Unit 2: Earth Systems

Earth/Space Science

●SC.6.E.7.4: Students will differentiate and explain interactions among the
geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
●SC.6.E.7.2 : Students will describe and explain how the cycling of water
and global patterns influence local weather and climate.

●SC.6.E.7.3: Describe how global patterns such as the jet stream and ocean
currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as
temperature, air pressure, wind direction and speed, and humidity and
precipitation.

●SC.6.E.7.6: Students will differentiate between weather and climate.

●SC.6.E.7.9: Students will describe the composition and structure of the
atmosphere and how the atmosphere protects life and insulates the
planet.

Earth’s Spheres

The spheres of Earth interact with each other

● cycling of water

● global patterns for air and water

Multiple Choice

When plants and animals decompose, they release nutrients into the soil. The nutrients in the soil help future plants grow. Which of Earth's spheres are interacting?

• biosphere and geosphere

• atmosphere and biosphere

• biosphere and hydrosphere

• atmosphere and geosphere

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes an interaction between the cryosphere and hydrosphere?

• evaporation of water from the ocean near the equator

• decomposition of matter in the ocean which settles at the bottom

• melting of icebergs causing a release of fresh water into the oceans

• release of large amounts of salt into the oceans from melting icebergs

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes how Earth's spheres are interacting in the image above?

• The soil (geosphere) and water (cryosphere) from the rain cause the plant (biosphere) to

  decompose.

• The soil (biosphere) and water (atmosphere) from the rain cause the plant (biosphere) to

  decompose.

• The plant (geosphere) receives nutrients from soil (geosphere) and water (atmosphere)

  from the rain to grow.

• The plant (biosphere) receives nutrients from soil (geosphere) and water (hydrosphere)

  from the rain to grow.

The hydrosphere and atmosphere interact in the cycling
of water.

The amount of water
moving through the
cycle will affect the

affect the weather and

climate of an area.

Hydrosphere
● all water found

on, under and
over the surface
of the Earth.

Multiple Choice

Use the picture below to answer the following question. How does point "X" in the cycling of water affect the weather?

• The ocean reflects the Sun’s rays into the atmosphere and causes the water vapor to

  condense into a cloud.

• The cooler temperature of the ocean causes the water to evaporate into the atmosphere

  to later form clouds.

• The Sun’s rays heat the ocean’s water and cause some of it to evaporate into the

  atmosphere to later form clouds.

• The warmer temperature of the ocean causes the water vapor to release into the

  atmosphere through condensation.

Multiple Choice

Which processes in the water cycle are identified by the numbered arrows in the diagram below?

• Process 1 is condensation; process 2 is infiltration

• Process 1 is evaporation; process 2 is infiltration

• Process 1 is transpiration; process 2 is runoff

• Process 1 is precipitation; process 2 is runofff

Multiple Choice

During a winter storm, Annabelle observed hail falling on the street. After the hailstorm ended she observed rainfall. Which of these statements best describes the movement of water through Earth's spheres?

• Water vapor from the cryosphere produces hail allowing it to then precipitate.

• The geosphere freezes water and the cryosphere allows rain to fall back to the

  geosphere.

• Water vapor from the hydrosphere forms clouds, freezing in the atmosphere and falling

  back to the geosphere as precipitation.

• The geosphere causes water to evaporate through the hydrosphere to form clouds and

  then to be reabsorbed as part of the cryosphere.

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The Atmosphere

A protective layer of

gases that shelter all life

on Earth

The layer in which we live.
Weather occurs here & clouds form.
75% of all the air and all the water
vapor.

Jet airplanes fly here.
The ozone layer absorbs harmful
ultraviolet radiation which protects
life on Earth.

Coldest Layer. Temperature
decreases with height.

Air is very thin (fewer air
molecules) so it also get very hot.
Space station is located here.

Pressure decreases
as altitude (height)

increases

Multiple Choice

Which of the following describes how the stratosphere is important to life on Earth?

• It contains ozone which filters out the Sun's harmful rays.

• It blocks meteors falling from space and crashing to Earth.

• It allows solar heat to pass through and warm the ground below.

• It contains conditions that are favorable to jet streams which drive our weather.

Multiple Choice

How does the ozone layer benefit living things?

• It keeps heat near Earth's surface

• It absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun

• It prevents global warming

• It collects carbon dioxide

Multiple Choice

Patrice is working on completing a card sort about the layers of the atmosphere. He does not know how to correctly sort the card shown below.

Which card should Patrice place this next to?

• Mesosphere

• Troposphere

• Stratosphere

• Thermosphere

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Wind and Ocean Currents move energy around the world
and affect our weather and climate.

The Jet Stream is a current of
rapid moving air. As it moves

the weather changes.

The Gulf Stream is warm swift

current of water.

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Multiple Choice

The image below shows some of the world's ocean currents. What conclusion can be made about the local weather in San Francisco, California compared to Washington, D.C.?

• San Francisco temperatures are warmer than Washington, D.C., because Washington,

  D.C. is farther north than San Francisco.

