Earth Science

Question 1

What supercontinent broke apart 200 million years ago to form the continents we know today?

Answer 1

Pangea

Credit: Wikimedia

Around 200 million years ago, the great supercontinent of Pangea began to break apart, eventually forming the arrangement of continents we know today.

The discovery of similar fossils on land masses separated by thousands of miles indicates that those continents may have once been joined.

Question 2

What is the longest river in the world?

Answer 2

the Nile river

The Nile is 4,130 miles (6650 km) long and spans 11 African countries.

Question 3

What is the deepest area found in any of the world’s oceans?

Answer 3

Mariana Trench

Located in the Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) deep, making it the deepest point in the Earth’s crust.

Question 4

What are the three layers the Earth is divided into?

Answer 4

1. Crust
2. Mantle
3. Core

The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth and is composed of rock.

The upper and lower mantle are located below the crust and are made up of both solid and molten rock or magma.

The core of the Earth is separated into two parts: outer and inner, both composed predominantly of iron and nickle but with the outer core being liquid metal and the inner solid due to intense pressure.

Question 5

What type of fossils are formed when an organism dies and is trapped in tree resin?

Answer 5

amber fossil

Credit: Wikimedia

Organisms that would have otherwise decayed, such as early insects and plant life, have been found intact in amber fossils. The tree resin hardens and becomes amber over time, preserving the animal inside.

Although some famous movies and actual scientists led us to believe that it may be possible to recover full DNA samples from amber fossils, we now know the chances are close to nil.

Question 6

What is a chain of islands called?

Answer 6

archipelago

Many archipelagos are formed through volcanic activity, such as Indonesia, the largest archipelagic state, and Hawaii.

Other well-known archipelagos include Japan, the Phillipines, New Zealand, the British Isles, and the Florida Keys (USA).

Question 7

What large landform is comprised solely of densely-packed layers of ice formed over time?

Answer 7

glacier

The largest glacier in the world is Lambert Glacier. Located in East Antarctica, it spans 250 miles (402 km) and is about 8,200 ft (2,500 m) deep.

Question 8

What is the tallest waterfall on Earth?

Answer 8

Angel Falls

Located in Venezuela, Angel Falls has a height of 3,212 ft (979 m).

There are also other waterfalls in the world that are considered the biggest by virtue of having the greatest width or water flow volume. e.g. Victoria Falls, Niagara Falls, Khone Phapheng Falls, Iguazu Falls, or Olo’upena Falls.

Question 9

What phenomenon is caused when gases in Earth’s lower atmosphere absorb the sun’s radiation?

Answer 9

the greenhouse effect

Energy from the sun is absorbed by the Earth’s surface and greenhouse gases, warming them up.

It’s then re-radiated back into the atmosphere as heat, contributing to further warming. (This energy isn’t “trapped” but rather absorbed and re-radiated in all directions.)

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (like carbon dioxide) are necessary for maintaining habitable temperatures on Earth, but elevated levels due to electricity generation, transportation, and other man-made industry are resulting in overheating (AKA global warming).

Question 10

What landform is surrounded by water on three sides and connects to land on the remaining side?

Answer 10

peninsula

Well-known peninsulas include the Scandinavian (Northern Europe), Iberian (Western Europe), Cape Cod (MA, USA), and Cape Peninsula (South Africa).

Question 11

What’s the name for a resource that is able to replenish over time?

Answer 11

renewable

Renewable resources include wood, wind, and solar energy. Non-renewable resources include fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal, as well as metals like copper.

Question 12

About how many years ago did dinosaurs exist?

(Excluding birds)

Answer 12

Between about 250 and 65 million years ago

(Also known as the Mesozoic Era)

Main geologic eras in Earth’s history:

• Precambrian – 4.6 billion to 542 Million Years Ago. (Formation of oceans, evolution of bacteria and the first multi-celled organisms)
• Paleozoic – 542 Million to 250 Million Years Ago. (Early sea life, plants, insects, amphibians, and reptiles)
• Mesozoic – 250 Million to 65 Million Years Ago. (Dinosaurs, birds, and early mammals). Includes the Jurassic period.
• Cenozoic – 65 Million Years Ago to Today. (Evolution of birds, mammals, and humans)

Question 13

What form of precipitation consists of hard ice pellets typically formed by thunderstorms?

Answer 13

hail

Sleet, on the other hand, is a mixture of ice pellets, rain, and/or snow. It forms during winter stoms in the clouds and freezes as it falls. It is generally smaller in size compared to hail.

