Unit 4: Earth's Systems

Which section of this rock formation would be the oldest?

In which of Earth's layer would there most likely be a yellow shade of rock?

These fossils were found in the Earth's layer made of what type of rock?

Which section of this rock formation would be the newest?

Miranda's class was investigating how weathering affected the rate of erosion. They put chunks of bar soap in an aluminum foil tray and filled it about halfway with water. They measured the soap after soaking for about three hours and then sprayed the bar of soap with a squeeze bottle full of water. They observed bits of soap breaking off and floating in the water. They took final measurements and recorded them in the data chart below. Based on this data, what had the most significant effect on the soap?

Scientists are studying different cliff faces and how their rates of erosion are affected by the slope of the rock formation. DJ thinks that the steeper the cliff, the higher or faster the rate of erosion will be. Matt says it will be the opposite, that the steeper the cliff is, the lower or slower the rate of erosion will be. They know gravity pulls rocks down, and this will have an effect on the cliff's erosion rate. Based on the data chart below, who is correct, and why?

The data table below shows the width of the beach measured every two years. What natural process is likely causing the beach to become shorter in width each year?

Steven and his sister Sasha are making observations about erosion and the rate of movement of materials. They are looking at different bodies of water and how small rocks are being moved. Sasha took a piece of broken rock about 2 cm and threw it into each body of water to observe what happened. They followed the material if it moved to get a distance of travel. They recorded the data below. Which body of water likely has the greatest effect on the rate of erosion?

There are 169 potentially active volcanoes in the United States. This map indicates the location of these volcanoes using multi-colored triangles. The different colors indicate levels of concern based on data from scientists observing them. Based on the map, what pattern can be determined about the volcanoes' location?

This map shows Fire Island, which is off the coast of Long Island, New York. Fire Island has been studied since the 1800s, and using ariel photos and historical maps, the United States Geological Survey has been tracking both long-term and short-term changes to the island. This map is focused on long-term changes and identifies coastal shoreline changes from 1830 to 2007. Crews have been working to restore part of the island, use the island as a barrier to protect landforms behind it, and create safe conditions for tourists. Using the legend and provided map describe a pattern that can be identified.

The top resources used for fuel and energy in 2015 were coal, natural gas, and petroleum gas. These are resources that are mined from the Earth and nonrenewable. What type of effect could this have on the environment?