Download 1. What causes Earth`s precession or earth`s wobbling?

My Project is to Review for the Final Exam
Environmental Science
Name: ______________________________________________________ Period: _____ Date: _______
Essential Question: How do I prepare for the final exam?
Since our Earth is not completely rigid, as it rotates on its axis, centrifugal force causes the equator to
bulge. This is the same force that causes you to fling to the side of a giant spinning wheel in a theme park.
The non-uniform gravitational force of the Sun and the Moon will pull on this bulge and causes the Earth
to wobble as it spin around it axis, just like a spinning top that is almost falling off.
Technically, this wobble is called precession. Precession of Earth’s rotational axis takes approximately
26,000 years to make one complete revolution. Through each 26,000-year cycle, the direction in the sky
to which the Earth’s axis points goes around a big circle. In other words, precession changes the “North
Star” as seen from Earth.
1. What causes Earth’s precession or earth’s
wobbling?
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
2. What causes Earth’s North Star to change?
______________________________________
______________________________________
3. How many years does it take for a complete
Earth precession to take place?
______________________________________
http://mydarksky.org/2008/10/14/the-earths-wobble-precession/
The Earth revolves around the sun but it is tilted. The angle
of the tilt does not change just the position of the planet. The summer is when that part of the globe is tilted
towards the sun. If the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun the southern hemisphere would be tilted
away. The part tilted towards the sun gets more sunlight and is warmer. The part tilted away wouldn't get as much
light and would be colder. ) The tilt of the Earth’s axis and its revolution around the sun produces seasons.
4. Why are the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere
opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
5. What causes the seasons on Earth? Is it Earth’s
distance from the Sun or Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt on its
axis?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
6. If the season in North America, located in the
Northern hemisphere, is winter. What is the season in
Australia, located in the Southern hemisphere?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Which two factors are responsible for the seasons on Earth?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Sun Power (Solar energy) gives us heat and light energy. The sun makes energy from nuclear fusion.
Billions of times each second, four hydrogen atoms collide with each other and produce energy and
Helium. Every second 4.7 million tons of hydrogen become energy. Solar energy is used by plant to
produce food through the process of PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Even if you do not like vegetables, You cannot
survive without plants and plants cannot survive without the Sun’s energy.
8. What process powers our Sun?
_______________________________________________
9. What atoms collide to produce Helium ( He) and huge
amount of energy in the Sun?
_______________________________________________
10. Why is Solar Energy essential to plants?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
11. Why are plants essential to us? Think!
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
http://www.fplsafetyworld.com/?ver=kkblue&utilid=fplforkids&id=16167
Seafloor Spreading
Divergent boundaries in the middle of the oceans cause seafloor spreading. As the oceanic plates move
apart they produce cracks in the ocean floor. Magma rises up from the mantle and oozes out from the
cracks like a long, thin undersea volcano. This magma cools to form a new crust of igneous rock (Basalt).
Overtime the cooling magma piles up to form a raised ridge called a mid-ocean ridge. The rate of
seafloor spreading depends on the mid-oceanic ridge and can vary from 1 to 20 centimeters per year.
The Atlantic ocean is becoming wider each year because of sea floor spreading.
12. What kind of tectonic boundary causes sea floor
spreading?
________________________________________________
13. What fills up the gap in Seafloor Spreading? Think!
________________________________________________
14. What kind of igneous rock forms the new ocean crust?
________________________________________________
15. What ocean is getting wider because of Sea Floor
Spreading?
________________________________________________
16. Using arrows, draw the direction of movement ia
divergent boundary.
