Download OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL VOC (#1 – Test)

OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL VOC (#1 – Test)
1. (Pg 7; 195) CRUST – part of the geosphere that is the outermost solid layer of the
Earth, consisting mostly of crystalline rock only a few “km” deep
(a) thickest area of the crust (less dense; mostly granite rock) = mountains
continental crust
thinnest area (most dense; mostly basalt rock) = ocean floor  oceanic
crust
(b) 5-70 km in thickness
(c) farthest human have drilled into crust = 12 km or 7 miles
2. (Pg 7; 195) MANTLE – layer of the earth below the crust and above the core, made of
molten and solid rock
(a) lithosphere – solid-like, top portion of the upper mantle and the bottom
most portion of the crust that floats above the asthenosphere, which
causes the rigid area of the crust to crack and form the lithospheric plates
(b) asthenosphere – liquid, tar-like layer of the upper mantle below the
lithosphere creating a convection current movement, which causes the
plates to move
(c) mesosphere – lower mantle, almost solid-like above the core
(d) 3,000 km in depth
(e) analogy = jelly sandwich (lithosphere = top piece of bread;
asthenosphere the jelly center; mesosphere = bottom piece of bread)
3. (Pg 7; 195) MAGMA – molten (melted) rock material
(a) when exposed at the surface = lava
4. (Pg 195) CONVECTION CURRENT – is the circular movement of matter (molten
rock) that results from the differences in density caused by
variations in temperature
(a) warmer magma rises  closer to heat source; less dense; lighter
(b) cooler magma sinks  farther from heat source; more dense;
heavier
5. (Pg 7; 195) CORE – the center of the Earth, which is composed mostly of nickel [Ni]
and iron [Fe]
(a) outer core = composed of very liquid, molten metal which is moving
(b) inner core = dense, spinning, solid ball of metal (mostly iron [Fe])
(c) inner & outer core = 3,450 km in depth; together they give Earth its
magnetic field; depth from the crust to the center
of the core = 6,350 km
6. (Pg 196) PLATE TECTONIC THEORY – the concept of continent formation
through the process of slowly moving plates in response
to the convection movement of the magma in the mantle
(a) the plates carry the continental crust and oceanic crust
(b) 7 “primary” lithospheric tectonic plates
*Pacific Plate
*African Plate
*North American Plate
*Antarctic Plate
*South American Plate
*Indo-Australian Plate
*Eurasian Plate
(c) North American Plate = continental USA, most of CA, and the San
Bernardino Mountains
Pacific Plate = mostly oceanic crust, Southern California & Hawaii
(d) Plate movement in one year = 3-5 cm (very slow)
Plate movement in one’s life time = 2 m (length of 2 baseball bats)
In 100 million years = plates will begin to move together
In 250 million years = a new Pangaea will be formed
7. (Pg 6) ABIOTIC – the non-living factors in the environment
(a) synonym = inorganic
(b) antonym = biotic
(c) (e.g.) in soil  the finely divided rock materials and minerals
(e.g.) water, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind
8. (Pg 6) ROCK – a non-living (abiotic) material composed of one or more minerals
(a) “3” types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
9. (Pg 7; 195) MINERAL – an inorganic (non-living/abiotic) substance found in nature
(not human made) which forms rocks
(a) has a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure
10. (Pg 11) SOIL – finely divided rock material (abiotic) mixed with decayed plant and
animal material (biotic)
(a) soil is the medium in which plants grow
(b) analogy = the “skin” of the Earth (from video)
11. (Pg 11) VOLCANISM – two mountain building processes in which magma (molten
rock) either breaks through the surface (lava) = volcano,
OR pushes up the earth’s crust = doming
(a) volcanism is one of nature’s “constructive” forces
12. (Pg 12) WATER CYCLE – “recycling” of water through the processes of
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, percolation,
accumulation, transpiration and perspiration
(a) the “SUN” is the source of energy that drives the water cycle
(b) synonym = hydrologic cycle
13. (Pg 8) ACCUMULATION – a water cycle process referring to the “collection of
water into larger bodies of water such as rivers,
streams, lakes, oceans and ground water
(a) forms the hydrosphere – all the waters that cover or infiltrate the crust
accounting for 71% of the Earth’s surface
14. (Pg 8) PRECIPITATION – a water cycle process referring to water being
“deposited” on Earth in various forms
(a) (e.g.) rain, snow, sleet, hail, or mist
15. (Pg 8) EVAPORATION – the water cycle process referring to the physical change by
which a liquid changes into a gas
(a) antonym = condensation
16. (Pg 13) CONDENSATION – the water cycle process referring to the physical change
