Earth Science Flashcards
Hydro sphere define
All water on earth surface ( oceans rivers lakes rain mist)
Biosphere define
Where Living matter on earth( plants and animals and ecosystems
Atmosphere define
Thin fragile layer of gases that surrounds the earth
Lithosphere define
Earth crust and cool part of mantel directly beneath ( landforms rocks soil)
Symbol for atmospheric nitrogen
N2
How do animals obtain their nitrogen
By eating plants and other animals
What is the role of a denitrifying bacteria
To convert nitrates back into gaseous nitrogen
What is the main role of nitrogen fixing bacteria and decomposers in the Nitrogen cycle
To make nitrogen available to other living things as plants and animals cannot process N2 so it must be turned into nitrates and ammonium
What are 3 very important biological molecules that have nitrogen in them
DNA , RNA, Proteins
Chemical equation for respiration, where in plant and animal cells does it happen, why is it important to the carbon cycle
Glucose+oxygen = co2+ water+energy
It happens in the mitochondria
It returns carbon form plants/animals/decomposers into the atmosphere
Chemical reaction for photosynthesis, where does it occur in plants, why is it important to the carbon cycle
Co2+ water = (sunlight and chlorophyll) glucose+ oxygen
Happens in the chloroplasts
Extracts co2 from atmosphere turns it into useful products like oxygen and glucose
List the process to remove carbon from the atmosphere
Photosynthesis and the formation of limestone rocks
List the processes that add carbon to the atmosphere pre- industrialisation
Respiration of plants/animals/decomposers
Fire burning forests, wood, organic debris
What is the earth’s average temp woth and without green house effect
15c , -18c
What is the greenhouse effect
The trapping of radiation from the sun by various components of the earths atmosphere
What Is enhanced green house effect
To much greenhouse gases trapping too much heat leading to increase in global temp and global warming
What is evaporation
When liquid water is turned into water vapour through heating
What is condensation
When the evaporated water vapour cools down and turns back into liquid water
What is the difference between transpiration and evaporation
Transpiration is the evaporation of water for plants
Evaporation is when any liquid turns into water vapour
What is the diffrence between a run off and percolation
Percolation is the movement of water underground through he soil
A run off is the movement of water above ground
Explain why the phosphorus cycle is slower than the rest
Most of the phosphorus cycle involves rocks. The process of weathering these rocks takes millions of years to occur aswell as surfacing the phosphate rocks from deep beneath the ground takes many earthquake and land slides. This takes millions of years aswell
Why is the ozone layer important
To protect us in the biosphere from the damaging ultraviolet radiation the sun emitted from the sun
What is the chemical formula of methan and how mich heat does it trap compared to co2
20 times more, CH4 is methane
5 sources of methane
Cows stomachs, rice paddies, natural gas fields, garbage tips, coal mines
