Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Earth
Dr. Devin Dennie
Contents
Author Dr. Devin Dennie
Consultants Jonathan Dale, Prof. David M. Schultz, Our planet
Prof. Richard Worden
Illustrator Dan Crisp
8–9 How did the Earth form?
DK LONDON
Editor Kathleen Teece 10–11 How does the atmosphere
Senior designer Fiona Macdonald
US Senior editor Shannon Beatty keep us safe?
US Editor Elizabeth Searcy
Additional editing Olivia Stanford, Katie Lawrence
12–13 Where does the sun go at night?
Managing editor Laura Gilbert 14–15 How is the Earth like an onion?
Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones
Pre-production producer Nikoleta Parasaki 16–17 Why don’t things float off the Earth?
Producer Isabell Schart
Jacket designer Katie Knutton
18–19 Why can’t we live on Mars?
Jacket editor Francesca Young 20–21 Did the chicken or egg come first?
Creative director Helen Senior
Publishing director Sarah Larter 22–23 Does land stay still?
DK DELHI 24–25 Did everywhere freeze in the
Editors Anwesha Dutta, Shambhavi Thatte
Designers Kartik Gera, Shipra Jain, Jaileen Kaur,
last ice age?
Nidhi Mehra, Nehal Verma, Mohd Zishan
Managing editor Alka Thakur Hazarika
Managing art editor Romi Chakraborty
DTP designers Mohammad Rizwan, Dheeraj Singh
The Earth’s surface
CTS manager Balwant Singh
Production manager Pankaj Sharma
Picture researcher Aditya Katyal 28–29 Do mountains grow?
Jacket designer Suzena Samuel
Delhi team head Malavika Talukder 30–31 Are volcanic flows slow or fast?
First American Edition, 2019
32–33 What happens when water gets
Published in the United States by DK Publishing superheated?
345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
34–35 Is soil made of animals?
Copyright © 2019 Dorling Kindersley Limited
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC 36–37 Do I contain minerals?
19 20 21 22 23 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–311562–March/2019
38–39 Which rock should I build with?
40–41 Can a cliff turn into sand?
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored 42–43 Why do rocks form amazing shapes?
in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form,or by any means (electronic, mechanical, 44–45 Could I become a fossil?
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the 46–47 Can you freeze in a desert?
prior written permission of the copyright owner.
48–49 How does a sinkhole sink?
A catalog record for this book
is available from the Library of Congress. 50–51 How do raindrops make a cave?
ISBN: 978-1-4654-7911-2
52–53 Do earthquakes hit the same places?
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased 54–55 Do islands float?
in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or
educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special 56–57 How is a cactus like a camel?
Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
SpecialSales@dk.com 58–59 Do swamp monsters exist?
Printed and bound in China
60–61 Is there life on moss?
A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW
www.dk.com
Blue planet Living on the Earth
64–65 Why do things get carried out to sea? 108–109 How many people live on the Earth?
66–67 Which waves can you surf? 110–111 How do countries begin?
68–69 Can we drink seawater? 112–113 How have we changed the Earth?
70–71 Why does the Earth need the moon? 114–115 What is a city?
72–73 Where do rivers start? 116–117 How do we feed everyone?
74–75 Can a lake be bigger than a sea? 118–119 How do we find our way around?
76–77 Where is the biggest waterfall? 120–121 How much plastic is in the ocean?
78–79 How big are icebergs? 122–123 What is recycling?
80–81 How is a glacier like a cheese grater? 124–125 How bad is a drought?
82–83 What’s at the bottom of the ocean? 126–127 Is the Earth getting warmer?
84–85 Where is the ocean’s twilight zone? 128–129 How do trees help humans?
130–131 What is the future of energy?
Up in the air
132–133 Answers
134–137 Quiz your friends!
88–89 Is there air in space?
138–139 Glossary
90–91 Why are there colors in the sky?
140–143 Index
92–93 Why do we have seasons?
144 Acknowledgments
94–95 Why are places hot or cold?
96–97 Why does water fall from the sky?
98–99 Is that a dinosaur in the clouds? Find out
100–101 Does lightning always strike the why I became
tallest spot? extinct on page
102–103 Can humans make it rain? 112.
104–105 How does a tornado form?
Discover which
tiny creatures are
hidden in moss on
page 60.
Our
planet
We are floating in space on a rocky
planet called Earth. It is part of an
eight-planet solar system that
circles the sun (a star). Earth is just
the right distance from the sun for
life to exist, which makes our
planet unique.
8 OUR PLANET
Space debris
Rocks, gas, and lumps of
dirty ice once filled the
space where the Earth
would form. Around 4.5
billion years ago, a force
called gravity began to
pull the pieces together
to form a mini planet
called a planetoid.
Earth form?
metals sank to the center to form
the Earth’s core.
Oceans form
Cooling down Water escaped from
By 4 billion years ago, most surface rocks about
objects in the Earth’s path 3.8 billion years ago
had already hit the planet. to form oceans.
The pressure from the Light rocks of the
Earth’s outer layers kept crust rose to the top
the core hot. Surface rocks as continents.
cooled to form a solid crust.
Sun
10
Mesosphere
Meteors get hot and burn up by
rubbing against the many gas
particles in this layer. ? Picture quiz
Stratosphere
This zone contains a layer of ozone
gas that absorbs harmful ultraviolet
radiation coming from the sun. Ozone layer
Troposphere
The lowest layer of the atmosphere
is where weather happens. It reaches
What is the common name
to about 12.4 miles (20 km) high.
of this light show that takes
place in the atmosphere?
ry r n e
pite r us un
e rs Ju atu ran e pt
M
rcu enus arth
V E Ma S U N
11
Sun
12 OUR PLANET
Hidden sun
The sun still shines at
night—but on the other
side of the Earth! Our
planet blocks out the light.
North Pole
The Earth
The Earth rotates in
space, spinning like
a top as it revolves
around the sun.
Visible sun
You can see the sun when your
side of the Earth is facing it.
Sometimes, the moon moves to
block the sun. This is an eclipse.
The sun
The sun is our
nearest star. It is
huge and very hot
inside. It gives out
light and heat.
Upper mantle
This warm layer has lower
pressure than the layers
beneath. Its upper portions
flow slowly, like toothpaste.
Lower mantle
This rigid layer of hot rock
is under so much pressure
from outer layers that it
can’t melt or flow.
