General Earth Science - Overall Study

Question 1

Why is loss of ice dangrous?

Answer 1

Ice reflects sun rays, making a cooling effect. Less ice, less cooling.

It also messes up ocean currents and heat distribution

Question 2

What is Earth’s largest and oldest long-term store of carbon?

Answer 2

Calcium carbonate

Question 3

Define climate modelling

Answer 3

Creating models that predict changes in climate over many years

Question 4

What is denitrifying bacteria?

Answer 4

Bacteria that converts nitrates back into nitrogen

Question 5

What do our current climate models predict?

Answer 5

• Oceans will not warm as much as land
• Greatest temp increase will be in the northern hemisphere
• Areas near Antarctica will have the smallest temp increase
• The area of land covered in snow or ice will decrease

Question 6

`How does nitrogen-fixing bacteria make nitrogen available?

Answer 6

Convert nitrogen into ammonia then into nitrates that plants can use

Question 7

What are all the major agreements that have been created to combat climate change?

Answer 7

The Kyoto Protocol
Doha Amendment
Paris Agreement

Question 8

What is nitrogen-fixing bacteria?

Answer 8

Bacteria that makes nitrogen available to other living things

Question 9

Define sustainable ecosystems

Answer 9

Ecosystems that are diverse, self-renewing and provide for the needs of the organisms that live there

Question 10

What causes tropical cyclones?

Answer 10

Intense low pressure atmospheric systems

Warm sea surface temp (above 26.5C)

Question 11

Why are ice cores useful?

Answer 11

You can analyse the physical and chemical properties of ice cores.
Doing this provides data about previous temperatures and air compositions

Question 12

TRUE or FALSE

Volcanoes determine the creation and disappearance of land/islands

Answer 12

True

Question 13

What is moraine?

Answer 13

Debris a glacier was carrying. It is left behind when a glacier retreats

Question 14

Provide an example for evidence of climate change.

Answer 14

• Glaciers
• Ice cores
• Pollen analysis
• Sea level change

Question 15

What effects can volcanic ash clouds produce?

Answer 15

Short term: cool lightning & heavy rain

Long term: Reduce sunlight reaching Earth, creating a cooling effect

Question 16

What spheres do volcanoes effect?

Answer 16

Lithosphere and atmosphere

Question 17

What can earthquakes on land influence?

Answer 17

• Course of rivers
• Cause landslides
• Potentially create lakes
• Destroy dams, causing floods

Question 18

What 3 main gases does the atmosphere consist of?

Answer 18

Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide

Question 19

What is the fresh water to salt water ratio on Earth?

Answer 19

97% salt. 3% fresh

Fun fact: Only 1% of fresh water is liquid

Question 20

Where are most living organisms found?

Answer 20

300 meters above and 10 meters below Earth’s surface

Question 21

What are the four earth spheres?

Answer 21

Biosphere (living things)
Atmosphere (air)
Hydrosphere (water)
Lithosphere (land)

Question 22

What are the main causes of ocean currents?

Answer 22

Wind, temperature, salt levels, rotation of the earth, gravitational pull of the sun and moon

Question 23

What is the water current cycle called?

Answer 23

Thermohaline circulation

Question 24

What produces nitrous oxide?

Answer 24

• Car exhausts
• burning of fossil fuels
• nitrogen-based fertilisers

Question 25

Why is the global conveyor belt important?

Answer 25

It distributes heat around the globe

Question 26

What causes deep currents?

Answer 26

Water salinity

Question 27

What causes surface currents?

Answer 27

Wind

Question 28

Define ocean currents

Answer 28

Continuous movement of ocean water

Question 29

What produces methane?

Answer 29

• Stomachs of cows and sheep
• Rice paddies
• Garbage tips
• Coal mines

Question 30

Describe the greenhouse effect

Answer 30

Short wave radiation passes through the glass of a greenhouse. It is then re-radiated as long-wave radiation and can no longer pass through the glass.

Question 31

Define greenhouse gases

Answer 31

Gases that have the effect of trapping heat close to the surface, keeping the earth warmer compared to if they weren’t present

Question 32

What characteristic influences climate using the sun?

Answer 32

How much sunlight is reflected back into space

Question 33

What is the original source of energy that influences climate?

Answer 33

The sun

Question 34

What are the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 34

Increases in methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide concentrations.

Question 35

Define climate

Answer 35

The long-term averages of weather conditions

Question 36

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 36

The unnatural increase of greenhouse gases due to human activity.

Question 37

Why is methane & nitrous oxide so much more dangerous than CO2?

Answer 37

Methane can trap 20x more heat than CO2

Nitrous oxide can trap 300x more heat than CO2

Question 38

Define weather

Answer 38

The state of the atmosphere at any given time.

Can change from hour to hour

Question 39

Briefly explain the steps of the water cycle

Answer 39

1. Water is evaporated
2. Condenses into clouds
3. Precipitation (rain)

Question 40

What is one of the major concerns around methane?

Answer 40

A lot of methane is tapped in permafrost. As temperatures rise, the permafrost melts releasing the methane. This causes more warming and more permafrost to melt.