Earth Science Study Guide for Chapters 1 (January, 2014)

Let the PowerPoint presentation be your guide as you study.

Please bring study material to class in case you finish the test early. I am allowing the entire class
period for the test.

Chapter 1
Humans do impact the earth
Look at the "Regions of the Atmosphere" slide. Where is the ozone layer?
How does the ozone layer form? (You do not need to know the specific reactions, but
know that ozone forms when UV light entering the atmosphere reacts with O 2.)
Why is UV radiation harmful?
What are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)? CFCs interact with the ozone and break it down
- destroy the ozone layer and let more UV light through

The Earth as a system

What is a model?
What is a system?
What is an open system?
What is a closed system?
Is earth an open or closed system?

The Earth system's 4 spheres

Why is the earth unique among planets in our solar system?
Know the names of the four spheres and know what each involves?
What is the atmosphere made of?
What is its function?
What is the geosphere made of?
Does the geosphere include water?
What happens over time to the geosphere?
What is the hydrosphere?
How much of earth's water is salt water?
How much is fresh?
Where is most of the fresh water?
How much of the fresh water is actually in the forms of lakes and rivers?
Water in lakes and rivers makes up what percent of the total water (salt and
fresh) on earth?
What is ground water?
What is the Biosphere?
Interactions among the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere support life
on earth.
Look at interactions among all the spheres on pp. 10-11.
The Earth's Cycles
What is a cycle?
What does the Water cycle involve? (Look at the picture of the cycle on slide #26)
Know in what direction each of the following moves water:
Evaporation -
Transpiration -
Precipitation -
Where does the energy for evaporation and transpiration and evaporation come from?
What causes precipitation?
Where does all the water that falls ("precipitates") eventually end up?
Are water molecules destroyed during the Water cycle?
What happens to these water molecules?
What is the carbon cycle? (Look at the picture of the cycle on slide 32)
What is meant by saying that the carbon cycle is a biogeochemical cycle?
What organic compounds are so important to living organisms?
In what form does most carbon enter the atmosphere?
Where does this gas come from?
How is this gas removed from the atmosphere?
When plants and animals die, how is carbon released from their bodies?

Does Energy really cycle like carbon and water?

What are the 3 main sources of energy entering the earth's system?
Which source provides the greatest source? How does its % compare with that
of the other 2 sources?
How is solar energy used on earth? (More than just photosynthesis)
How is geothermal energy used?
Do not worry about the details of tidal energy. Just know the pull of the moon
moves the ocean waters (tides)
How much solar energy is reflected back into space by the three layers of the Earth’s Atmosphere?
What happens to the nonreflected solar energy?
What is the First Law of Thermodynamics?
The earth's surface absorbs varying amount of the sun's energy.
A farm field can reflect 15% of the solar energy striking it in the summer and reflect 80
to 90% of the solar energy striking it in the winter. What accounts for this
difference?