Hail consists of chunks of ice that fall during thunder storms and causes much more damage than sleet can.

Question 14

What two gases together make up 99% of Earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 14

1. Nitrogen
2. Oxygen

The air in Earth’s atmosphere consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of carbon dioxide, argon, neon, helium, krypton, and xenon.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) only comprises 0.03% of the atmosphere; however, small changes in CO2 can drive major shifts in weather and climate.

Question 15

What theory describes the movement of large sections of the Earth’s crust over the its mantle?

Answer 15

plate tectonics

The Earth’s crust and upper mantle are split into several large, interlocking “puzzle pieces” called tectonic plates.

These are in constant motion, shifting away from, into, and grinding against each other, causing landscape features and seismic events like rift valleys, mountain chains, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Question 16

Desert, aquatic, forest, grassland, and tundra are collectively known as the 5 types of ______ on Earth.

Answer 16

biomes

Biomes are broad regions characterized by having a similar climate, fauna (animals, birds, insects, etc.) and flora (plants).

There are a variety of biome classification schemes, but these are the five major types.

Question 17

What coordinate system is used to measure and navigate the Earth?

Answer 17

lines of latitude and longitude

Lines of latitude run from east to west, parallel to the equator (which divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres).

Lines of longitude run perpendicularly to the equator and parallel to the Prime Meridian, from the North to the South Pole on a globe.

Both latitude and longitude are measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Your GPS uses this coordinate system to tell you where you are and how to get where you want to go!

Question 18

What two names are given to molten rock, the first being trapped beneath the Earth’s surface and the second being exposed through a crack, fissure, or volcanic vent?

Answer 18

• Magma
• Lava

Question 19

What do we call the preserved remains of ancient plants and animals, whether bones, teeth, droppings, or just imprints left by their bodies?

Answer 19

fossils

The biggest fossil ever discovered was the skeleton of the dinosaur titanosaur, measuring 130 ft (40 m) long and 65 ft (20 m) tall.

Question 20

What coastal land feature is formed when fresh water from a river meets and intermingles with salt water from the ocean?

Answer 20

estuary

Credit: Pxhere

Estuaries’ unique inflow of both fresh and sea water provides a nutrient-rich environment and thriving habitat for a diverse set of species.

Deltas, on the other hand, are formed when the river enters the sea and deposits sediment at the river mouth. The obstruction then causes the river to splay out into a fan of smaller tributaries.

Approximately 2/3rds of the world’s largest cities are located on estuaries, making these natural features among the most threatened ecosystems.

Mixed salt and fresh water in estuaries is called brackish water.

Question 21

Which French marine explorer, scientist, and researcher is famous for his invention, the Aqua Lung?

Credit: Wikimedia

Answer 21

Jacques Cousteau

The Aqua Lung, invented in 1942, was the first self-contained, underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA).

Cousteau also had his own television series, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, and authored many books, including The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure.

Question 22

What causes the Earth’s seasons?

Answer 22

The Earth being tilted on its axis relative to incoming light from the sun.

The Earth’s axis (imaginary line through the north and south poles) is tilted about 23.5 degrees away from being perfect perpendicular to the sun.

When the north pole is tilted toward the sun, the northern part of the world experiences warm weather (summer) because it receives more direct sunlight.

When the north pole is tilted away from the sun, the nothern part of the world experiences cold weather (winter) because it receives less direct sunlight, while the southern hemisphere experiences summer.

Question 23

What Earth feature lies at 0º longitude and separates the Eastern and Western Hemispheres?

Answer 23

the prime meridian

Credit: Wikipedia

The Prime Meridian is the longitudinal equivalent of the equator, which is at 0° latitude.

Question 24

What Earth feature lies at 0º latitude and separates the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?

Answer 24

the equator

Credit: Wikimedia

The equator is approximately 25,000 miles (40,000 km) long.

Question 25

What **causes** the ocean tides?

Answer 25

**Gravitational attraction** between the Earth and moon. ## Footnote The moon exerts a strong gravitational pull on the Earth's surface, effectively drawing the world's oceans towards it. This causes them to bulge outward, away from the shore as the moon passes by on its rotation. Simultaneously, as the moon's gravitational force acts to draw the water closer to it, inertia attempts to keep the water in place on the opposite side of the globe, which creates a second bulge. This explains why there are TWO tides per day.

Question 26

The **arrangement of the world's natural and artificial physical features** (and the study thereof) is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.