Outer core
This metallic zone is so hot
that it melts into liquid.
The metal spins around
the Earth’s inner core. Inner core
This is an ultrahot, solid ball of
iron and nickel. Huge pressure
stops it from melting.
15
Types of crust
There are two types of Oceanic Continental
crust. Oceanic crust
Asthenosphere beneath oceans is thin
This gooey layer is just and dense. Continenta
l
beneath the crust. It is hot, crust is thicker and less
with low pressure, causing dense. It is lighter than
rocks to melt into magma. oceanic crust.
15 Burj Khalifas
height of the Burj
Khalifa in Dubai,
the tallest building
in the world!
? Quick quiz
1. Is the inner core of the
Earth solid?
Orbital gravity
? True or false? Gravity from large objects in space
pulls other objects into circular paths
1. The sun pulls the Earth called orbits. The objects keep
toward it with gravity. moving but can’t escape the pull.
Sun’s
2. Dogs have a tiny force
pull
of gravity.
3. There is no gravity in
outer space. Earth
Sun
See pages 132–133 for the answers.
Moon
Earth’s
pull
Resulting path
Goldilocks zone
Why can’t we The Earth is neither too
hot nor too cold, like the
porridge in “Goldilocks
Too hot
As the closest planets to the
sun, Mercury and Venus are
just too hot. Gases in Venus’s
atmosphere trap the heat to
make it even hotter. The lack
of gas on Mercury makes it
freezing at night.
Venus
Sun Mercury
The sun makes energy
that hits planets as light
and creates heat. Each
planet gets a different
amount of energy.
19
Too cold
Mars is too cold because of
its distance from the sun. The
only water here is frozen at
the poles or underground.
Mars
Earth
? Picture quiz
Are there other
habitable planets?
There are billions
of planets in the
universe. We have
recently found ones
that may be similar
to Earth, such as Which planet comes
Kepler-62f. after Mars?
First life on
the Earth
Dinosaur descendants Tiny blob-like amoebas
A huge extinction event wiped out and bacteria were the
most of the dinosaurs 65 million first living things. The
years ago. Some small descendants oldest bacteria was
survived and evolved into birds. found in rocks that are
4 billion years old!
Amoeba
Terrifying talons
Birds such as chickens
have many dinosaur-like
features. They have light,
hollow skeletons, similar
lungs and hearts,
and talons!
Changing continents
22
Supercontinent
Creatures living on the
Earth around 330 to 175 Eurasia
million years ago could
walk from America to
Africa across one
continuous landmass
called Pangaea.
North
America
South Africa
America
Jigsaw
continents
Australasia
Modern South
America looks like
it would fit right into
West Africa if you fit Antarctica
the two continents One ocean
together like jigsaw
pieces. This is evidence When Pangaea existed, one ocean
they were once joined. covered most of the rest of the
Earth. Called Panthalassa, this
ocean became the Pacific, Atlantic,
and Indian Oceans we know today.
Did everywhere
freeze in the Last ice age
Over the 100,000 years that
The Arctic
The Arctic was a thick ? Quick quiz
and massive ice sheet
in the last ice age. 1. How thick did ice sheets
Today, many parts get during the last
are still locked in ice. ice age?
Europe
The places that would
become Warsaw and
other northern European
cities were under ice.
Southern city sites were
cool but without ice.
Africa
What is now Nouakchott
in Mauritania and many
other parts of Africa are
near the equator. Places
such as this would have
been ice-free. Interglacial
The periods of melting
between ice ages are called
interglacial. Today, we are in
an interglacial period. It is
warmer and most of the
glaciers from the last ice
age have melted.
The Earth’s
surface
The Earth’s surface is always changing. Water,
wind, and ice wear down its rocks and soil to
create new and wonderful landforms. Heat
deep inside the Earth melts rock, turning it
into lava that erupts from volcanoes and
magma from which whole continents form.
28 THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Do mountains grow?
Some mountains are getting bigger, but you’d have to
watch one for a long time to see it grow! Underground,
the Earth is divided into moving rocky segments, or
plates. These plates collide, or bump into each other,
and push each other up into mountain ranges, such
as the Himalayas.
Young mountains
The Himalayas are relatively young
mountains. Some mountain ranges
are over a billion years old.
Rising peaks
The Himalayan peaks grow by
? True or false?
about 0.2 in (5 mm) every year.
1. Mauna Kea was formed
by plates colliding.
Wall of mountains 2. Mountains grow over time.
Young mountain ranges are
essentially solid walls of rock 3. The Himalayas are the
because water and wind oldest mountain range
haven’t worn them down in the world.
very much.
See pages 132–133 for the answers
How else do
mountains form?
Lava
Magma that erupts above
ground is called lava. Thick and
very hot lava flows slowly. Cooler,
lighter lava containing gas may
explode into columns of ash.
Eruption
is found
Molten rock called magma
rise up and
deep underground. It can
ks) in the
erupt through fissures (crac
a cools,
ground. As each layer of lav
lcano that
it can form a steep stratovo
ptions.
gets bigger with more eru
Volcanic ash
Magma rises
Fissures
Magma
chamber
Stratovolcano
31
Ash cloud
Burning material called
ash erupts from volcanoes.
Some superhot, gassy
ash clouds can erupt
at 200 mph (322 kph)!
? True or false?
1. The temperature of
some lava is over 2,732 °F
(1,500 °C).
2. Lava is rock.
What happens
when water gets
superheated?
Some water is found underground in
chambers. Here, the water can get
Steam
warmed to high temperatures by heat Superheated water deep
coming from deep inside the Earth. This underground boils and
then turns into steam.
hot water can find its way to the surface, This provides the energy
creating a variety of unique landforms. for the geyser to erupt.
Porous rock
Surface water can seep down
through holes and cracks in
the rock. The water heats up
as it works its way down.
Mud pots
When hot springs happen
in areas with volcanic ash
or mud, the water mixes
with the mud or ash to
form a thick, gloppy
sludge. These features are
called mud pots.
33
? Quick quiz
Geyser
Underground water rises quickly, 1. What mixes with hot
turning into steam. The steam springs to form mud pots?
billows out, pushing water to the
surface at over 50 mph (80 kph)! 2. Where is the Earth’s
tallest geyser?
