Earth Science Reviewer

W1-L1: Origin & Structure  Allows us to breathe and allows plants to

do photosynthesis
 Main Three: Earth, Water,  Has five layers:
and Atmosphere 1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
UNIQUE FEATURES: 4. Thermosphere
5. Exosphere
1. Surface liquid water
 Earth is 75% surface water
2. Atmospheric oxygen GEOSPHERE
 Nitrogen: 78% - Divided into three layers:
 Oxygen: 20.9% 1. Crust
 Co2: 0.03% 2. Mantle
3. Core
 Argon: 0.90%
 Others: 0.17%
3. Plate tectonics HYDROSPHERE
 Earth has a nickel-iron core  Hydro meaning water
4. Climate stability  Composed of 97.5% saltwater and 2.5%
 Differ in each region fresh water
5. Appropriate distance from the  Could be in the form of:
sun  Water vapour
 Liquid water
 Not too hot, not too cold
 Ice
6. Moderate global temp
 Approx. 61˚F or 15˚C
7. Minerals and Energy Sources BIOSPHERE
 Mainly composed of living organisms.
L2: Earth’s Subsystems
EL NINO PHENOMENON
So basically, cold water from the ocean
rises, and then wind from the east blows it
which causes to form a condensation of a
cloud/gas that eventually leads to precipitation,
and then circulating back to the cold water.
(ONLY MY UNDERSTANDING)
 Causes droughts and floods
 Changes in water also causes changes in
atmosphere
 Affects water, atmosphere, plants, and
living things

ATMOSPHERE
 W2-L1: Earth Material and
Processes
 Important Terms: Luster,
Cleavage, Streak, Color,
Hardness
MINERALS
 Naturally occurring
 Is created due to tectonic activities
 Mainly solid w/ a crystalline structure
 Basic building blocks of rocks
 Examples: potassium, sulphur, calcite
CHARACTERISTICS OF
MINERALS
 Formed by natural occurring processes
 It is inorganic (never alive)
 Solid w/ definite volume and shape
 Contain certain elements that gives
unique chemical composition
 Crystalline-shape particles line up in a
pattern that repeats forming a crystal
2. Evaporation of water that has
minerals dissolved in it
WAYS TO IDENTIFY
MINERALS
 Color
- Can be misleading bcoz similar
in appearance yet `different
impurities
 Streak
- Color of powdered form of
mineral (w/c can be diff from the
physical color of mineral)
- The minerals must be softer than
the streak plate/ceramic plate in
order to work
 Luster
- The way minerals reflect light
from its surface
- If metallic: opaque & resplendent
shine that is same to polished
metal
- If non-metallic: vitreous (glassy),
adamantine, etc.

Minerals are inorganic,

 Hardness
naturally occurring, and solid  Measure of resistance of surface
with a crystalline structure that to abrasions/scratches
 Uses Mohs Hardness Scale: 1 is
has chemical composition and softest, 10 is hardest
TWOstructure.
atomic WAYS MINERALS  Ex. Talc = softest,
Diamond = hardest
FORM (naturally occurring)
1. Cooling of hot liquid rocks called  Cleavage & Fracture
magma  The way minerals break
- Magma cools slowly = crystals  Cleavage: breaks along
are large smooth, flat surfaces
- Magma cools quickly = crystals
are small
  Fracture: break at  Sedimentary
random w/ rough or  Metamorphic
jagged edges
IGNEOUS
TYPES OF FRACTURE  Molten matter from volcanic eruption
 Conchoidal (magma) that comes out of Earth then
- Smooth curved surfaces cools down and solidifies
 Fibrous  Two Classifications:
- Common with asbestos o INTRUSIVE – formed
underneath the earth (inside)
 Hackly o EXTRUSIVE – cooled lava
- Jagged
formed on the surface of earth
 Irregular/Uneven (outside)

OTHER SPECIAL
PROPERTIES
 Tenacity
- Behaviour of mineral under
deformation/stress
 Crystal Habit
- Growth of crystal pattern
 Specific Gravity
- Ratio of weight of mineral to
weight of water w/ equal volume
 Fluorescence
- Ability of material to glow under
UV light
 Chemical Reaction
- When you put acid on a mineral
 Optical Properties
- Way it interacts w/ light
 Radioactivity
- Minerals w/ radium or uranium
can be detected by a Geiger
counter
 Magnetism
 Taste

