Earth Systems Review

What step in the water cycle is illustrated at number 4 on the diagram?

• evaporation

• condensation

• surface run-off

• transpiration

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

How does the water cycle affect the desert’s cloud cover?

• The hot air of the desert does not allow clouds to condense in the upper atmosphere.

• The water cycle cannot happen over a desert because there are not enough high and low pressure layers of air to cause condensation.

• The lack of precipitation over the desert does not allow much water to evaporate into the atmosphere.

• High and low pressure layers do not mix and cannot form clouds over the desert.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

Looking at the Distribution of Earth’s Water charts, where is most of the Earth’s freshwater?

• groundwater

• icecaps and glaciers

• surface water

• oceans

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Identify the components of the geosphere.

• Water and ice

• All living things

• Solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments

• Air

The diagram shows the movement of the Pacific and North American plates along the San Andreas fault located in California. Why do earthquakes occur near the San Andreas fault?

• One plate slowly pushes he other plate up.

• A trench is created as one plate slides under the other plate.

• Portions of the plates get stuck and then suddenly loosen and move.

• One plate pushes hard enough to reverse the motion of the other plate.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Rafael lives near a road at the bottom of a hill. His parents are concerned that soil will wash off the hill and rocks will fall onto the road. Rafael conducts an investigation to find out if grass growing on a hillside will help stop soil erosion. He collects two samples of the same size and type of soil. One sample of soil has grass growing on it and the other does not. He places each sample of soil in a small tray. For his investigation, Rafael pours the same amount of water onto both samples of soil. He uses a large tray to collect water that may flow through the soil. Which practice shows the best way for Rafael to set up his investigation?

• 
• 
• 
• 

After pouring the water onto both pieces of soil, Rafael makes an observation. The water collected in the tray under the soil with grass looks clearer than the water collected in the tray under the soil without grass. What conclusion can Rafael make from his observation?

• The grass helped to hold the soil in place.

• The grass helped to move the water through the soil.

• The soil without grass was sticky, so more water stayed in the soil.

• The soil without grass was loose, so more water stayed in the soil.

Which layer of Earth is divided into plates?

• Mantle

• Crust

• Inner core

• Outer core

Beryl finds a rock and wants to know what kind it is. Which piece of information about the rock will best help her identify it?

• The size of the rock.

• The weight of the rock.

• The temperature where the rock was found.

• The minerals the rock contains.

At which location would earthquakes be least likely to occur?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2