Underground heat
Rocks deep within the Earth are
heated by the Earth’s superhot
core. Water present in the rocks
helps the rocks melt.
b oat G eyser
Steam
stone
in Yellow
l Park
Nationa
rth’s
is the Ea
eyser!
tallest g
? True or false?
1. The leaching layer is the
top layer of soil. Sandy soil
Sand-sized soil grains can
2. Peat can be burned for be up to 0.08 in (2 mm) big.
heat and fossil-fuel energy. There are spaces between
the grains that allow the
3. Rain can wash away soil to store plenty of
loose soil. air and water.
Humus
Top soil Why are soils in danger?
Soil can be washed away by
Leaching rain. Tree roots help hold
layer soil in place so that it isn’t
washed away. When trees
Subsoil are cut down for wood or to
clear land, rain carries away
the loose soil.
Bedrock
Horizon layers
Peaty soil
Earthworm Some soils are rich in
Void space
Worms help agitate, broken-down plant materials Air and water are stored
digest, and turn called peat, which is found in in soil. This soil moisture
over soil, which marshes or bogs. is important for plants and
helps break down for keeping soil stuck together.
plants quicker.
Plants
Leaves and other dead
parts of plants break down
to become part of soil.
36 THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Do I contain
minerals?
Minerals are natural solids, but they
aren’t alive. They are found everywhere,
including in our food and in our bodies.
There are many different kinds of
minerals. Gemstones and some
metal ores are minerals.
Calcium in teeth
Did you know that you had rocks
inside your head? Your teeth contain
the mineral hydroxyapatite, which is
made of calcium. Calcium in our food
and drinks helps make teeth strong. Celestite
Serpentine
Sulfur
Vegetables
When vegetables grow, the
roots of the plants take in
minerals and water from the
soil. These minerals help
the plants grow bigger.
37
Crystal structure
Minerals grow in crystal
? True or false?
shapes. The smallest part
of an object is an atom. Cubic crystal Hexagonal 1. Ice is a mineral.
Crystal atoms are lined up crystal
neatly to make different 2. Teeth contain minerals.
geometric shapes.
3. Minerals are alive.
ethyst
Am
ne t
ar
G
Opal
Which is the
White marble strongest mineral?
Marble is limestone that
has been compressed deep
underground. It is stronger
than limestone because
the minerals inside are
more tightly packed.
Metamorphic rock
This type of rock has been
? exposed to intense heat and
Quick quiz pressure from being buried
deep in the Earth or from
1. The Mohs scale measures exrteme heating.
a) Wetness
b) Hardness
c) Size
Bust of a man, Cyprus
2. A metamorphic rock is a
rock that has undergone
a) Heat and pressure Sedimentary rock
b) Being worn away by This type of rock is often soft and
the weather is worn away by weather more
c) Being cut by humans easily than other types of rock. It
is made of compressed sediment,
such as sand, or the remains of
See pages 132–133 for the answers. ancient plants and animals.
39
40
Wind River
Strong winds can Flowing water picks
carry sand. The sand up large rocks. The
slowly scratches and rocks break apart into
sculpts rocks over time. smaller pieces as they
roll and bounce along.
Are there beaches
Sand made of Grand
This sand was once Canyon rocks?
part of larger rocks in
the cliffs above. The
rock was carried away
and broken down by
the river.
? Quick quiz
1. When did the Yellowstone
Canyon form?
How does
Water cuts
water erosion through rock.
happen?
Water carries
Sediment
sediment, made up
is carried
of bits of rock, from
by water.
one place to another.
By removing pieces
of rock, the water
changes the shape of
the rock left behind.
43
? Quick quiz
1. What do the colors in
the Wave show?
Could I become
a fossil?
Fossils are the rocky remains of plants
and animals that lived long, long ago. es are
Coprolit
The fossils most people think of are ssilized poop!
fo
dinosaur bones, but many different
kinds can be found. Even you could
become a fossil one day, if you were
buried deeply enough!
Scientists called
paleontologists
dig up fossils
using tools.
Cold desert
The Gobi Desert in Asia is cold
all year round! It’s still a desert
because it has barely any wet
weather. A dusting of snow
might be carried by wind from
Siberia, though.
a
Antarctic
gest
is the lar
t in th e world.
dese r f
ov e r s a n area o
It c q miles
illi o n s
5.5 m )!
4 m illio n sq km
(1
47
Bactrian camel
Camels are animals built for dry desert
living. They can go for months without
drinking water and store excess fat for
energy in their two large humps.
Saltwort
This grass can consume the salty water
common in many deserts. Animals
don’t eat the salty plant, and its low
freezing point means it can survive in
low temperatures.
? True or false?
1. The coldest place on
the Earth is at the top
of Mount Everest.
How does a
sinkhole sink?
Certain types of rock can
dissolve, or wear down, below
the Earth’s surface. This causes
a void, or empty space. The
surface can eventually sink
inward into the void to form
a sinkhole.
Formation of a sinkhole
Acidic liquids can
dissolve certain types
of rock, such as
limestone. Rainwater
is slightly acidic and
starts to dissolve
Florida bedrock
some of the rock Limestone is easily
in the ground.
dissolved by acidic rain.
Florida has lots of
limestone and often
A cave forms as more
and more rock is gets sinkholes.
dissolved. The cave
slowly enlarges. The
roof of rock above
gets thinner and
starts to form cracks. How deep can
a sinkhole get?
The roof of the cave Some of the largest
eventually collapses. sinkholes are
The cave is now underwater. These
exposed to the sky. It are called marine
leaves a nearly circular sinkholes. Dragon
hole in the Earth’s Hole in the South
surface—a sinkhole! China Sea is one
such hole at over
984 ft (300 m) deep!
49
Ground caving in
Holes can form beneath
the ground without people
knowing. It’s a total surprise
when the ground collapses
into a sinkhole!
? Picture quiz
Holey rock
Acidic rainwater dissolves
some types of rock. This What caused the uneven land
leaves holes in the rock in Thailand?
and makes it weaker.
See pages 132–133 for the answer.
50 THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Stalagmite
When water drips onto the cave
floor, minerals dissolved in the
water can form solid rock on
the ground. These rocks grow
upward over time, making
pointed stalagmites.
Lava tubes
Lava tubes form when
molten rock cools into
stone around its edges.
