Competency 1.2 - identify the ways natural processes and human-environment interactions shape the Earth’s physical system and features

Question 1

atmospheric system

Answer 1

physical system that focuses on examination of air: climate, meteorology, etc

Question 2

lithospheric system

Answer 2

physical system that focuses on the examination of land: plate tectonics, erosion, soil formation, etc

Question 3

hydrospheric system

Answer 3

physical system that focuses on the examination of water: circulation of oceans, river flows, hydrologic cycle, etc

Question 4

biospheric system

Answer 4

physical system that focuses on the examination of plants and animal communities in the ecosystem

Question 5

weathering

Answer 5

the physical and chemical breakdown of rocks at or near the Earth’s surface

Question 6

erosion

Answer 6

the change in physical or chemical form of a rock due to weathering; the process of weathering causes this

Question 7

mass movement

Answer 7

the downward movement of Earth’s materials due to the influence of gravity

Question 8

plate tectonics

Answer 8

the theory that Earth’s lithosphere is broken down into a dozen plates that float; focuses on the movement in the Earth and the forces that produce this movement