The Earth, Study Guide

What are the four phases of the water cycle? Evaporation

Condensation
Precipitation
Collection
What happens during the evaporation phase Water evaporates off the ocean and turns into
of the water cycle? vapor.
What happens during the condensation phase Water vapor sticks to particles of the dust in the
of the water cycle? air forming a cloud.
What happens during the precipitation phase Water droplets in the clouds combine and fall to
of the water cycle? the Earth.
What happens during the collection phase of Water collects in rivers and flows back to the
the water cycle? ocean.
What are the four types of precipitation? Rain, hail, sleet and snow.
Define weather Day to day changes in the air.
Define climate What the weather is like most of the time in an
area.
What is it called when the Earth orbits the sun A year
once?
What do we call it when the Earth spins A day
around once?
What are tectonic plates? Pieces of the Earths crust that are moving
around.
What is a tsunami? An unusually large ocean wave.
What causes tsunamis? Underwater earthquakes.
What causes earthquakes? Tectonic plates sliding against each other.
What is the atmosphere? A layer of gases surrounding the Earth.
What is the greenhouse effect? When the atmosphere traps heat from the sun,
warming the Earth.
Know how to identify the landforms on the list. Strait, channel, isthmus, plateau, peninsula,
mesa, valley, canyon, cliff, gulf, bay, delta,
archipelago
Why does the Earth have seasons? Because the Earth spins on an axis, tt different
times of the year different parts of the Earth get
more direct sunlight than other parts.
What are the four layers of the Earth? Crust
Mantle
Outer core
Inner core
What is the crust made of? Rock
What is the mantle made of? Rock
What is the outer core made of? Liquid metal
What is the inner core made of? Solid metal
What are the 3 types of erosion? Wind, water, ice
Why is the Earth hotter in the tropics? The suns rays are always shining directly on
the tropics.