Earth and Environmental Science Flashcards
7 cards from real ICAS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Earth and Environmental Science flashcards as text
What is the Coriolis effect and how does it influence wind patterns?
Answer: It deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern Hemisphere
The Coriolis effect, caused by Earth's rotation, deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Which of the following correctly describes the carbon cycle process of photosynthesis?
Answer: Plants convert CO₂ and water into glucose using sunlight
During photosynthesis, plants absorb CO₂ and water and use solar energy to produce glucose, removing carbon from the atmosphere.
A scientist finds marine fossils near the top of a mountain in the Himalayas. What does this most likely indicate?
Answer: The region was once at or below sea level and was uplifted by tectonic forces
Marine fossils at high elevations indicate that the rock was once on an ocean floor and was later pushed upward by the collision of tectonic plates.
Which of the following is a consequence of ocean acidification caused by increased atmospheric CO₂?
Answer: Difficulty for marine organisms to build calcium carbonate shells
When CO₂ dissolves in seawater it forms carbonic acid, lowering pH and making it harder for corals, mollusks, and other organisms to form calcium carbonate structures.
What distinguishes an epicenter from a focus (hypocenter) in an earthquake?
Answer: The focus is underground where rock first breaks; the epicenter is the point on the surface directly above
The focus (hypocenter) is the underground point where an earthquake originates, while the epicenter is the point on Earth's surface directly above it.
Which of the following human activities most directly contributes to soil erosion?
Answer: Removing vegetation through farming or logging without replanting
Removing plant cover exposes soil to wind and water erosion because roots that hold soil in place are no longer present.
What is the difference between a mineral and a rock?
Answer: A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic solid with a defined chemical composition; a rock is made of one or more minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with specific chemical formulas and crystal structures, while rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals.