OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL VOC (#1 Test)

OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL VOC (#2 – Test)

[Terms in BLUE were previously defined]

1. (1/2Pg 20) ROCK – a non-living (abiotic) material composed of one or more minerals

(a) “3” types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic

2. (2Pg 20) WEATHERING – the process of breakingdown rock from mountain-

sized to grains of sand by such forces as water, ice,

chemicals, growing plants and changing temperatures

(a) 2 types: mechanical/physical(e.g. release of pressure, freeze/thaw,

plant growth, abrasion, animal action)

chemical(e.g. H2O, O2, CO2, organisms,acid rain, lichen,

oxidation)

(b) weathering is one of nature’s “destructive” forces

3.(2Pg 21) VEIN– a “crack” within a rock that minerals can form in (especially the

minerals quartz and epidote)

(a) (e.g.) mechanical & chemical weathering = water [H2O] in the

veins of rocks & acid rain

4.(2Pg 22) DOMING– a mountain building process in which magma unable to break

through the earth’s crust pushes it up

(a) doming is a type of volcanism

(b) doming is a “constructive force”

5.(2Pg 22) GRANITE– an igneous rock composed chiefly of the minerals: feldspar

(pink), quartz (white), and mica (black)

(a) granite is a speckled looking rock

(b) granite makes up most of the continental crust

6. (1/2 Pg 22) SOIL – finely divided rock material (abiotic) mixed with decayed plant

and animal material (biotic)

(a) soil is the medium in which plants grow

7. (2 Pg 23) EROSION – the wearing away of earth or rock, which is then

transported by air, water, gravity, or changes in temperature

(a) erosion is one of nature’s “destructive” forces

8. (2 Pg 23) AVALANCHE– a large mass of snow, ice, earth, or rock moving swiftly

down a mountain side

9.(2Pg 23) SEEDLING – a young tree grown from the seed to the sapling stage

(a) approximately 4½ feet or less

10. (1/2 Pg 24) OXYGEN[O] – is a colorless, odorless, gaseous element found in our

atmosphere

(a) 21% of the gas making up our air is oxygen [O]

(b) O2 allows aerobic (oxygenated environment) organismsto

efficiently convert food into energy (through cellular

respiration)

11. (2 Pg 24) OXIDATION – is a chemical reaction that occurs with the addition of

oxygen [O] or the removal of hydrogen [H] causing a

change in a substance

(a) in rock = oxidation causes rocks to weather (break down) more

easily and turns it an orange-brownish color

(b) in rock = oxidation causes the iron [Fe] in the rock to RUST

12. (1/2 Pg 24) ATMOSPHERE– the layers of gases surrounding the Earth and other

planets

(a) Composition: 78% nitrogen[N], 21% oxygen [O], 0.9% argon

[Ar], 0.03% carbon-dioxide [CO2]

(b) Layers: troposphere = lowest layer that we live in

stratosphere = the ozone layer[O3]

mesosphere = meteors burn up and their trails are visible

thermosphere = air is very thin

ionosphere = aurora borealis (Northern Lights) occurs

exosphere = communication satellites orbit Earth

13. (1/2 Pg 24) PRECIPITATION – a water cycle term referring to water being

“deposited”on Earth in various forms

(a) (e.g.)rain, snow, sleet, hail or mist

14. (1/2 Pg 25) ORGANISM – any living thing, plant or animal (unicellular or multi-

cellular)

(a) also an agent of mechanical and chemical weathering

(b) (e.g.) mechanical weathering: plant roots, burrowing animals

(e.g.) chemical weathering: lichen, moss

15. (1/2 Pg 25) BIOTIC– pertaining to life and living things

(a) synonym = organism; organic

(b) antonym = abiotic

16.(2Pg 25) LICHEN– a plant that combines fungi with algae in a mutualism,

symbiotic relationship

(a) lichens get their “structure” from the fungi and their ability to do

“photosynthesis” from the algae

(b) (e.g.) organism agent for “chemical” weathering

17.(2Pg 25) MOSS – a simple, non-flowering green plant that uses the asexual

reproduction process of spores

(a) grows in moist places, on rocks and on wood

18. (1/2Pg 30) ACCUMULATION– a water cycle term referring to the “collection”of

water into larger bodies of water such as rivers,

streams, lakes and oceans

19. (2 Pg 30) WATERSHED – a region or area drained by a stream or river

20. (2 Pg 47) NATURAL RESOURCE – materials found innature that are used by

humans

(a) (e.g.) sunlight, air, water, soil, minerals, rocks, forest, wildlife

21.(1/2 Pg 53) VOLCANISM – two mountain building processes in which magma

(moltenrock) either breaks through the surface (lava) = volcano,

ORpushesup the earth’s crust = doming

(a) volcanism is one of nature’s “constructive” forces

22.(2Pg 58) BEDROCK – the solid rock beneath the soil

(a) also known as “parent rock”

23. (1/2Pg 58) ABIOTIC– the non-living factors in the environment

(a) synonym = inorganic

(b) antonym = biotic

(e.g.) water, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind

24. (1/2 Pg 59) BACTERIA – (singular bacterium) – are single-celled (unicellular),

microscopic organisms that lack chlorophyll and belong to the

moneran kingdom

(a) bacteria are helpful (decomposers)harmful (causedisease/pollution)

