Which of these is not a part of Earth Science: Astronomy or Astrology?
Astrology
According to the nebular hypothesis, our solar system formed from a huge rotating cloud made mostly of?
Helium and Hydrogen
The area of Earth science that examines the physical and biological changes that have occurred in Earth's past is called?
Historical Geology
Which of Earth's spheres includes the oceans, rivers, lakes, and glaciers?
Hydrosphere
Which of Earth's spheres are asthenosphere and lithosphere a part of?
Geosphere
What are the 3 main parts of the geosphere?
Crust, Mantle, Core
What does the theory of plate tectonics help scientists explain?
Volcanic eruptions and Earthquakes
Where is the Prime Meridian on the global grid?
Zero degrees longitude
What is a map projection that shows accurate directions, but has distorted sizes and distances?
Mercator
Which type of map best shows differences in elevation?
Topographic
On a topographic map, what do contour lines that form a circle indicate?
Hill
On a topographic map, what is the elevation of an area with contour lines that are very far apart?
Nearly flat
What does a map with a scale of 1:24000 mean?
1 unit on the map is equal to 24,000 units on the ground
What receives radio waves from space objects such as quasars?
VLBI equipment
Why is Earth considered part of a system?
Its parts interact.
What are the interacting parts of a weather system?
Temperature,moisture, clouds, precipitation, wind speed, air pressure, and wind direction.
What is powered by energy from Earth's interior?
Geothermal energy, tectonic plate motion, volcanoes, the Earth's magnetic field
What is a volcanic eruption?
Release of stored energy from below the surface of Earth.
Are plants a renewable resource?
Yes
What are non-renewable resources?
Things that are extracted or mined from the Earth, such as petroleum, coal and metals.
What is biomass?
The material that comes from plants and animals that were recently living and also includes the waste that plants and animals produce.
What uses heat from deep within the earth to heat homes or produce steam that turns turbines?
Geothermal energy
What is a common environment hazard caused by humans?
Air pollution
How can a scientific hypothesis become a scientific theory?
The hypothesis is tested extensively and competing hypotheses are eliminated.
What is a group of sciences that deals with Earth and its neighbors in space?
Earth Science
What hypothesis suggests that our solar system evolved from a huge rotating cloud?
Nebular
What are the four major spheres the Earth is divided into?
hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere
What sphere does Earth's lower mantle lie below?
asthenosphere
According to the theory of plate tectonics, _______ forces such as volcanism and mountain building receive energy from Earth's interior
Constructive
What are the lines called that are used to measure distances north or south of the equator?
Latitude
What do topographic maps show that most other maps do not?
Elevation
Earth as a system is made up of many_____ that interact.
Subsystems
What is a group of interacting parts that form a complex whole?
System
What is the Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere are powered by?
Sun
A major problem caused by humans is the contamination and depletion of what type of resources?
Natural
What type of resource are water, wind, and solar energy?
Renewable
The idea that Earth was the center of the universe is an example of a_______ that has long been discarded
Hypothesis
What major problem must mapmakers overcome?
Putting a round Earth on a flat paper causes distortion in shape, size, and distance.
How does the global grid divide Earth?
Into hemispheres
How do topographic maps indicate changes in elevation?
Contour lines.
What causes movement of the lithospheric plates?
Unequal distribution of heat within Earth
What layers form Earth's rigid, mobile plates according to the plate tectonic theory?
Crust and upper mantle
How much of Earth's water is fresh water (drinkable)?
3 percent