The lava in the center
remains hot, eventually
flowing away and leaving
a cave behind.
51
Column Fracture
If a stalactite and stalagmite Cracks or breaks in the
? Quick quiz
meet, they fuse into a single ground, called fractures,
pillar from floor to ceiling, let acidic water reach 1. Does a stalagmite grow
called a column. the rocks below. from the floor or ceiling?
Cave pool
Underground rivers
and streams continue
to dissolve the rock
around them, and
sometimes water
collects in pools.
52 THE EARTH’S SURFACE
China
The plate beneath
China is bordered by
the Pacific and Indian
plates. These rub and
push against each other,
causing earthquakes.
Turkey
Turkey’s Anatolian plate
is caught between the
larger Eurasian and
African plates, which
are squeezing and
spinning Turkey!
Plate boundaries
The place where the edges
of plates meet is called a
plate boundary. Earthquakes
often happen here.
Do earthquakes
hit the same places?
Beneath the ground, the Earth’s rocky crust
is broken up into large pieces called tectonic
plates. These plates constantly move and can
rub against each other, pull apart, or collide,
causing earthquakes.
53
United States
Earthquakes here happen
mostly along the Pacific
coast, where the North
American plate slides
past the Pacific one.
Ring of fire
The Pacific Ocean is the
Earth’s largest plate. Its
boundaries are the site
Chile
of many earthquakes. Here, the Nazca
plate slides
beneath the South
American plate.
The most powerful
earthquake ever
recorded took place
in Chile in 1960.
? Quick quiz
1. How do ocean ridges
form?
Do islands float?
Islands don’t really float—they just appear
to! Islands are solidly attached to the
ocean floor. They may form from the
accumulation of coral reefs on the
seabed. Some, called
seamounts, are the tips
of undersea volcanoes.
Island
An island is a piece of
land surrounded on all
sides by water. Islands
are always smaller
than continents.
Island tip
New Growing
volcano volcano
55
Desert
This biome receives little or no
m el
rain. Here, tough plants and ca
animals store water in their ry
a
ed
bodies and can cope
om
with intense heat.
Dr
Saguaro cactus
orest,
Boreal f
, is the
or taiga
iome on
largest b
lmost
Earth. A
p e rc e nt of the
30 Rainforest
trees are
world’s
ere. Some rainforests get
found h almost endless rain—
up to 98 in (250 cm) a
year! At least half of the
plants and animals on
Earth live here.
How is a cactus
like a camel?
A camel and a cactus can both go
a long time without water, helping Grassland
them survive in their desert homes. Wide, treeless grasslands
have plants that are adapted
Groups of living things with common to a range of seasonal
features that help them cope in similar climate changes.
Coniferous forest
Cold, semidry forests have trees
with needlelike leaves. These
stop moisture from escaping
and minimize the effect of
freezing temperatures.
Farmland
The only human-made biome, farmland
Tundra is made up of areas specially adapted by
people to grow crops or rear animals.
This semifrozen
world has few
trees. Ice on the
ground melts
only during
the short
summer months.
Marine biomes
Land makes up just 29 percent of the
Earth’s surface. The other 71 percent is
Temperate oceans and other bodies of water, which
we call marine biomes.
forest
Broad-leaved trees
take advantage
of more moisture,
well-developed soils,
? Quick quiz
and a climate that’s
not too hot or too cold. 1. Which is the only
human-made biome?
2. In which biome do
camels live?
Wetlands
3. Which is the largest
These areas are covered by
tropical rainforest in
water all or part of the time.
the world?
Animals here must adapt to a
watery life while also being able
See pages 132–133 for the answers.
to live on land.
58 THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Do swamp
monsters exist? amp
Some sw
re
There are some weird and wonderful plants a
ous!
creatures in swamps. A swamp is carnivor eat
is m e ans they
a forest that is fully or partially Th animals
cts a nd
inse e.
submerged in water. Swamp to surviv
creatures in Florida have
special features for living in water.
Mangroves
These are trees that inhabit
coastal saltwater swamps. Some
mangroves have roots that stick
out of the water to breathe.
Can people
live in watery Florida
ecosystems? softshell turtle
When a softshell
turtle is underwater,
it uses its long neck
to stick its head
above the surface
to breathe.
Lesser siren
This looks like an
eel but is actually
American alligator a salamander. It has
This reptile can grow up to two legs and gills to
14 ft (4.3 m) long. An alligator breathe underwater
can move quickly to drag like a fish!
prey underwater with its
huge jaws.
60 THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Mossy habitat
Moss often grows in areas with
lots of water—for example, around
forest streams. Moss absorbs
water, which makes it damp.
61
Nematodes
These tiny worms are found
almost everywhere on the
planet. They can even live in
the soil beneath harsh deserts.
Bdelloid rotifers
Rotifers were around
in the Earth’s earliest
days. They can dry
themselves out and
go into a kind of sleep
to survive without water.
Tardigrades
These tiny animals might
look cute, but they eat
rotifers, nematodes,
and other tardigrades!
Tardigrades are
normally about 0.02 in
(0.5 mm) long and can
live for many years
without water or food.
Windswept sea
Waves can travel around the
world. They are formed by
strong, persistent winds—or
underwater earthquakes!
Wind currents
Wind travels in many different currents
across the Earth’s surface. The westerlies
and the polar easterlies are two major
wind currents that push the ocean’s
surface water along, creating movement.
Polar
easterlies
Westerlies
65
? True or false?
Direction of current 1. Ocean currents are driven
partly by wind.
Cold, salty currents move away
from the North and South Poles.
2. Ocean currents carry warm
Warm currents flow away from
water from the North and
the equator, which is the circle
South Poles.
around the middle of the Earth.
3. The westerlies are currents
of water.
fall forward, revealing a smooth See pages 132–133 for the answers.
wall of rising water that can carry
surfers and their boards.
Spilling Plunging
When the tide is going out, or These waves occur when water
onshore winds blow, a gentle hits an underwater obstruction
wave will form with foam spilling or slope. The top of the wave
over the top. is pushed up and tips over.
Collapsing Surging
These are plunging waves that are These waves are wide and low. Breaking wave
not able to break in a circular They move faster at the bottom Waves approaching the shore drag
motion and collapse instead. than at the top.
along the rising ocean floor. This
causes the waves to tilt and collapse.
