Earth Science Test Unit 1

Two locations, one closer to the equator. Which is colder, and why?

The location farther away from the equator because it is getting less direct energy from the sun. The equator receives the most direct energy and the poles receive the least amount of energy from the sun.

Two locations the same distance from the equator, both near the ocean, with a map. Which is warmer, and why?

The location receiving the currents from the equator instead of the location receiving the currents from the poles is warmer. This is because the currents coming from the equator have more sun energy transferring to different locations.

Same set up, but now you must explain what moved the water in the first place.

The ocean currents were moved by prevailing winds. The prevailing winds blow the water in predictable patterns.

Can something have more than one cause?

Yes.

A location is a certain temperature. What is the source of that energy?

The source of the locations temperature is the sun.

energy

What the sun sends to Earth. More energy in something means a higher temperature.

transfer

To move from one thing to another. Energy transfers from warmer things to colder things.

surface

Earth's land and ocean water, the part the sunlight hits first.

temperature

A measure of how hot or cold something is.

latitude

How far north or south of the equator a location is.

ocean current

Water moving in a regular path through the ocean, carrying energy with it.

prevailing wind

Wind that blows in a steady, predictable direction over a region.

climate

The typical weather conditions of a location over a long period of time.

gyre

A current that travels in one big circle around an ocean basin.

cause and effect

A cause makes something happen. The effect is what happens. One effect can have more than one cause.

Sunlight warms the surface, and the surface warms the air

The sun does not heat the air directly. Energy goes from the sun to Earth's surface, the land and the ocean water. The surface warms up, and then the warm surface transfers energy to the air above it.

Sunlight transfers the most energy at the equator. The farther a location is from the equator, the less energy it gets, so its air is colder.

Ocean currents carry energy from one place to another

Two cities can sit the same distance from the equator and still have different air temperatures. The reason is the ocean current passing by each one.

A current coming from the equator carries a lot of energy. That water is warmer than the air it passes, so energy transfers from the ocean to the air and the air gets warmer.

A current coming from a pole carries very little energy. That water is colder than the air it passes, so energy transfers from the air to the ocean and the air gets colder.

The direction of the transfer is the whole point. Energy always moves from the warmer thing to the colder thing, so which way it flows depends on whether the current is warmer or colder than the air.

Winds and continents decide where currents go

Surface currents do not move on their own. Prevailing winds push the water in the direction they are blowing. That is what sets a current in motion.

When a current runs into a continent, it cannot go through it, so it turns and follows the edge of the coast. This is why a current can end up moving in a direction no wind is blowing, and why two cities on different coasts can get water from completely different places.

How is air temperature a good example of an effect having more than one cause?

The sun sends energy to Earth

→

The surface land and ocean water

→

The air warmed by the surface

: How energy reaches the air; Closer to the equator means more energy, so the air there is warmer.

Prevailing winds push the ocean water

→

Ocean current follows the coastline

→

Energy transfer warm current warms the air cold current cools the air

: Why two places the same distance from the equator can differ; The energy transfer above changes the air temperature in the top row.

A couple of test questions ask about cause and effect using a totally different topic, like the shape of clouds or how much snow falls at the South Pole.

You do not need to know anything about clouds or snow to answer them. The answer is always that an effect can have more than one cause.

Where does almost all the energy in the air come from?

The sun

Does the sun heat the air directly?

No. Sun to surface. Surface to air.

Two cities, one closer to the equator. Which is colder?

The one farther from the equator.

Which way does energy move between two things?

From the warmer one to the colder one

A current comes from the equator. What does it do to the air it passes?

Warms it. Energy transfers from ocean to air.

A current comes from a pole. What does it do to the air it passes?

Cools it. Energy transfers from air to ocean.

What starts a surface current moving?

Prevailing winds pushing the water.

Why does a current change direction?

It hits a continent and follows the coast.

Can one effect have more than one cause?

Yes.

Two cities, same latitude, different temperatures. What explains it?

The ocean currents passing each one.