by which a physical change by which a gas changes into a liquid
(a) (e.g.) clouds, fog
(b) antonym = evaporation
(c) “2” special types of condensation: dew and frost
(d) dew point = temperature at which condensation occurs
17. (Pg 6) ATMOSPHERE – the layers of gases surrounding the Earth and other planets
(a) Composition: 78% nitrogen [N], 21% oxygen [O], 0.9% argon [Ar],
0.03% carbon-dioxide [CO2]
(b) Layers: troposphere = layer that we live in where all weather occurs
stratosphere = ozone layer [O3]; UV radiation is absorbed
mesosphere = meteors burn up and their trails are visible
thermosphere = air is very thin; containing the ionosphere
and exosphere (outer-most layer)
ionosphere = aurora borealis (Northern Lights) occurs
exosphere = communication satellites orbit Earth
(c) Importance: 1. Contains the air we breathe
2. Keeps Earth warm for living things to survive
3. Give us our weather
4. Reflects harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun
5. Causes space debris to burn up before reaching Earth’s surface
18. (Pg 10) HUMIDITY – the content of moisture in its gas state (water vapor) in the
atmosphere at a given time
(a) Warm air holds more water vapor than cold air
19. (Pg 195; 10) OXYGEN [O] – is a colorless, odorless, gaseous element found in our
atmosphere
(a) 21% of the gas making up our air is oxygen [O]
(b) O2 allows aerobic (oxygenated environment) organisms to efficiently
convert food into energy (through cellular respiration)
(c) O2 is a chemical agent of weathering
(d) O3 is the chemical composition of the ozone layer
20. (Pg 13) WEATHER – condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at a given time and place
(a) Consists of: precipitation, temperature, wind velocity, humidity, air
pressure, etc…
21. (Pg 9) CLIMATE – the average weather conditions of an area over a long period
of time
(a) Dana Point’s climate = “mediterranean”
2. (Pg 14) SUN – the yellow star which is the center of our solar system
(a) 4.6 billion years old (middle aged) [5.5 billion years left]
(b) scientific name = “sol”
(c) composition: H = 92%; He = 7.8%; O = 0.06%; C = 0.03%
(d) nuclear fusion is its form of energy [created by the bombardment of
hydrogen [H] atoms with each other creating helium [He] atoms
23. (Pg 6) PLANET – “natural satellite” moving around the sun in nearly circular
(elliptical) paths called orbits
(a) 8 planets and 1 dwarf planet in solar system [distance from sun]
INNER PLANETS:
 Mercury [58,000,000 km] (88 Earth DAYS = “1” Mercury year)
 Venus
[108,000,000 km]
 Earth
[150,000,000 km] (Light from the sun traveling 326,000 mi/sec takes 8 minutes to
 Mars
reach Earth)
[228,000,000 km]
OUTER PLANETS:




Jupiter [778,000,000 km]
Saturn
[1,427,000,000 km]
Uranus [2,871,000,000 km]
Neptune [4,497,000,000 km] (Neptune & Pluto’s orbits are so large that twice during their
planet year Neptune is the farthest planet out)
 (dwarf planet) Pluto [5,913,000,000 km] (249 Earth YEARS = “1” Pluto year)
24. (Pg 10) METEOR – a stony or metallic piece of matter that completely burns out
during its passage through the Earth’s atmosphere
(a) synonym = falling star; shooting star
(b) mnemonic device = shorter word than meteorite; shorter journey
(c) meteoroid = term used before knowing if it will be a meteor or meteorite
25. (Pg 11) ORGANISM – any living thing, plant or animal (unicellular or multi-cellular)
(a) also an agent of mechanical and chemical weathering
(b) (e.g.) mechanical weathering: plant roots, burrowing animals
(e.g.) chemical weathering: lichen, moss
26. (Pg 6) BIOTIC – pertaining to life and living things (made of cell/cells)
(a) synonym = organism; organic, living things
(b) antonym = abiotic, inorganic, non-living things
(c) dead, decomposing organisms are still biotic
(d) (e.g.) in soil  the decayed plant and animal remains
27. (Pg 11) BACTERIA – (singular bacterium) – are single-celled (unicellular),
microscopic organisms that lack chlorophyll and belong to the
moneran kingdom
(a) bacteria are helpful (decomposers) & harmful (cause disease/pollution)
(b) bacteria form and live in colonies
(c) one of the “major” groups of decomposers
28. (Pg 11) ENVIRONMENT – ALL the various living organisms (biotic) and the
nonliving conditions (abiotic factors) that affect the lives
of those organisms at any point during their life cycle
29. (Pg 11) PRODUCER – an organism, usually a green plant, which produces its own
organic compound (glucose) through the process of photosynthesis
(a) synonym = autotroph
(b) antonym = consumer (heterotroph)
(c) (e.g.) grass, trees, algae
30. (Pg 11) ALGAE (singular: alga) – a simple plant living in water (aquatic) and
contains chlorophyll
(a) alga (singular) lacks true: roots, stems, and leaves
(b) algae is a member of the protist kingdom