W2-L2: Rocks
TYPES OF ROCKS
 Igneous
95% of
Earth’s crust is
igneous rocks
 SEDIMENTARY o Solid
 Comprised of sediments that are o Gas
compressed
 Undergo weathering & erosion
(=sediments)
 Two Classifications:
o CLASTIC – made-up of
sediments from pre-existing
rocks
o NON-CLASTIC
 Biological – lithified
Lithificati accumulation of dead
on is process of organisms
 Chemical – from
compaction and chemical precipitation
cementation of
sediments.
METAMORPHIC
 Igneous and sedimentary rocks (pre-
existing rocks) that are exposed in high
temp and pressure
WATER RESOURCES ON
 Two Classifications: EARTH
o FOLIATED – layered 1. Salt Water:
appearance - Majority of water on earth is
o NON-FOLIATED – don’t have salty
layered appearance - Abundant
- Chloride & sodium are most
Metamorphism is the process abundant ions
of exposing rocks in high temp - Oceans
2. Ground Water:
and pressure - Most plentiful
- Water percolates/seeps deep into
ground

- AQUIFERS
 Areas of permeable rock
W4: Water Resources holding water
 Made of bedrock w/
Blue Planet many fractures and pores
 Earth is known as the Blue Planet 3. Surface Water
because it is 75% water - Above ground
 Water occurs in many forms: - Streams, lakes, rivers, ponds
o Liquid water
 
FACTORS AFFECTING 
Digging strip mines & open-pit mines
Exposing rocks & minerals to air &
QUALITY AND rainwater = speed up rate of chemical
weathering
AVAILABILITY OF  Soil gets polluted
WATER  Possibility of landslide
 Prone to soil erosion
 Water Stress
- Lack of water
access/unavailability of water PROTECTION AND
- Not enough water for all users
 Rapid Urbanization CONSERVATION OF
- Rapid developments or from SOIL
word itself
 Crop Rotation
 Climate Change - Practice of planting diff crops on
- Climate and hydrological cycle same field in diff years
have close connections - Nitrogen is necessary plant
- Rising temp = increase nutrient
evaporation = increase in - Rotating can help maintain soil
precipitation fertility
- Freshwater will increase
 Conservation Tillage
- El Nino and La Nina
1ST METHOD:
 Population Growth - Reducing no. of time field/plant
- Could cause water stress tilted in a year (by plowing)
- Water demand = increase - Less soil is disturbed by plowing
W5: Human Activities that 2ND METHOD:
- Fields not plowed at all
Affect Soil - Partnered w/ crop rotation
FARMING (instead of throwing waste, you
throw it on soil)
 Human been farming for 10,000 years
 Adding organic or artificial fertilizer can
make it difficult for microorganisms to W6: Soil

produce nutrients naturally
Fertilizer add water pollution
WAYS TO CONSERVE
 Clearing of trees and plants AND PROTECT SOIL
 Loss of natural plant cover  CONTOUR PLOWING
CONSTRUCTION AND - Planting crops following contour
of landscape
DEVELOPMENT  WINDBREAKS
 Digging up of soil for building - Rows of trees planted between
 Soil gets washed away bcoz of removal field to “break” the force of wind
of protective plant cover  INCREASING SOIL ORGANIC
 Can lead to soil erosion MATTER
MINING - Add natural organic fertilizers
  MANAGE PESTS &
NUTRIENTS EFFICIENTLY
- Regulator testing & monitoring
soil conditions and pests
- Pesticides can contaminate soil
W6: Different Types of Waste
WASTE
 Stuff we get rid, throw away, not use
 Affects water, soil, and air

FOUR TYPE OF WASTE:

1. Liquid Waste
- Found in households & industries
- Dirty water, organic liquid, wash
water, wash detergents, rainwater
- Some maybe hazardous
2. Solid waste
- Plastic waste
- Paper/card waste
- Tins & metals
- Ceramic and glass
3. Organic Waste
- Food waste
 Raw peelings
- Garden waste
- Manure (by microorganisms)
- Rotten meat
- Causes release of methane
4. Hazardous Waste
- Cannot be disposed in regular
garbage
- Any products labelled warning,
caution, poisonous, flammable,
etc.
- Battery, bulbs, oil, gas
W7: Wastes & People’s Health  Recycle
- Making of new products or
HEALTH IMPACTS OF useful materials out of waste
- Aluminium cans
IMPROPER WASTE - Cardboard
DISPOSAL: -
-
Electronic equipment
Glass
 Waste not properly managed are
- Magazines/newspapers
serious health hazards & can cause
- Metal
diseases
- Paper
 Wet waste releases bad odor
- Plastic bags & bottles
 Waste dumped near water causes - Steel cans
contamination or pollution
 Disposal of hospital waste create maj
health hazard
- Syringe
- Bandages
- Swabs
- Plaster

ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS OF IMPROPER
WASTE DISPOSAL:
 Methane is big factor of climate change
- Biological methane – release
from decay of organic waste
- Geological sources – natural
seeps from fossil fuels & leaks
from natural gas
 Loss biodiversity
 Pollution

HOW CAN WE
ELIMINATE WASTE?
 Reduce
- Only buy what u need
- Bring own water bottle
- Bring eco bag
- Start compost pile/pit
 Reuse
- Shop second-hand
- Be creative
- To use again