17. What causes the tectonic plate to move? Review
and think! ____________________________________
http://www.passmyexams.co.uk/GCSE/physics/divergent-boundaries.html
Rift Valleys: Continental and continental plate divergence results in the formations of rifts. A rift is a
dropped zone at the point where the plates are moving apart. As the plates move apart the crust widens
and thins, valley and volcanoes begin to form in and around the area. At the start of the rift formation
streams and rivers flow into the low valley and long lakes can be
created. Eventually, the widening crust along boundary may
become so thin that a piece of continent can break off to form a
new tectonic plate. When this happens water from an ocean
can rush in to form a new sea or ocean basin in the rift zone. An
example of this can be seen in East Africa where the Arabian
plate is moving away from the African plate. This has resulted in
Saudi Arabia being torn away from the rest of Africa and the
formation of the Red Sea.
http://www.passmyexams.co.uk/GCSE/physics/divergent-boundaries.html
18. What is a rift valley?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
19. What happens in a rift valley as the plates move apart?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
20. What happens at the start of the rift formation?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
21. What will eventually happen when the crust along the boundary becomes so thin?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
22. How did Saudi Arabia get torn away from Africa? Where is the Red Sea? Use a World Map.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Oceanic Subduction Zone: The deep ocean
trench occurs where the oceanic plate bends
downward for its descent into the mantle.
Benioff Zones: Shallow focus earthquakes near
the deep ocean trenches and in the overriding
plate are principally produced by motions on
thrust faults, indicating compression
(converging plates). The Pacific Ocean is
surrounded with subduction zones. Along the
subduction zones are the volcanoes, altogether
referred to as “The Ring of Fire”.
http://myweb.cwpost.liu.edu/vdivener/notes/subd_zone.htm
23. What kind of boundary results to a subduction zone? ( convergent or divergent)
_____________________________________________________________________________
24. What are Benioff Zones?
_____________________________________________________________________________
25. What do the X and 0 mean in the chart?
_____________________________________________________________________________
26. What causes the formation of volcanoes in the ocean subduction zones?
_____________________________________________________________________________
27. What do you call the volcanoes surrounding the Pacific Ocean?
_____________________________________________________________________________
28. Why is the oceanic plate subducting ( sinking into the mantle) and not the continental plate?
Remember the oceanic plate is made up of heavy basalt rock while the continental plate is made
up of lighter granite rock. Think!___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Plate boundaries are found at the edge of the lithospheric plates and are either convergent or
divergent. Rift valleys, volcanoes and trenches form along plate boundaries. Earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions are frequent in areas along plate boundaries because of the continuous motion of the plates.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj187/mrleesite/Geography/Unit%202A/plateboundaries.png
29. Where are plate boundaries found? ______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
30. What forms along plate boundaries?
______________________________________________________________________________
31. What is so frequent along plate boundaries? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
32. Why are earthquakes frequent in California and not in North Carolina? Study the chart and
Think! ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface
vertically above the focus or hypocenter or focus,
point in the crust where a seismic rupture begins.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/glossary/?term=epicenter http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/High_School_Earth_Science/Measuring_and_Predicting_Earthquakes
33. What is epicenter?
______________________________________________________________________________
34. What is focus or hypocenter?
______________________________________________________________________________
35. The epicenter of the earthquake was in San Francisco, California, was it felt in NC?
______________________________________________________________________________
36. Which state experienced a stronger earthquake Oregon or Washington? Explain
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
37. What do you notice about layer B? Observe the
thickness. Think!
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
38. Approximately when did the fault occur?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
http://plate-tectonic.narod.ru/tectonics7photoalbum.html
Mechanical or physical weathering involves the
breakdown of rocks and soils through direct contact
with atmospheric conditions, such as heat, water, ice
and pressure . Chemical weathering, involves the
direct effect of atmospheric chemicals or biologically
produced chemicals, like acids in the breakdown of
rocks, soils and minerals.
Breaking rocks into smaller pieces increases the
rocks’ surface area thus increasing the rate of
weathering. It just like when you are trying air dry
your clothes, your clothes dry faster on a hangar than
when it is squeezed and left in laundry basket.
http://joeyliu.com/ShowMeProofs/physical-and-chemical-weathering-ofrocks
39. What are the two types of weathering?
______________________________________________________________________________
40. What causes mechanical weathering?
______________________________________________________________________________
41. What causes chemical weathering?
______________________________________________________________________________
42. How can the amount of surface area affect the rate of weathering? Think!
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
43. Erosion is the movement of sediments from one area to another. Why are wind, water, and gravity
major agents of erosion rather than weathering?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Concrete and asphalt on large land prevents the soil from infiltrating and percolating in the
ground. This results on increasing run-off and flooding in low lying areas. Increased run-off
causes greater soil erosion depriving farm lands with precious top soil. The topsoil is the most
fertile part of soil. Plants love the topsoil because it has plenty of nutrients and humus.
