1 - SPHERES OF THE EARTH

Question 1

The 4 Spheres of the Earth

Answer 1

“lithosphere” (land)
“hydrosphere” (water)
“biosphere” (living things)
“atmosphere” (air)

Question 2

the whole mass of air surrounding the earth.

a mass of gases surrounding a heavenly body (as a planet).

the air in a particular place. the stuffy atmosphere of this room.

Answer 2

Atmosphere

Question 3

Earth’s atmosphere stretches from the surface of the planet up to as far as _______ above. After that, the atmosphere blends into space.

Answer 3

10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles)

Question 4

Not all scientists agree where the actual upper boundary of the atmosphere is, but they can agree that the bulk of the atmosphere is located close to Earth’s surface—up to a distance of around ________.

Answer 4

eight to 15 kilometers (five to nine miles)

Question 5

The majority of Earth’s atmosphere is _____

Answer 5

nitrogen

Question 6

Percentage of nitrogen in the atmosphere

Answer 6

78%

Question 7

Percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere

Answer 7

21%

Question 8

Percentage of argon in the atmosphere

Answer 8

0.9%

Question 9

Percentage of other gases in the atmosphere

Answer 9

0.1

Question 10

Five Layers of the Earth’s Atmosphere

Answer 10

Exosphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
Troposphere

Question 11

Hot Air Balloon
Passenger Plane
Commercial Jet

Answer 11

Troposphere

Question 12

Radiosonde
Weather Balloon
Spy Plane

Answer 12

Stratosphere

Question 13

Meteors
Meteorological Rocket

Answer 13

Mesosphere

Question 14

Aurora Borealis

Answer 14

Thermosphere

Question 15

Spaceship
Satellite

Answer 15

Exosphere

Question 16

The layer closest to Earth’s surface, reaching from about seven and 15 kilometers (five to 10 miles) from the surface.

Answer 16

Troposphere

Question 17

The troposphere is thickest at the ______, and much thinner at the North and South Poles.

Answer 17

equator

Question 18

The majority of the mass of the entire atmosphere is contained in the ______—between approximately 75 and 80 percent.

Answer 18

troposphere

Question 19

Most of the water vapor in the atmosphere, along with dust and ash particles, are found in the troposphere—explaining why most of Earth’s _____ are located in this layer.

Answer 19

clouds

Question 20

Temperatures in the ________ decrease with altitude.

Answer 20

troposphere

Question 21

The second layer of the earth’s atmosphere

Answer 21

stratosphere

Question 22

the top of the troposphere

Answer 22

tropopause

Question 23

Temperatures in the _______ increase with altitude

Answer 23

stratosphere

Question 24

Stratosphere reaches from the top of the troposphere, which is called the tropopause, to an altitude of approximately _______

Answer 24

50 kilometers (30 miles).

Question 25

A high concentration of ozone, a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen, makes up the ozone layer of the ______

Answer 25

stratosphere

Question 26

This ozone absorbs some of the incoming solar radiation, shielding life on Earth from potentially harmful _______, and is responsible for the temperature increase in altitude. 

Answer 26

ultraviolet (UV) light

Question 27

The top of the stratosphere

Answer 27

stratopause

Question 28

Above the stratopause is the _______, which reaches as far as about 85 kilometers (53 miles) above Earth’s surface.

Answer 28

mesosphere

Question 29

Temperatures decrease in the _______ with altitude

Answer 29

mesosphere

Question 30

the coldest temperatures in the atmosphere are near the top of the ______—about -90°C (-130°F).

Answer 30

mesosphere

Question 31

The atmosphere is thin here, but still thick enough so that meteors will burn up as they pass through the mesosphere—creating what we see as ______

Answer 31

“shooting stars.”

Question 32

The upper boundary of the mesosphere is called the ______

Answer 32

mesopause.

Question 33

The _______ is located above the mesopause and reaches out to around 600 kilometers (372 miles). 

Answer 33

thermosphere

Question 34

Not much is known about the _______ except that temperatures increase with altitude.

Answer 34

thermosphere

Question 35

________ makes the upper regions of the thermosphere very hot, reaching temperatures as high as 2,000°C (3,600°F). 

Answer 35

Solar radiation

Question 36

The uppermost layer, that blends with what is considered to be outer space

Answer 36

exosphere

Question 37

The pull of Earth’s gravity is so small in the exosphere that molecules of gas escape into _______

Answer 37

outer space.

Question 38

the total amount of water on a  planet.

Answer 38

hydrosphere

Question 39

The hydrosphere includes water that is on the

Answer 39

surface of the planet underground air

Question 40

Forms of hydrosphere

Answer 40

liquid vapor ice

Question 41

liquid water exists on the surface in the form of 

Answer 41

oceans lakes rivers

Question 42

liquid water below ground

Answer 42

groundwater wells aquifers

Question 43

Water vapor is most visible as 

Answer 43

clouds fogs

Question 44

The frozen part of Earth's hydrosphere is made of

Answer 44

ice glaciers ice caps icebergs

Question 45

The names of the frozen part of the hydrosphere

Answer 45

cryosphere

Question 46

The ocean is a huge body of saltwater that covers about ______ of Earth’s surface. 

Answer 46

71%

Question 47

The planet has one global ocean, though oceanographers and the countries of the world have traditionally divided it into four distinct regions:

Answer 47

Pacific Atlantic Indian Arctic

Question 48

In 2021, National Geographic officially recognized this fifth ocean.

Answer 48

Southern Ocean

Question 49

Two of the deepest parts of the ocean.

Answer 49

Philippine Trench Mariana Trench

Question 50

This Ocean is relatively shallow because large parts of its seafloor are made up of continental shelves—parts of the continents that extend far out into the ocean. The average depth of the entire ocean is 3,720 meters (12,200 feet).

Answer 50

Atlantic

Question 51

is a body of water that is surrounded by land.

Answer 51

Lake

Question 52

Other lakes are so big that they are  called  seas. The ______, in Europe and Asia, is the world’s largest lake, with an area of more than 370,000 square kilometers (143,000 square miles).

Answer 52

Caspian Sea

Question 53

Lakes also vary greatly in depth. The world’s deepest lake is _____, in Russia. Its bottom is nearly 2 kilometers (more than 1 mile) below the surface in places. 

Answer 53

Lake Baikal