humid continental, Subarctic, Tundra, Polar, Highland).
- Biomes: Areas with similar vegetation and animal life (rainforest, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, chaparral, savanna, steppe/prairie).
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Description
Test your understanding of Earth's structure, including the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Explore concepts such as continental drift and the hydrologic cycle. This quiz will challenge your knowledge of Earth's natural processes and components.