44. How does covering large land areas
with concrete and asphalt affect the
land? Think!___________________
________________________________
________________________________
45. What are the effects of large runoffs? Think!______________________
________________________________
________________________________
46. Why is top soil important?
_______________________________
Study the different types of soil below and answer the following questions.
47. What are the three types of soil?
______________________________________
48. In which type of soil would infiltration and
percolation happen fastest? Why?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
49. Permeable means it allows water or liquids
and gases to pass through. The bigger the spaces
between the particles, the more permeable the
material becomes. Sand is the most permeable
between the three types of soil on the left. Why is
clay not as permeable as sand?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
__________________________________________
Deep Percolation: Deep percolation is when water moves down through the soil profile below the
root zone and cannot be utilized by plants. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agripedia/GLOSSARY/deepperc.htm
50. What do you think will happen to groundwater water wells in areas where land is covered with concrete
and asphalt? Remember: Groundwater is the water underground and it is also where we get water from
wells. The groundwater is recharged by water infiltration and percolation.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
51.What would happen if there are so many groundwater well in a land area? Think! Recharge-adding water
to the groundwater; discharge-removing water from groundwater.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Local people often oppose mining in environmentally sensitive ecosystems such as mountain
forests and rivers, where impacts on water quality and biodiversity can be serious.
52. Why do local people oppose mining in their areas?
Think!
______________________________________
______________________________________
_____53.Why does mining of coal and other natural
resources often result in environment pollution?
a. Mining pollutes the air near streams.
b. Mining produces acid precipitation near streams.
c. Mining creates waste material which can flow into
streams.
d. Mining strips the surface of the land near streams
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoienvironment/7751738474/
Throwing biodegradable materials like human waste and left over food in
the lake causes algae and bacteria to flourish. More bacteria in the lake
means more oxygen used by them when decomposing biodegradable
human wastes. This deprives the fish in the lake with dissolved oxygen that
is why they die. Fish in the lake actually drown because they cannot get
oxygen form water.
Remember that fish don’t have lungs like us so they cannot breathe air
from the atmosphere. What they have are gills that make them breathe the
oxygen dissolved in the water.
51. Most of the fish died in the lake when a sewer pipe ( contains human wastes) breaks on a stream
connected to the lake. Explain what happened to the fish in lake.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Salinity refers to how salty the water is. Salinity
affects the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. The
saltier the water, the lower the oxygen levels will be. It
also creates a problem with waters ability to “mix”.
http://teacheratsea.wordpress.com/tag/dissolved-oxygen/
54. How is the amount of dissolved oxygen affected
by salinity?_________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
55. Which is denser freshwater or saltwater?
Explain. __________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
There are two types of pollution that affect our
everyday life, point source pollution and nonpoint
source pollution. Point source pollution comes
from a specific, identifiable source, such as pipe,
tank, pit, ditch or channel to a body of water. The
bulk of point source pollution comes from
wastewater discharge from power plants or large
industrial plants. Nonpoint source pollution comes
from a diffuse source rather than one specific
source. Usually nonpoint source pollution comes
from storm water run offs from large land areas
which may contaminate the surface and ground
water over a large area.
http://students.umf.maine.edu/brannen.mcgraw/public.www/index5.html
56. What are the two types of pollution?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
57. What is point source pollution?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
58. What is non-point pollution?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
59. How is non-point pollution different from point pollution? Think!
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
There are three major gases in the atmosphere. There’s
nitrogen (the most abundant of them all), oxygen, and argon.
Weather changes occurs in the troposphere and wind in this
layer flows in all directions. In the stratosphere, the wind is
flowing horizontally that is why big airplanes fly in this layer.
The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere and it protects us
from the harmful radiation ( U.V. rays ) of the Sun. The
atmosphere protects us from objects from space by burning
them out, just like what happens to meteors or shooting stars.