67
Wave formation
Wind direction
Waves travel in the
direction of the wind
that originally caused
the water to move.
Surfing
Surfers ride the surface of breaking
waves. Waves that have traveled a
long way are the most powerful.
68 BLUE PLANET
RO membrane
Holding tank
Drinking water
Finally, chemicals are added
to clean the water and
make it safe to drink. Fresh
water is transported to
homes, factories, or farms.
70 BLUE PLANET
Extreme weather
The moon helps control the
seasons. Without the moon,
seasons could quickly change
from very hot to bitterly cold.
No life
The Earth would have extreme
weather and frequent meteor
strikes without the moon,
which might have prevented
early life from developing.
71
Less wildlife
activity at night
With nothing to reflect
the sun at night, animals Oceans facing the Moon
that are awake at night
would be unable to see. Tides also happen on the
opposite side to the moon.
? Quick quiz
1. How old is the moon?
Much smaller tides 2. Does the Earth’s tilt
The moon is the main reason that tides change?
move in and out. Without it, coastlines
would be less worn away by tides. 3. Which other body in
space pulls on oceans
to help cause tides?
Where do Evidenc
r
e of
ivers ha
s
Rhine River
This is the second-
largest river in Europe.
It flows from the Alps
through Austria,
Germany, Switzerland,
France, Liechtenstein,
and the Netherlands.
Headwaters
The source of a river is
called its headwaters.
The point where a river
reaches a lake, a sea,
or an ocean is called
the mouth.
Lake Toma
Lake Toma is a mountain
lake in the Swiss Alps. It is
thought to be the source of
the Rhine River. Many lakes and
streams lead to the Rhine.
? True or false?
Lake Toma, however, is at
the start of the river. 1. Headwaters are at the
beginning of a river.
Can a lake be
bigger than a sea?
Lake Baikal in Siberia is bigger than the state
of Massachusetts and three times the size of
the smallest sea, the Sea of Marmara in
Turkey. Both lakes and seas are surrounded by
land, but only seas are connected to oceans.
Freshwater lake
Most lakes contain fresh
water. This is saltless water
from inland sources such
as rivers.
Lake or sea?
Bodies of water such as the Dead Sea
in the Middle East are salty but are
considered lakes because they don’t
link to oceans. The Caspian Sea is
a lake in western Asia that once
connected to an ocean.
Landlocked
Most lakes, including Lake
Baikal, are landlocked, or
enclosed by land.
? Quick quiz
1. Is the Dead Sea a sea?
2. Do lakes connect to
oceans?
biggest waterfall?
is a channel of the
Atlantic Ocean located
between Greenland
and Iceland.
?
ocean is warmed by the sun.
Quick quiz This makes it less dense, or
lighter, than colder water below.
1. In which ocean is the
Denmark Strait?
Ocean floor
77
tra it
rkS
a
nm
De
Iceland
Angel Falls Khone Falls
This waterfall in Venezuela is the tallest The world’s widest waterfall is in Laos.
on land. It falls 3,211 ft (979 m) to the Khone Phapheng Falls is a staggering
valley below. 35,376 ft (10,783 m) wide!
11,500 ft
(3,505 m)
Location Size
Most icebergs break off A chunk of ice has to be 16 ft
from Greenland’s glaciers (5 m) wide to be called an
or Antarctica’s ice sheets. iceberg. Smaller ice chunks in
From here, they can travel the ocean are called bergy
hundreds of miles. bits or growlers.
Underwater bulk
Around 90 percent of an iceberg
is hidden below the water. This is
because it is too heavy to float
entirely above the surface. Ice is
about 10 percent less dense
than water is!
est
The larg
ever
iceberg
d was
recorde )
3 miles (295 km
18
wide!
? Quick quiz
1. What is the biggest body
of ice on the Earth?
3. What is a growler?
Glacial grooves
When sharp ice or rocks
in the glacier are
dragged over rock and
soil, it creates grooves.
This is similar to how a
cheese grater carves
grooves into cheese!
81
Moraines
These are deposits
of till, or rock and
soil, that occur
along the edges of
a melting glacier.
Movement
Glaciers move at different Till
speeds. This can range Glacial till is the
from 1.6 ft (0.5 m) to sediment left
behind when
98 ft (30 m) a day! a glacier melts.
It is made up of
fine dust and
small rocks.
? Quick quiz
1. What is an esker?
the ocean?
2. What is the name of
the deepest place in
the ocean?
Coral reefs
They might look like
plants, but corals are
actually animals! They
have limestone skeletons
and form communities
in shallow water.
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific Indian
Ocean Ocean
Southern Ocean
Mid-ocean Hydrothermal
ridge vents
These are underwater These openings
mountain ranges. release superheated
New ocean crust is water from deep
created from molten within the Earth.
rock that bubbles up
and hardens.
Underwater
volcano
Submarine cable Volcanoes can form
Long, underwater cables above cracks in the ocean
connect telephones and floor. Molten rock rises
carry Wi-Fi internet and hardens in layers to
between continents. form cone shapes.
84
? Quick quiz
Where is the ocean’s 1. What is bioluminescence?
Below the ocean’s surface are zones, or layers, 3. Do giant squids exist?
BLUE PLANET
of water. The deeper these get, the darker and See pages 132–133 for the answers.
colder they become. The twilight zone is the
semidark second layer. Very different types of
creatures live in each zone.
Sunlit zone
0 to 660 ft (0 to 200 m)
Sunlight easily reaches the many
creatures in this shallow zone. Seahorse Killer whale
Hammerhead
shark
Sea turtle
Seal
Twilight zone
660 to 3,300 ft (200 to 1,000 m) Chain
Less sunlight reaches the water in Lantern fish
cat shark
this zone. It is darker and colder
than the zone above because of
the lack of sunlight. Swordfish
Squid
How do deep-sea
fish find food?
Midnight zone
Frilled 3,300 to 13,100 ft
shark (1,000 to 4,000 m)
All sunlight is absorbed
Footballfish by the water above,
creating a dark and cold
world. Some animals
Dumbo Tiburonia make their own light.
Barreleye octopus jellyfish
Bioluminescence
Creatures of the deep ocean use
chemicals in their bodies to create
light, called bioluminescence. Abyss
13,100 to 20,000 ft
(4,000 to 6,000 m)
Sea pig Hagfish Pressure from the water
above pushes down on
fish. It is freezing cold.
