The Universe and Global Systems Flashcards
Name and define each of the 4 spheres on earth
Geosphere (ground), biosphere (ecosystems), atmosphere (the air), hydrosphere (water)
State examples of features that occur in each of the 4 spheres on earth.
Geosphere-landforms, rocks and minerals
Biosphere-Deserts, rainforests, grass, birds, animals
Atmosphere-Clouds, wind, air that we breathe
Hydrosphere-Rivers, oceans, ice
State which sphere the mantle belongs in.
Geosphere
State which sphere water flowing in rivers etc belongs in
Hydrosphere
Describe the location of our solar system
The Milky way
Name the nearest star to Earth
The sun
Describe how the Earth moves in relation to the Sun.
The earth orbits the sun, while the earth is also spinning
Explain the role of the Sun in the water cycle
Heat from the sun causes liquid and frozen water to evaporate into water vapour gas, which rises high in the sky to form clouds. these clouds then move over the globe and drop rain and snow.
Describe the processes in the carbon cycle and explain the movement of carbon in those processes - where does the carbon move from and to
Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants. In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to oxygen in a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2). Through the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is pulled from the air to produce food made from carbon for plant growth.
Carbon moves from plants to animals. Through food chains, the carbon that is in plants moves to the animals that eat them. Animals that eat other animals get the carbon from their food too.
Carbon moves from plants and animals to soils. When plants and animals die, their bodies, wood and leaves decays bringing the carbon into the ground. Some is buried and will become fossil fuels in millions and millions of years.
Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere. Each time you exhale, you are releasing carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into the atmosphere. Animals and plants need to get rid of carbon dioxide gas through a process called respiration.
Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned. When humans burn fossil fuels to power factories, power plants, cars and trucks, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas.
Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans. The oceans, and other bodies of water, absorb some carbon from the atmosphere. The carbon is dissolved into the water.
Name processes that occur in the water cycle
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
Explain what the greenhouse effect is and how it occurs.
A warming effect due to high energy (short wavelength) light passing through the atmosphere, changing to low energy (long wavelength) light and not being able to pass back out through the atmosphere.
Explain what is causing an increase in the Greenhouse effect
An increase in the warming effect due to the presence of more greenhouse gases. These additional greenhouse gases are a result of human activities.
State 4 effects of climate change
Sea level rise, erosion, flooding, risks to infrastructure, and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats, Increasing wildfire incidence and severity, More Droughts and Heat Waves, etc
Explain why the rate that sea levels are rising is likely to increase in the future
Global warming is causing global mean sea level to rise in two ways. First, glaciers and ice sheets worldwide are melting and adding water to the ocean. Second, the volume of the ocean is expanding as the water warms. this will most likely increase in the future because of the potential for rapid melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica.
State the Big Bang Theory
It is the idea that the universe began as just a single point, then expanded and stretched to grow as large as it is right now—and it is still stretching!