• San Francisco temperatures are cooler that Washington, D.C., because Washington,

  D.C., is on the coast and San Francisco is inland.

• San Francisco temperature are cooler than Washington D.C., because Washington,

  D.C. is located near warm ocean currents and San Francisco is near cool ocean currents.

• San Francisco temperatures are warmer that Washington, D.C., because Washington,

  D.C., is located near cool ocean currents and San Francisco is near warm ocean

  currents.

Multiple Choice

The weather map belows shows the polar jet stream as it moves through the United States. Which statement best describes the temperature differences between two cities?

• Temperatures in Atlanta are colder than in Dallas because Atlanta is south of the jet

  stream.

• Temperatures in Eugene are colder than in Boston because Eugene is south of the jet

  stream.

• Temperatures in Orlando are warmer than in Dallas because Orlando is south of the jet

  stream.

• Temperatures in Portland are warmer than in Orlando because Portland is north of the jet

  stream.

Multiple Choice

The picture below shows two Florida cities and their temperatures on the same day of summer at the same time. Which of the following best describes why Orlando is much warmer than Merritt Island during the day in the summer?

• Merritt Island has a much smaller population than Orlando, so the lower amount of total

  body heat decreases its temperature.

• Cool dense air from the ocean moves onshore replacing the warm less dense air in Merritt

  Island resulting in a lower temperature.

• Cool dense air from Orlando moves towards the ocean replacing the warm less dense air

  in Merritt Island resulting in a lower temperature.

• The Sun sets in Merritt Island before it sets in Orlando, so Merritt Island has more time to

  cool off in the shade than Orlando, decreasing its temperature.

Weather vs. Climate

Weather

The day to day state of the atmosphere.

The combination of temperature, humidity,

precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind. We talk
about changes in weather in terms of the near future

Climate

The weather of a place averaged over a

period of time, often 30 years.

Multiple Choice

Georgette was texting her friend Sally about the temperature where she lived. Georgette stated that the temperature was often hot in Miami. What was she describing in her text?

• climate because it is weather over a long period of time.

• climate because it is the condition at a particular time and place.

• weather because it is determined by the temperature, precipitation or time.

• weather because it is the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place.

Multiple Choice

The average temperature in a city during the month of March was 19oC (66^oF). In the same city the average temperature during the month of April was 22^oC (71^oF). What conclusion can be made about this change in temperature?

• The climate has changed.

• The weather has changed.

• The climate and weather have changed.

• The climate has changed but not the weather.

Earth/Space Science

● SC.6.E.7.5: Students will explain how energy provided by the Sun

influences global patterns of atmospheric movement and the
temperature differences among air, water, and land.
● SC.6.E.7.1: Students will differentiate among radiation,

conduction, and convection in Earth’s systems.

Conduction,
Convection
and Radiation
in Earth’s
Systems

H

H
L

L

L

L

H

H

Land Breeze

●At night the land cools down quickly and
the sea is warmer.

●Now the warm air is over the sea rises the
cool air sinks over land wind moves
offshore.

●The rising warm air creates an area of low
pressure over the sea and the sinking cool
air creates a high pressure area.

Sea Breeze

●During the day the Sun heats the land
faster than the sea.

●As the warm air over land rises the
cool air sinks and moves towards the
land.

●The rising warm air creates an area of
low pressure over land and the
sinking cool air creates a high
pressure area.

Multiple Choice

A sea breeze forms during the day and a land breeze forms at night. Which statement explains why wind direction changes from day to night?

• The land quickly heats up during the day and stays warm at night.

• The water quickly heats up during the day and stays warm at night.

• The land quickly heats up during the day and the water stays warmer at night.

• The water quickly heats up during the day and the land stays warmer at night.

Multiple Choice

Examine the diagram below. How is heat is being transferred between the cryosphere and hydrosphere?

• By radiation.

• By convection.

• By evaporation.

• By condensation.

Multiple Choice

The pictures below show the temperature variation between the ocean and the ground at a typical coastal location. If the Sun's energy is NOT radiating over the ocean and land at night, then in which direction will the air flow at night?

• It will flow from the land to the ocean as the warm, light air on the surface of the ocean rises, pulling the cool, dense air outward from the land

• It will flow from the ocean to the land as warm, light air above the land rises, pulling the cool, dense air inland from the ocean

• It will flow from the ocean to the land as cool, dense air above the ocean is pulled down by gravity and spreads inland

• It will flow from the land to the ocean as cool, dense air is pulled down by gravity and spreads toward the ocean

Multiple Choice

Trina did an experiment to test whether water or land would heat quicker when placed under the same heat source.  She then looked to explain how convection would happen in this experiment using her understanding of air pressure. Which of the following should be her explanation?

• Since air moves from high to low pressure, air would move from the land to the water and then rise.

• Since air moves from high to low pressure, air would move from the water to the land and then rise.

• Since air moves from low to high pressure, air would move from the land to the water and then rise.

• Since air moves from high to low pressure, air would move from the water to the land and then rise.