Geology and Atmospheric Science Quiz

Plate Tectonics

• Oceanic Crust Formation: New oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges.
• 2004 Tsunami Location: The 2004 devastating tsunami originated in the region of a convergent plate boundary in the Indian Ocean.
• Fold Mountains Formation: Fold mountains are created where two continental plates collide.
• Subduction Zone Description: A subduction zone is where oceanic crust is subducted (pushed) beneath continental crust.

Atmosphere Layers

• The Silly Monkey Throws Eggs: This is a mnemonic device for the layers of the atmosphere (using the first letter of each layer to create the saying):
• Troposphere: Weather occurs here
• Stratosphere: Contains the ozone layer
• Mesosphere: Meteors burn up here
• Othermosphere: Auroras occur here
• Exosphere: Outermost layer, gradually fades into space.

Soil Profile Layers

• Soil profile layers often include topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock.

Soil Permeability

• Soil permeability describes how easily water can move through the soil.

Soil Triangle

• A soil triangle is used to graphically classify soils using percentages of sand, silt, and clay content.

Solar Radiation (Insolation)

• Solar radiation (insolation) is the amount of solar energy received by the Earth's surface.

Global Wind Patterns and Ocean Currents

• Global wind patterns and ocean currents redistribute heat around the Earth.

El Niño Event

• El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

The Richter Scale

• The Richter scale measures the magnitude of earthquakes.

Watershed Definition

• A watershed is an area of land that drains water into a particular river, lake, or other body of water.

FRQs (Free Response Questions)

• Knowledge of various geographic topics, including those listed above, is necessary to answer FRQs effectively.