Unit 4 - Earth Systems

Reading Guide - (not necessarily in order of reading!)

A. Ch 14.1 Reading/Notes
a. Layers of the Earth
i. Crust (continental vs. oceanic)
ii. Mantle
iii. Core (inner vs. outer)
iv. Lithosphere
v. Asthenosphere

b. Plate tectonics
i. Continental Drift Hypothesis
ii. Seafloor Spreading Theory

iii. Plate boundaries & Geological Landforms/Features

1. Convergent
a. Subduction zone
b. Continental volcanic arc
c. Island volcanic arc
d. Trench

2. Divergent
a. Rift valley
b. Mid-ocean ridge

3. Transform

4. How do we identify the location of tectonic plate boundaries?

c. Volcanoes
i. structure
ii. atmospheric effects
iii. hot spots
1. Yellowstone supervolcano (case study)

d. Earthquakes
i. focus vs. epicenter
ii. Seismology; the Richter scale
iii. Seismic waves (class notes)
1. P-waves
2. S-waves
3. Surface waves
iv. Tsunamis
1. Japan Tsunami (case study)
a. what happened
 b. What were the impacts

B. Ch 14.2 Reading
a. Define mineral
b. Define rock
c. Differentiate between the three types of rock
d. Explain the steps in the rock cycle & define how each rock type forms from another.

C. Soil (class notes/reading)

a. Weathering vs. Erosion (differentiate between the two)

b. Components
i. Physical & Chemical Properties

c. Particles
i. Sand
ii. Silt
iii. Clay

d. Types of soil
i. Loam
ii. Clay
iii. Peet

e. Horizons
i. O
ii. A
iii. B
iv. E
v. C
vi. R
vii. Bedrock

f. Permeability vs. porosity

g. Soil formation
i. Soil destruction
ii. Dust bowl (case study reading)
iii. Soil conservation

D. Seasons (class notes)

a. What causes the seasons?
b. Explain why certain parts of the world receive more sunlight than others.
c. Identify major latitude lines with regards to changes in the amount of solar radiation (tropical,
temperate, polar regions)

E. Ch 18.1 Reading
a. Atmosphere (class notes)
 b. Composition
i. What are the major elements/gases of the atmosphere & their percentages.

c. Structure of the atmosphere

i. layers of the atmosphere & major features of each
1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere
5. Exosphere

d. Air masses
i. cT
ii. mT
iii. cP
iv. mP

e. Albedo
i. High vs. low albedo

F. Ch 7.1 Reading
a. Weather vs. Climate
b. What are the 3 major factors that determine how air circulates in the lower atmosphere?

c. Ocean currents
i. Surface currents
ii. Density currents
iii. Great Ocean Conveyor Belt
iv. What factors influence how ocean currents move/flow?

d. Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions
i. What does ENSO stand for? What is it and why does it occur?

e. Greenhouse Gases
i. What are the major greenhouse gases?
ii. How do greenhouse gases influence atmospheric temperatures (describe the greenhouse
effect)?
iii. What would Earth be like without greenhouse gases?
iv. What is human-enhanced greenhouse effect and what are some human activities that cause
this to occur?

f. Local Climate Systems

i. landmass distribution
1. How do land masses impact atmospheric and ocean circulation systems?

ii. Rain Shadow Effect

iii. Explain the rain shadow effect with regards to both the windward and leeward sides of a
mountain.
 iv. How can cities create microclimates?

G. Chapter 7.2 Reading (from previous unit)

a. How does climate affect biomes? Give examples.

H. Supplement 8 Reading
a. What is a front? What type of precipitation is associated with each?
b. Differentiate between a warm front and cold front and the type of weather associated with each.
i. Cold front
ii. Warm front
iii. Stationary front
iv. Occluded front

c. What is a jet stream?

d. Explain a high pressure system (air mass). Explain a low pressure system (air mass).

e. Upwelling & Climate Systems

i. What is an upwelling? When does it occur? What are the benefits of an upwelling?
ii. How does El Nino impact upwelling?
iii. During ENSO, what areas have drought conditions and which have unusually high rainfall?
(Figure 5 pg. S49).
iv. What is La Nina? How does it compare to El Nino? What are the impacts of La Nina?

f. Cyclones
i. What is the difference between tornados and hurricanes? What is similar?
ii. What conditions are necessary for a tornado to form?
iii. What conditions are necessary for a tropical cyclone to form?
iv. Explain why the Eastern US experiences tropical cyclones while the west coast does not.

I. Atmospheric Circulation & the Coriolis Effect (class notes)

i. Wind patterns (domestic & global)
1. Trade winds
2. Westeries
3. Polar Easterlies
4. Land breezes
5. Sea breezes

ii. Circulation Cells

1. What controls the movement of atmospheric convection?
2. Hadley cell
3. Ferrel cell
4. Polar cell

J. Chapter 8.1 Reading

a. How is water distributed on Earth?
b. Differentiate between organisms in aquatic zones, where they are found, and why they are
found in these locations:
 i. Plankton
ii. Nekton
iii. Bentos
iv. Decomposers

K. Chapter 8.2 Reading

a. Differentiate between ecological and economic resources that oceans provide.

b. Differentiate between the different saltwater biomes.

L. Chapter 8.4 Reading

a. Describe the freshwater life zones.
i. standing vs. flowing

ii. layers
1. littoral
2. Limnetic
3. Profundal
4. benthic

iii. types of lakes

1. oligotrophic,
2. eutrophic,
3. mesotrophic

b. What is cultural eutrophication?

c. Describe how surface waters collect and change from mountain streams to floodplains. Include the
topography changes and characteristics of the water in each zone.
i. Source
ii. Transition
iii. Floodplains
iv. Delta

d. What defines a watershed (drainage basin)?

e. Why are wetlands considered an important source of natural capital and what ecological services do
they provide?

M. Global Water Resources & Use (class notes)

a. Freshwater/Saltwater
i. Distribution of water on Earth
1. Lakes, Wetlands, Rivers/Streams, Aquifers, Oceans
ii. Ocean Zones
1. Neritic
2. Pelagic
3. Benthic
4. Photic
 5. Aphotic

b. Groundwater
i. Water table
ii. Zone of saturation
iii. Zone of aeration
iv. Subsidence
v. Salt water intrusion
vi. Cones of depression

N. Ch 4.3 Reading (from previous unit)

a. Describe how geological processes and changes in climate have affected the rise and decline of
species over time.
b. What characteristics about Earth make it “just right” for life to thrive on its surface? (textbook pg. 86
Science Focus).