Earth and Environmental Science Flashcards

Which layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation?

Answer: Stratosphere

The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere, approximately 15–35 km above Earth's surface.

What process causes rocks to break down into smaller pieces through physical means without changing their chemical composition?

Answer: Mechanical weathering

Mechanical (physical) weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces without altering their chemical makeup, such as through freeze-thaw cycles.

Which type of rock forms when magma cools and solidifies underground?

Answer: Intrusive igneous

Intrusive igneous rocks like granite form when magma solidifies slowly beneath Earth's surface.

What is the main driver of ocean surface currents?

Answer: Wind blowing across the ocean surface

Surface ocean currents are primarily driven by global wind patterns that push water in consistent directions.

Which greenhouse gas is produced in the largest quantity by human agricultural practices, particularly from livestock and rice paddies?

Answer: Methane (CH₄)

Methane is released in large amounts from cattle digestion and flooded rice paddies, making agriculture a major source.

What term describes the gradual movement of continents over millions of years due to the motion of tectonic plates?

Answer: Continental drift

Continental drift is the theory that Earth's continents have shifted position over geological time, originally proposed by Alfred Wegener.

Which of the following best describes a renewable resource?

Answer: Solar energy that is continuously replenished

Solar energy is a renewable resource because it is continuously supplied by the Sun and will not run out on human timescales.