60. What are the three major gases that makes up the
atmosphere?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
61. Why do big airplanes fly in the stratosphere?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
62. How are we protected by the atmosphere?
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
63. Which layer of the atmosphere has the most air?
____________________________________________
Fronts: A weather front is defined as the boundary between two air masses of different
temperatures and densities. When two air masses meet, the warmer air rises above the cooler
denser air. The transition region between the two air masses is known as a front.
A cold front occurs when colder air advances toward
warm air. The cold air wedges under the warm air like a
plow. As the warm air is lifted, it cool and water vapor
condenses, forming clouds. When the temperature
difference between the cold and warm air is large,
thunderstorms and even tornadoes may form.
The symbol for cold front is
http://www.climateandweather.net/world_weather/weather_fronts.htm
64. What is a front?
______________________________________________________________________________
65. What is a cold front? _________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
66. Cumulonimbus clouds form thunderstorms. When can thunderstorms form?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
67. What kind of weather would you expect from a cold front?
______________________________________________________________________________
68. Draw the symbol for cold front.
Warm fronts occur when a warm air
mass approaches a colder one. The
warmer air lifts up and over the colder air.
Warm fronts generally move more slowly
than cold fronts, gently settling over the
cold air and moving it out of the way. Rain
associated with warm fronts is less heavy
but more extensive (300 to 400 km) than
rain generated at cold fronts.
http://www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/3sg.html
69.
What is a warm front?
____________________________________________________________________________________
70. Which moves faster cold front or warm front?
____________________________________________________________________________________
71. What weather is associated with warm front?
____________________________________________________________________________________
72. Draw the symbol for warm front?
A station model is a symbolic illustration showing
the weather occurring at a given reporting station.
Meteorologists created the station model to plot a
number of weather elements in a small space on
weather maps. Maps filled with dense stationmodel plots can be difficult to read, but they allow
meteorologists, pilots, and mariners to see
important weather patterns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_model
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/stationplot_printer.html
Study the station model above and answer the following questions. Think!
73. What is a station model?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
North
74. What is the temperature based on the station model on the left?
____________________________________________________________
75. What is the sea level pressure based on the station model on the left?
____________________________________________________________
76. How much of the sky is covered with clouds based on the station
model on the left? _____________________________________________
77. What is the direction of the wind based on the station model on the
left? ________________________________________________________
What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are
over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.
Changing Pressure
The change in the pressure, and how fast it is changing, is more indicative of the weather than the pressure itself.
Rapidly falling pressure almost always means an approaching storm system. Slow, sustained pressure drop predicts
a sustained period of poor weather conditions. Rapidly rising pressure almost always means clearing and cooler
weather is ahead, however it will not last as long as pressure that rises more gradually.
______78. What is the major difference between weather and climate?
a. air temperature b. air pressure c. humidity d. time
______ 79. Which of the following is an example of climate?
a. the current temperature in Pinehurst, NC
c. the average current temperature in a region
b. the relative humidity in Raleigh, NC
d. the average temperature in Raleigh, NC over the past
30 years
______ 80. On an August afternoon in North Carolina, the barometric pressure is 29.92 inches and
falling. What weather condition is likely to happen?
a. clearing skies and cooler temperatures
c. an imminent storm
b. continued fair weather
d. conditions will slowly improve
Biomes of the World
Environmental Science
Name: _________________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: ____________
____1. How do animals obtain most of their nutrients and energy?
A) by drinking water
C) by absorbing sunlight
B) by breathing in the air
D) by eating plants or other animals
____2. Which area most likely has the warmest climate?
A) an area around the equator
C) an area 45° north of the equator
B) an area 60° south of the equator
D) an area 90° south of the equator
____3. Which biome is characterized by short summers, low-lying plants such as mosses, and a lack of trees?
A) desert
B) tundra
C) grassland
D) deciduous forest
____4. Evergreen trees must hold onto as much water as possible because water is often unavailable during the
winter months. Which characteristic helps conifers reduce water loss?
A) pine scent
B) flexible branches
C) cone-shaped seeds
D) waxy coated needles
____5. Which biome is characterized by a great diversity of life and several distinct layers of vegetation?
A) marine
B) vent community
C) coniferous forest
D) tropical rain forest
____6. The jumping cholla is a type of plant with a shallow root system. The root system allows the plant to
collect water quickly during rainfall because water is in short supply. The jumping cholla is best adapted
to live in which biome?