Answer 26

topography ## Footnote [Topographic maps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topographic_map) are designed to show relief (contours) on the Earth's surface -- from both natural and man-made features.

Question 27

What **weather phenomenon** occurs when there is a build-up of *electrical charge* from the *collision of water particles* in clouds during a storm?

Answer 27

lightning ## Footnote When the separation of positive and negative charge within or between thunderclouds becomes extreme enough, lightning discharges to neutralize the charge. Thunder is the sound caused by the rapid expansion of the air in the discharge channel, which heats up to 54,000 °F (30,000 °C) in just a few seconds. At first, this generates a supersonic boom, which travels faster than the speed of sound (hence *super sonic*). This means that if you're standing very close to the lighting bolt, you might not hear it at all but would feel it as a powerful pressure wave. Then, with distance from the discharge channel, the shockwave slows down, entering our hearing range to become audible as a sharp crack. The further away you are from the lightning, the slower the shock waves travel, decreasing their frequency and pitch to sound more like a deep rumble. Lightning and thunder occur in quick succession, but *we see the lightning before we hear thunder because the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound.*

Question 28

If you hear thunder *5 seconds* after seeing lighting, **how far away** was the lighting strike?

Answer 28

1 mile | (1.6km) ## Footnote The sound caused by the lighting travels to your ears at about 343.6 meters per second (at 68 °F / 20 °C), which is about 768 miles per hour (the speed of sound). For every 5 seconds you count after seeing the lightning, it is about one mile away. If you barely count to 1 or 2, run like hell ;)

Question 29

What **process** describes how water *evaporates* into the atmosphere, *condenses* to form clouds, *precipitates* from the sky, and *collects* on the Earth's surface?

Answer 29

the water cycle ## Footnote Also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle.

Question 30

What phenomenon occurs **when a rock fault shifts**, generating seismic waves that radiate outwards from the epicenter of release?

Answer 30

an earthquake ## Footnote When earthquakes occur, seismic waves are released that shake the Earth. The amplitude of these seismic waves is measured on the Richter scale, ranging in intensity from minor (<2) to devastating (9+).

Question 31

What **severe weather phenomenon** sometimes occurs as a result of *intense low pressure systems* forming over *warm equatorial ocean regions* in the summer and early fall?

Answer 31

hurricane ## Footnote Hurricanes are measured using the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. The strongest hurricanes are Category 5 and achieve wind speeds over 157 mph (250+ km/h). Tropical storms and tropical depressions are lower than Category 1 on this scale, with wind speeds of 39–73 mph (62-118 km/h) and 38 mph (61 km/h) or less, respectively. Hurricanes slow down, drop their moisture, and peter out after they travel over cooler water or land, which cuts them off from the source of energy (evaporation) that fuels their explosive evolution.

Question 32

What **violently windy weather phenomenon** can form when air parcels of very different temperatures and humidity meet? ## Footnote Hint: It typically occurs over flat plains.

Answer 32

tornado ## Footnote In the U.S., [tornadoes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep2YY_D7wdk) often form when warm, wet air traveling north from the Gulf of Mexico meets cold, dry air traveling south from Canada during spring and summer. A tornado's winds can reach speeds of over 300 mph (480 km/h) and deliver damage to many miles of terrain, although typically the damage path is restricted to only a narrow swath. Tornadoes are also usually very *short-lived*, lasting minutes to maybe an hour or more for more powerful funnels. This is unlike hurricanes, which can last several days and wipe out entire coastlines.

Question 33

What is the **term** for precipitation that has a pH level below 7?

Answer 33

acid rain ## Footnote Acid rain is corrosive due to *high levels of nitric and sulfuric acid*. It impacts the environment by *raising the acidity of rivers and lakes*, which can affect fauna, for example, by dissolving their shells. Acid rain can also cause *accelerated erosion to buildings*, which are built with materials (cement) containing limestone. Localized acid rain may be the result of natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions, or manmade sources such as fossil fuel emissions.

Question 34

What's the Japanese term for **freakishly large waves** that cause *tremendous damage and flooding* at the coastlines of oceans or lakes?

Answer 34

tsunami ## Footnote A tsunami is a large wave caused by the sudden displacement of a large volume of water. This is typically caused by underwater landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or even meteor impacts! The deadliest tsunami occurred in 2004 in the Indian Ocean. The cause of the tsunami was an undersea earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale. Waves from the tsunami reached 50 feet (15 m) tall and claimed the lives of over 150,000 people.