Ch3

Question 1

Geosphere

Answer 1

The geosphere includes all the rocks that make up Earth, from the partially melted rock under the crust, to ancient, towering mountains, to grains of sand on a beach. Both the geosphere and hydrosphere provide the habitat for the biosphere, a global ecosystem

Question 2

Hydrosphere

Answer 2

A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air. 3 - 12+ Chemistry, Earth Science, Geography, Physical

Question 3

Crust

Answer 3

Earth’s Crust. “Crust” describes the outermost shell of a terrestrial planet. Earth’s crust is generally divided into older, thicker continental crust and younger, denser oceanic crust. The dynamic geology of Earth’s crust is informed by plate tectonics. … The crust is made of solid rocks and minerals

Question 4

Mantle

Answer 4

The mantle is the mostly-solid bulk of Earth’s interior. The mantle lies between Earth’s dense, super-heated core and its thin outer layer, the crust. The mantle is about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) thick, and makes up a whopping 84% of Earth’s total volume.

Question 5

Core

Answer 5

Earth’s core is the very hot, very dense center of our planet. … Earth’s core is the very hot, very dense center of our planet. The ball-shaped core lies beneath the cool

Question 6

Lithosphere

Answer 6

The lithosphere is the solid, outer part of the Earth, including the brittle upper portion

Question 7

Asthenosphere

Answer 7

Asthenosphere, zone of Earth’s mantle lying beneath the lithosphere and believed to be much hotter and more fluid than the lithosphere

Question 8

Tectonic plate

Answer 8

massive slab of solid rock made up of Earth’s lithosphere

Question 9

Chemical

Answer 9

oxygen in the air is a chemical, and is always a combination of two oxygen elements

Question 10

Weathering

Answer 10

Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth. Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering. 6 - 12+ Earth Science, Geology, Geography,

Question 11

Erosion

Answer 11

a process in which the materials of Earth’s
surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and
transported from one place to another by a natural
agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity

Question 12

Atmosphere

Answer 12

a mixture of gases that surrounds a

planet, such as Earth

Question 13

Troposphere

Answer 13

The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere. … Most types of clouds are found in the troposphere, and almost all weather occurs within this layer. The troposphere is by far the wettest layer of the atmosphere; all of the layers above contain very little moisture.

Question 14

Stratosphere

Answer 14

The stratosphere is a layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It is the second layer of the atmosphere as you go upward. The troposphere, the lowest layer, is right below the stratosphere. … The lower boundary of the stratosphere is called the tropopause; the upper boundary is called the stratopause

Question 15

Ozone

Answer 15

Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas composed of three oxygen atoms. It is both a natural and a man-made product that occurs in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. (the stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (the troposphere). Depending on where it is in the atmosphere,

Question 16

Radiation

Answer 16

Radiation – is the movement of energy through empty space in the form of electromagnetic waves. Heat and light sensed from a fire, or from the Sun, is an example of radiation.

Question 17

Conduction

Answer 17

Energy is transferred between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere in a variety of ways, including radiation, conduction, and convection. Conduction is the process by which heat energy is transmitted through collisions between neighboring atoms or molecules. …

Question 18

Convection

Answer 18

Convection is the circular motion that happens when warmer air or liquid — which has faster moving molecules, making it less dense — rises, while the cooler air or liquid drops down. … Convection currents within the earth move layers of magma, and convection in the ocean creates currents.

Question 19

greenhouse affect

Answer 19

The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.

Question 20

Water cycle

Answer 20

The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth

Question 21

Evaporation

Answer 21

Evaporation is the process by which a liquid turns into a gas. It is also one of the three main steps in the global water cycle. 5 - 8. Earth Science, Meteorology, Geography.

Question 22

Condensation

Answer 22

Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water. … These clouds may produce precipitation, which is the primary route for water to return to the Earth’s surface within the water cycle. Condensation is the opposite of evaporation.

Question 23

Precipitation

Answer 23

Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the Earth. It comes in many forms, like rain, sleet, and snow. … Most rain actually begins as snow high in the clouds. As the snowflakes fall through warmer air, they become raindrops.

Question 24

Salinity

Answer 24

Salinity can be defined as “the concentration of dissolved mineral salts present in waters and soils on a unit volume or weight basis”

Question 25

Fresh water

Answer 25

The definition of freshwater is water containing less than 1,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids, most often salt. As a part of the water cycle, Earth's surface-water bodies are generally thought of as renewable resources, although they are very dependent on other parts of the water cycle.

Question 26

Biosphere

Answer 26

The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists. The biosphere extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to the dark environment of ocean trenches, to lush rain forests and high mountaintops. ... Since life exists on the ground, in the air, and in the water, the biosphere overlaps all these spheres.