A) desert
B) freshwater
C) deciduous forest
D) tropical rain forest
____7. Most of the grasslands in the United States are now used for growing crops.
A) true
B) false
____8. Which biome is the most widespread, covering about 71 percent of Earth’s surface?
A) desert
B) marine
C) freshwater
D) temperate rain forest
____9. Photosynthetic plants cannot survive in vent communities because there is no_____.
A) sand
B) warmth
C) sunlight
D) fresh water
____10. Coal-burning factories may negatively affect biomes by producing_____.
A) bacteria
B) nutrients
C) acid rain
D) water vapor
____11. The four basic requirements of life are:
A) carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium
B) sun, water, plants and nutrients
C) nutrients, energy, water and a range of temperature
D) soil, energy, water and solvents
____12. Climate is the measure of a region’s:
A) humidity
B) wind speed C) temperature and precipitation D) all of the above
____13. The distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees, is known as:
A) elevation
B) longitude
C) latitude
D) none of the above
____14. There are _______________ major types of biomes on the Earth.
A) seven
B) ten
C) four
D) twelve
____15. Much of the animal life in a tropical rainforest is arboreal, referring to animals that:
A) are most active at night
B) live in trees C) live near water
D) live underground
____16. Since most desert animals are nocturnal, they spend the daytime hours:
A) resting in underground burrows
B) hunting
C) laying in the sun
D) looking for trees to climb
____17. Which of the following is a food source in open ocean marine biomes?
A) phytoplankton B) kelp
C) zooplankton
D) answers a and c
____18. Grasslands cannot support the growth of trees because:
A) too much rainfall causes them to flood C) constant snowfall freezes growing plants
B) the climate is too warm
D) there is not enough rainfall
____19. Freshwater that is poorly fed based on nutrient content is:
A) oligotrophic
B) murky
C) eutrophic
D) oxygen-poor
____20. What are the major types of marine biomes?
A) aquatic, stream-fed, coastal and temperate
B) coral reef, freshwater and open ocean
C) eutrophic, tide pool and coral reef
D) coastal waters, coral reefs, open ocean and vent communities
VOCABULARY
The following vocabulary words are from Biologically Speaking: Biomes Of The World. Fill in the letter of each term
next to its closest definition, then on a separate piece of paper use each term in a sentence.
a. biome
e. desert
i. marine
b. climate
f. freshwater
j. temperate rainforest
c. coniferous forest
g. grassland
k. tropical rainforest
d. deciduous forest
h. latitude
l. tundra
________ 1. hot regions near the equator with extremely wet weather and abundant plant and animal life
________ 2. distance north or south or the equator, measured in degrees.
________ 3. area populated by broadleaf trees, with fairly mild winters.
________ 4. the combination of average temperature, precipitation, and other weather factors in an area
________ 5. hot, dry region with little plant life.
________ 6. an aquatic biome, salt water, such as coastal waters, coral reefs, and open oceans.
________ 7 . area populated by evergreen trees, with fairly cold winters.
________ 8. region with abundant plant life, but few trees.
________ 9. area with heavy rainfall and lots of trees, mostly coniferous.
________ 10. large area populated by characteristic plant and animal life.
________ 11. aquatic regions such as ponds, lakes, and rivers.
________ 12. vast, treeless arctic or alpine plain.
Biomes Of The World can be found in the maze below. The letters of the words may be
arranged horizontally, vertically, diagonally or backwards.
X B L M R C V Z T M W K
C L I M A T E Q R Y G P
G F L O S W X B O D R H
J R A F M P R D P Z A K
T E T P J E W D I C S M
F S I U W R V G C Z S D
E H T M N P W Q A S L R
NW U P F D G H L RA D
I A D P F O R E S T NM
R T E W X N P A S Y D V
A E R Q P D F G J L M H
MR Y W J K T R E S E D
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
WORD BANK
biome
climate
desert
forest
freshwater
grassland
latitude
marine
tropical
tundra
Biomes of the World Key
Environmental Science
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VOCABULARY KEY
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K
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D
B
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D