Exam 1: Earth Systems

The __________ contains all of Earth's water.

__________ is a principle that states that occasional huge catastrophes alter the course of Earth history.

Liquid freshwater amounts to about __________ percent of Earth's total water.

The Earth's core is composed of hot, partially molten granite.

The atmosphere consists mainly of __________.

The increased carbon dioxide level has raised the Earth's average temperature by __________°C since the Industrial Revolution.

Homo sapiens and our direct ancestors have been abundant on our planet for about __________ percent of Earth history.

The Earth's core is part of the __________.

Water frozen in glaciers is part of Earth's __________.

Oceans:

The hydrosphere includes water in streams, lakes, and oceans; in the atmosphere; and frozen in glaciers.

At its center, Earth's temperature is about __________.

Below a thin layer of soil and beneath the ocean water, the outer layers of the Earth are composed entirely of molten rock.

The earliest known life forms existed on Earth:

Oceans cover about 71 percent of the Earth.

A giant meteorite smashing into Earth is an example of gradualism.

A __________ is a combination of interacting components that form a complex whole.

Which of the following is not a system?

Oceans contain __________ percent of the Earth's water.

The __________ of the Earth is a thin, rigid surface veneer that lies above the mantle.