1. What do we call the thin layer of gasses that surround the earth? Atmosphere

2. List the 3 main gasses that make up most of the atmosphere along with their percentages.  1. Oxygen 21%  2. Carbon Dioxide 1%  3. Nitrogen 78%

3. Of the 3 gasses listed above, which 2 are the most important for organisms? Why?  The most important substances for organisms are oxygen and carbon dioxide.  Oxygen is necessary for cellular respiration  Carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis.

4. What does Earth’s atmosphere protect us from?  sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation

5. Why is it important that Earth’s atmosphere lets visible light in?  It supplies energy and making photosynthesis possible.

6. Why is it important the Earth’s atmosphere reflects some ultraviolet radiation back to the Earth’s surface?  warms the planet.

7. The early atmosphere of the earth contained no free oxygen. 1 billion years ago what process began that provided Earth’s atmosphere with oxygen?  Photosynthesis

8. What was the first sign of life on earth?  blue-green algae

9. This is the process of making food from water and carbon dioxide using sunlight for energy. Its byproduct is oxygen.  Photosynthesis

10. Using this process organisms break down food molecules and carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.  Cellular respiration

11. What 2 processes keep the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere balanced?  Photosynthesis  Cellular respiration

12. List the 5 layers of the atmosphere in order from the surface of the Earth to outer space.  1. troposphere  2. stratosphere  3. Mesosphere  4. Thermosphere  5. exosphere

13. Below are characteristics of the Earth’s atmosphere. In which of the layers listed above does each characteristic belong?  When you are in this layer you are half way to the moon  Exosphere  Contains nearly all of the water vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere.  Troposphere

 contains the ozone layer  stratosphere  Winds blow, but without swirling turbulence.  stratosphere

 Most meteors from space burn up in this layer  mesosphere  Because of solar activity, Temperatures climb sharply in the lower portion of this layer, then level off and hold fairly steady with increasing altitude above that height.  Thermosphere  It contains nearly all of the earth’s gases.  Troposphere  Temperatures decrease with altitude giving this layer the coldest temperature in the atmosphere.  Mesosphere

 Much of the x-ray radiation from the sun is absorbed here.  thermosphere  Atoms and molecules escape into space  exosphere  This is the layer in which most weather occurs as air currents flow and swirl  troposphere  The aurora (the Southern and Northern Lights) primarily occur in this layer.  thermosphere

 Commercial airliners travel in the lower part of this layer  stratosphere  Space shuttle & international space station orbit here  thermosphere  Contains most of the mass of the atmosphere  troposphere  Scientist know the least about this layer  mesosphere

 Temperature decreases with altitude in this layer because the heat is coming from below.  Troposphere  Temperatures increase with altitude because energy from ultraviolet radiation is being absorbed.  Stratosphere  Where clouds are found.  troposphere

14.. What is the chemical formula for ozone? O3O3O3O3

15. What does the ozone layer do?  protects humans from harmful ultraviolet light from the sun

16. If the ozone layer is important for humans to survive, why do we consider it a pollutant?  Ozone is harmful to the lungs. When formed in the troposphere, Ozone is considered a pollutant.

17. Label the diagram

18. What are the different pieces of the earths crust called? 18. What are the different pieces of the earths crust called?  plates

19. What kind of rock is the continental crust made of?  Granite

20. What is the thinnest layer?  Crust

21. What kind of rock is the oceanic crust made of?  Basalt

22. Which rock is heavier?  Basalt

23. What happens to the crust because of convection currents in the mantle?  plates slant, slide, collide, and push over, under, and alongside their neighbors.

24. What causes convection currents?  very hot material at the deepest part of the mantle rising, then cooling, sinking again and then heating, rising and repeating the cycle over and over.

25. The core is divided into 2 layers. What are they called?  Inner & outer core

26. What is the outer core composed of?  nickel and iron

27. Is the outer core solid or liquid?  liquid

28. How does the pressure of the inner core affect the metals located there?  pressures so great that the metals are squeezed together and are not able to move about like a liquid, but are forced to vibrate in place as a solid

29. What is the inner core composed of?  iron

30. This layer makes up 80% of the Earth’s total volume  Mantle

31. This layer has asphalt like consistency.  Asthenosphere

32. This is the boundary between the crust and the mantle.  Asthenosphere

33. A zone of rigid, brittle rock that make up the crust and the upper layer of the mantle.  lithosphere

34. This layer has the greatest amount of pressure  Inner core

35. Who devised the concept of plate tectonics?  Wilson

36. What are the 3 types of plate boundaries?  Convergent  Divergent  Transform fault

37. Label the following as being a characteristic of one of the plate boundaries listed above:  Ridges  divergent  Colliding plates  convergent  Volcanoes are formed on the overriding plate  convergent

 Subduction zone  convergent  San Andres fault  Transform fault  Separating plates  divergent  Ring of fire  convergent  trenches  convergent  Plates moving horizontally in opposite directions.  Transform fault

38. This is the location beneath the Earth’s surface where a fault rupture begins.  hypocenter

39. the location directly above the hypocenter on Earth surface.  epicenter

40. a mound, hill, or mountain formed from hot magma exiting the crust and piling up on the land or beneath the seas.  Volcanoes

41. Describe a hot spot volcano and give one example.  Volcanoes, formed away from plate boundaries, as a result of geological hot spots.  Hot spots are commonly found over a chamber of high-pressure and high-temperature magma.  As the volcano slowly slides past the hot spot, the hot spot begins forming a new volcano.  Hawaiian islands