Tripod fish
Expandable stomachs
Some deep-sea fish have large
jaws and stomachs that expand,
allowing them to eat fish bigger
than they are. Hadal
Below 20,000 ft (6,000 m)
Few creatures can
survive here due to the
total darkness and
Giant tube massive pressure from
the water above.
85
Is there air
d from
Solar win
flows
the sun
u g h sp ace. It is
in space?
thro h is like
a, w h ic
plasm g
h ot g a s, glowin
a
rgy.
with ene
Air in the Earth’s atmosphere
contains tiny particles of gas. You
breathe in billions of these with
each breath. There are fewer gas
particles the higher up you go.
Space begins where gas particles
are too few and far apart to
make air we can breathe.
Modern spacecraft
Superheated gases expand from burning
fuel inside modern rockets. This pushes
the rocket forward.
Future rockets
Future rockets may use light itself as
fuel. The light would be converted into
energy to move the craft forward.
in the sky?
2. How many colors of the
rainbow are there?
to dusky red because of sunlight. See pages 132–133 for the answers.
Light is bent
into different
colors.
How rainbows
Light comes
are formed from the sun.
Sunlight contains all the
colors of the rainbow.
When it rains, raindrops
in the air bend the light.
This separates the light
into all of its colors.
The colors form
a rainbow.
Light bent through
a raindrop
Sunset
As the sun sets, its light must pass
through the atmosphere sideways.
Light is scattered into brilliant
reds, yellows, and oranges.
92 UP IN THE AIR
Why do we
have seasons?
It takes a year for the Earth to orbit
(circle) the sun. During this time,
the sun’s energy gives us warmth
and light. However, the Earth is
tilted. Parts of the Earth get New York
City
more or less energy
depending on whether
they’re tilted toward or
away from the sun. This
creates the seasons.
Summer
During summer, your
half of the Earth is
tilted toward the sun.
Summers are typically
hot, and days are long.
? Quick quiz
1. How many days does it
take the Earth to orbit
the sun?
Hibernation
Many animals cannot find food during the
cold winter months, so they go into a deep
sleep, or hibernate, until spring comes.
The
Earth’s
axis
Migration
Some animals just get up and move when the
weather gets cold! Some birds fly to warmer
places in the winter months.
Winter
When the half of the
Earth you live on is Winter coats
tilted away from the sun, Many animals change their bodies in winter.
winter occurs. Winters are They get thicker, warmer coats. Arctic hares
turn white to hide in snow!
typically cold, and the
days are short.
94 UP IN THE AIR
Tropical
The tropics are just north and
south of the equator, in the
equatorial zone. They are
typically hot regions and can
be very dry or steamy!
Hot equator
The equator is the circle
around the middle of the
Earth. It gets the most direct
sunlight and is one of the
hottest areas on our planet.
Axis
Equator
Mountain climate
High-up places such as
mountains are cold. The air
Earth
Sun gets thinner and colder as
you move higher up into
the atmosphere.
95
Mediterranean
Lands around the Mediterranean
Sea have hot, dry summers and cool,
often wet winters. These areas rarely
get very cold because they are warmed
all year round by the nearby sea.
? Picture quiz
Boreal Arid
Tropical
Mountain Why is Mount Kilimanjaro
Temperate icy if it is in Tanzania, which is
on the hot equator?
Arid Polar
Arid, or dry, climates contain These zones at the top
grasslands or deserts that and bottom of the Earth
receive very little rainfall. are the coldest places. They
Deserts can be extremely hot receive the least sunlight of
during the day and cold at night. any part of the planet.
96 UP IN THE AIR
What is Water
evaporation? vapor Water vapor
Liquid water becomes a Liquid water
gas called water vapor becomes a gas
when it is heated or in warm sunlight
changes pressure. This or when the air
process is called Liquid pressure decreases
evaporation. In nature, water due to wind. Water
the sun’s heat turns the vapor becomes
water into vapor. Heat part of the air.
Water
How do people study Rain refills liquid
rain and snow? water sources such
as rivers.
Meteorologists study
the weather. They
use radar to look at
the liquid water and
ice inside clouds,
called precipitation.
97
Clouds
The air gets colder Rain
higher up. Water vapor
Tiny water droplets in clouds
condenses, or cools down,
get bigger as more droplets
to form water droplets.
join them. They become too
These produce clouds.
heavy and fall as rain.
e
the sam
There is n
ou nt o f water o
am
now as
the Earth t
h en o c eans firs
w billion
e d , 3 .8
form o.
years ag
? Quick quiz
1. What is the name of the
process in which a liquid
turns into a gas when it is
heated but not boiled?
in the clouds?
Clouds form when water vapor in the sky cools
UP IN THE AIR
27,000 ft
8,230 m
Altostratus Precipitation
This is a thin layer of Water falling as snow, rain, or ice is called
cloud in middle altitudes. precipitation. Clouds that carry precipitation
It is usually a mix of liquid look different from those that don’t.
24,000 ft
7,320 m water and ice crystals.
21,000 ft Stratocumulus
6,400 m These are thick layers of mostly
connected clouds. They can
cause drizzly days.
Cumulus
18,000 ft
A puffy, low cloud is called a
5,490 m
cumulus. These rise above updrafts
of hot air in the summer heat.
15,000 ft
4,570 m
Cumulonimbus
This is an extremely tall,
12,000 ft sometimes scary-looking
3,660 m Dinosaur cloud
storm cloud that is usually Cumulus clouds or other types can
flat at the top like an anvil. form odd shapes that inspire the
imagination—such as dinosaurs.
9,000 ft
2,740 m
? Quick quiz
6,000 ft Stratus 1. What are the highest
1,830 m These low clouds form a clouds called?
flat-bottomed layer that
may blanket the sky. 2. What is water falling
from clouds, such as rain
or snow, called?
3,000 ft
910 m
3. What is a tall, flat-topped
storm cloud called?
Sea level
100
Does lightning
always strike
UP IN THE AIR
? True or false?
1. Lightning can strike
anywhere.
the building.
102 UP IN THE AIR
Can humans
make it rain? Aerial seeder
Aircraft carry machines that
People have tried using inject chemicals into clouds.
These chemicals could be bad
technology to turn water for the environment.
droplets and ice crystals inside
clouds into rain or snow. This
process is called cloud
seeding. It has been used to
increase snowfall in some
places. However, some
scientists think it does not
work very well.