(b) bacteria form and live in colonies

25.(2Pg 59) FUNGUS(plural fungi)– an organism that looks like a plant, but cannot do

photosynthesis and therefore is parasitic; has an excellent

root structure; and is one of the partners in the symbiotic

relationship forming “lichen”

(a) fungi are one of the largest groups of decomposers

(b) fungi reproduce using spores (type of “asexual” reproduction)

26.(2Pg 59) DECOMPOSER– a plant or animal which feeds on dead material causing

its breakdown into a simpler form

(a) F B I: (mnemonic device) for the 3 largest groups of decomposers:

F = fungus; B = bacteria; I = invertebrate/insects

27.(2Pg 59) HUMUS – the dark brown,ORGANIC(biotic) substance in soil formed

by the decay of plants and animals containing large amounts of carbon (C)

(a) helps hold moisture in the soil

28.(2 Pg 59) NUTRIENTS – are the minerals and vitamins needed by livingthings

(a) positive“leaching” is the process that carries nutrients from

upper horizon layers to the lower ones

(b) negative“leaching” removes vital nutrients from the soil due to

same crop planting or lack of fertilizing

29.(2 Pg 59) INVERTEBRATE – a lower and simpler form of animal having NO

backbone

(a) antonym = vertebrate

(b) (e.g.) insects, crustaceans, spiders, jellyfish, worms, sponges

30. (2 Pg 59) PERCOLATION– the filtering and cleaning of water as it seeps through

soil and rocks into the ground

31. (2 Pg 59) LARVA (plural larvae) – the feeding stage in the insect life cycle of

complete metamorphosis

(a) (synonyms) “caterpillar” = butterflies / moths

“maggots” = flies

“mealworm” = beetles

32. (1/2 Pg 60) CLIMATE – the average weather conditions of an area over a long

period of time

(a) California’s climate = “mediterranean”

33. (2 Pg 61) TOPSOIL – the uppermost portion of the soil about 6 inches thick, rich

in organic (biotic) materials

(a) also known as the soil layer, Horizon A

34. (2 Pg 61) LITTER – the dead leaves, branches, and other plant and animal remains

(organic matter) that form the top layer of the forest floor

(a) (antonym) “canopy” – the forest ceiling

35. (2 Pg 61) SUBSOIL – the layer of soil below the topsoil in which the roots normally

grow

(a) also known as the soil layer, Horizon B

36. (1/2 Pg 62) MINERAL – an inorganic (non-living/abiotic) substance found in

nature (not human made) which forms rocks

(a) has a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure

37. (1/2 Pg 63) ENVIRONMENT – ALL the various living organisms(biotic)and the

nonliving conditions (abiotic factors) that affect the lives

of those organisms at any point during their life cycle

38. (2 Pg 63) CHAPARRAL – an area containing the community of thick, often thorny

bushes that grow on dry rocky slopes in poor soil found in

California and Mexico

39. (2 Pg 228) DORMANT – a state of suspended activity

(a) volcanoes = not currently active

(b) plants = resting stage during the fall and winter seasons

40. (1/2 Pg 228) MAGMA – molten (melted) rock material

(a) when exposed at the surface = lava

41. (1/2 Pg 231) PLATE TECTONIC THEORY – the concept of continent formation

through the process of slowly moving plates in response

to the convection movement of the magma in the mantle

(a) the plates carry the continental crust and oceanic crust

(b) 7 “primary” lithospheric tectonic plates

*Pacific Plate *African Plate

*North American Plate *Antarctic Plate

*South American Plate *Indo-Australian Plate

*Eurasian Plate

BernardinoMountains

Pacific Plate = mostly oceanic crust, Southern California & Hawaii

(d) Plate movement in one year = 3-5 cm (very slow)

42. (2 Pg 231) DIVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARIES – two plates moving apart/away

from each other

(a) (e.g.) mid-ocean ridge (in the Atlantic Ocean)

(b) (e.g.) continental crust (rift valley)

43. (2 Pg 231) CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARIES – when two plates collide with

each other with the density (heaviness) of the plates

determining which plate comes out on top

(a) oceanic crust vs oceanic crust at a trench the denser oceanic crust

gets subducted below the less dense plate

(b) oceanic crust vs continental crust  the continental crust gets pushed up

over the oceanic crust

forming mountains ranges (i.e. Himalayas)

(d) (drawing)

44. (2 Pg 231) TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARIES – two plates sliding/slipping

past each other, moving in opposite directions

(a) (e.g.) North American Plate and Pacific Plate

(b) (drawing)

45. (1/2 Pg 232) MANTLE – layer of the earth below the crust and above the core, made

of molten and solid rock

(a) lithosphere – solid-like, top portion of the upper mantle and the bottom

most portion of the crust that floats above the asthenosphere, which

causes the rigid area of the crust to crack and form the lithospheric plates

(b) asthenosphere – liquid, tar-like layer of the upper mantle below the

lithosphere creating a convection current movement, which causes the

plates to move

(d) 3,000 km in depth

(e) (drawing of mantle)

46. (1/2 Pg 232) CRUST– is the outermost solid layer of the Earth, consisting mostly of

crystalline rock only a few kilometers deep

(a) thickest area of the crust (granite rock) = mountains continental crust

thinnest area (basalt rock) = ocean floor oceanic crust

(b) 5-70 km in thickness