What is a
microburst?
lt
Table sa
used to
can be
uds. It
seed clo
water
causes
to join
droplets
r as
Microbursts are huge, natural downdrafts of togethe
s.
wind caused by the sudden cooling of air high
in the atmosphere. The rush of wind can raindrop
cause damage to aircraft.
103
? Quick quiz
1. Which household
substance can be used
Clouds to seed clouds?
Clouds that contain lots
of water droplets and 2. Can we make it rain
ice crystals are often without clouds?
the targets of seeding.
3. What joins together
to form rain?
Seeding
Different chemicals are used.
Some attract water droplets,
which join together to form
rain. Others attract ice crystals
to form large snowflakes.
104
How do we measure
How does a the strength of
tornadoes?
tornado form? In the United States,
tornadoes are ranked from
Tornadoes are rotating columns of air zero to five on the Enhanced
Fujita (EF) scale.
UP IN THE AIR
Tornado
A downward draft of air can
form next to the rising air.
Tornadoes often occur when
this happens. EF-5 tornado
These tornadoes are the most powerful.
EF-5s can be a mile (1.6 km) wide and
destroy most things in their path.
Spinning air
Tornadoes form beneath parent
storm clouds. Rising air starts to
spin high above the ground.
Dusty base
The tornado pulls in dust,
debris, and other objects What is a hurricane?
in its path. This gives it a Also called tropical cyclone
brown or gray color. s,
hurricanes are spinning sto
rm
clouds that form over some
parts
of the ocean. Hurricanes tha
t
reach land can cause a huge
? Quick quiz amount of damage.
Overpopulation
The population of the
Earth is growing. There
Which natural resources are only enough natural
are essential for resources for about
10 billion people.
human survival?
Food
Most food is grown on
farms and transported
to stores. Scientists are
researching other ways
to get food in case we
run out of space to farm.
Water
Clean water is hard
to get in areas where
there aren’t lakes or
rivers. Water can’t be
made, so we have to
share what’s there.
109
World population
Every country in the world has
a different-sized population.
Some populations are growing
at a fast rate. Others, such as
Tokyo Japan, are actually shrinking.
Japan’s capital, Tokyo,
is one of the world’s largest
cities. There are almost
16,000 people
per square mile.
World population
by continent
Key
Most Least
populated populated
? Quick quiz
1. How many people can
the world’s natural
resources support?
How do
countries begin?
For hundreds of thousands of
years, humans have lived in tribes.
Over time, these groups grew
and combined. People moved
to new areas and developed their North
own cultures and governments, Amer
ica
eventually forming countries.
Colonies
Throughout history,
South
people have always Amer
traveled from one ica
country to another.
Sometimes these
States
Un vernor’s
Vi
rg
? Quick quiz
P
An
1. What is the oldest country tar
cti
that exists today? ca
2. Which mountain
range separates
France and Spain?
Explored land
bia
nc
Fra
Conquered land Natural
Pyrenees,
Many countries have fought boundaries
wars to gain land or resources
Landforms, such as
from other countries. In the
mountain ranges,
early 1900s, Britain controlled
deserts, rivers, and
almost a quarter of the world.
oceans, can form barriers
that separate distinct
cultures. Many of these
features create borders
between countries.
Europe Farming
Asia together
Early people
lived together
in settlements
to produce food.
Farming meant
people could stay in
Africa one place rather than
Fa
m
th
ile alo
, E ng
gyp
t
Island countries
Islands are often isolated and
Australasia
develop into single countries
with the ocean surrounding
them. Both Australia and New
Zealand are “island” countries.
we changed
the Earth?
Humans live on every continent What is this ancient creature
and have changed the surface of the that was hunted to extinction
by humans?
Earth forever. We use many natural
resources, shape the land, and See pages 132–133 for the answer.
Before After
113
hanged
animals and grow crops, such as
be en c
has
rice. Forests are often cleared to
ns.
by huma
make space for farms, and rivers
are diverted to water crops.
Deforestation
Forests are cut down to clear
land for farms and cities and
to produce wood for building
or fuel. Without trees, soil can
wash away, and the land can
Modern city
become a desert. Cities can be huge and produce
lots of waste. Tall skyscrapers
change the skyline, like those
in Panama City, Panama.
Growing town
Even small towns change the land
around them. Farms are built to grow
food, the course of rivers can be
changed to provide water, and forests
are cut down to make space for houses.
Before After
114 LIVING ON THE EARTH
What is a city?
Cities are places where large groups of
people live close together. In cities, people
often have access to useful services such
as hospitals, schools, and stores.
Berlin, Germany
? Picture quiz
How do we
feed everyone?
Wheat
Keeping the billions of people Wheat grains are
separated from the
on the Earth alive requires a lot stalks. The grain is
of food! Many groups of people stored in tall buildings
called silos to protect
rely on wheat to make bread and it from insects and rain.
pasta. Wheat is grown in places
with the right climate and soil
and then sent around the world.
Staple crops
Wheat, corn, soybeans, and
rice are staple crops available
around the world. These are
grown in places with the right
soils and climates.
Corn Soy
bean
Combine harvester
Machines help us produce lots
of food. Combines are used to
Rice collect much more wheat than
people can gather by hand.
117
Animal farming
Animal husbandry is the farming of animals
for food. Cows, pigs, chickens, and other
animals are raised for their meat.
China,
ssia,
India, Ru
United
and the t
s are the larges
State d
ro duc ers of foo
p
the
crops in
Wheat field world.
Vast fields of wheat can be Gathering
seen in Kansas. Around the Early humans gathered nuts, berries, and
world, wheat is used to fruit in the wild. The finding and gathering
of these foods still occurs today.
make flour for pasta, bread,
and cakes.
118 LIVING ON THE EARTH
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National
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Museum SA IL SB U RY
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FORREST ROAD
POR BR
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True or false?
O
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CH
RI
W
ST
ST
RE
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W
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PLAC
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1. The prime meridian line
ST
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LE
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E
O
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T
GEORGE
D
SQUARE
BU
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ST
CC
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ET
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CLE DRIVE
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2. North is the direction
CH
C
LE
RK
EE
the Earth.
T
THE MEADOWS
Landmarks
ST
DA
3. Terrain is shown by
ME
RE
LK
LV I
LLE
EI
pictures of trains.
RO
DR
IVE
AD
RE ET
N S
WEST PREST ON ST
See pages 132–133 for the answers.
can find them easily.
ROAD
120 LIVING ON THE EARTH
Some
s think
scientist e
e re w ill be mor
th the
plastic in
than fish
oceans !
by 2050
Loose litter
Rainwater can carry
plastic from trash cans
or other garbage sites
into rivers, which lead into
the ocean.
Plastic
How much plastic pollution
Plastic is used to
is in the ocean?
make everything
from airplane parts
to food packaging.
Lots of this ends up
in oceans.
Millions of tons of plastic makes its way
into our oceans each year. Lots of this
comes from food or beverage packaging.
We can help reduce the amount of plastic
in oceans by using fewer plastic items or
by recycling the ones we do use.
121
Harmful to wildlife
Wildlife can get tangled up in plastic.
This makes it hard for the animal to
find food or escape predators.
Plastic food
Sea life can accidentally eat tiny bits
of ocean plastic, called microplastics.
Plastic found in sea life could be harmful
to humans who eat it.
Great Pacific garbage patch
A huge patch of plastic can be fou
nd in the
Pacif ic Ocean. It is around three
times the size
of France and contains about 88,
185 tons of
floating waste!
What is recycling?
If you recycle something, it gets
turned into a new object. Many
of the natural materials we use to
make things will one day run out.
Recycling human-made items
means they don’t go to waste.
Here’s how it works. Bales
The plastic is crushed
and made into blocks
called bales.
Sorting
Materials that can be
recycled first need to
be sorted by type.
Plastic, glass, and
cardboard are all
recycled separately.
Recyclable plastic is
separated from other
types of recycling.
Plastic bottles
A material called polyethylene
terephthalate, or PET, is found in
most plastic bottles. This can be
used to make new plastic objects.
123
? True or false?
1. All materials can be
recycled.
Cleaning Paper
Paper trash is mashed up, mixed with
Water separates water, and heated. This mixture is
the PET from the strained and rolled out into new paper.
parts of the bottle that
can’t be recycled. The
heavy PET sinks. Labels and
other materials that can’t be
recycled float upward.
Metal
Metal that can be recycled is cleaned and
How bad is
a drought?
We call a long, rainless period
a drought. When a drought
occurs, it can cause problems
for plants, animals, and
people. Droughts usually
happen in dry areas and
can last for many years.
Wildfire
Dry winds fuel wildfires.
These spread quickly
through dried-out
trees in forests.
Dust storm
Rain keeps soil stuck
together and stops it from
blowing away. Without rain, soil
loosens into dust and is blown
into huge clouds by the wind.
125
Parched land
Without moisture from rain, soils
? Quick quiz
crack and harden in the sun. The
land becomes a dry, almost 1. What was the Dust Bowl?
lifeless desert. a) A giant bowl of dust
b) A drought in Australia
c) A 1930s drought in the
southern High Plains of the
United States
Crop failure
Crops need water to 2. What is a dust devil?
survive. In a drought, a) A type of coyote
water sources can run b) A minicyclone
out because they c) Smoke from a wildfire
aren’t being
replenished. This See pages 132–133 for the answers.
means farmers
can’t keep their
crops alive.
How can we
save water during
a drought?
Dust devil
Rapidly rising air from Farm fewer animals
drought-hit land, heated by the Cows drink up to 20 times the amount of
sun, pulls in dirt and dust. This water that humans do. If we raised fewer
cows for meat, we’d save a lot of water.
forms minicyclones called dust devils
that roam the countryside.
126 LIVING ON THE EARTH
? Picture quiz
80 years in
the future
The Earth may
become warmer
than today. Areas of
ice may have melted
into the oceans. This
extra water could
Current 5.4°F (3°C) flood coastal areas.
temperature warmer than now
128 LIVING ON THE EARTH
Oxygen
Humans need to breathe
in a gas called oxygen
to survive. Trees release
oxygen into the air.
Carbon dioxide
Trees take a gas called
carbon dioxide out of
the air. This gas traps
heat. Too much of it can
make the Earth hotter.
How do trees
help humans?
Trees help create the oxygen that we
need in order to survive. Their roots
take in water from the ground, which
stops flooding. They can even increase
the amount of rain in an area because
the water evaporates from their leaves.
129
Photosynthesis
Plants make their own food through
a process called photosynthesis. They
use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and
water to make a type of sugar called
glucose. Oxygen is also made and
released into the air.
Sun
Plants
breathe
in carbon Sunlight is
dioxide. absorbed.
Oxygen is
released.
Roots pull
in water.
of energy?
Power plants that create electricity
have mainly burned fossil fuels
up to this time. Supplies of
these fuels, such as crude oil,
will become harder to find.
Carbon dioxide is produced
when fossil fuels burn,
making the Earth warmer.
People are slowly switching
to different, less damaging,
ways to make electricity.
Tidal energy
The movement of
oceans in tides can
be used to generate,
or make, energy.
Every
nds,
10 seco
o u g h crude oil
en
Olympic
to fill an
g pool Water
swimmin
out of
is taken Water on the
nd.
the grou
Earth flows downhill.
Hydroelectric power
plants use this movement
to create electricity.
131
Solar energy
Light from the sun provides solar
How can we use less
energy. Solar panels can be installed energy?
almost anywhere but only generate
power during Riding a bike
Riding a bike uses only
the daytime. human energy, so it
saves the Earth’s natural
energy resources. It
is cleaner for the
environment and
healthier for you!
Saving energy
Using less energy
helps us stretch our
energy sources further
and makes them last
longer. Turning off the
lights helps us be good
caretakers of our planet!
Nuclear energy
Huge amounts of energy
come from splitting apart
tiny particles. The radioactive
materials used in nuclear
plants must be stored safely.
? Quick quiz
1. What is plant fuel called?
Answers
Page 9 1) The sun came first. Page 25 1) Over 2.17 miles Page 43 1) Mineral deposits. Page 59 1) False. It is a type
2) Around 4.5 billion years ago. (3.5 km) thick. 2) Around 10,000 2) The Colorado River. of salamander. 2) False. A
3) The Earth is a rocky planet. bce. 3) Yes. The location of New 3) Sandstone. manatee is also known as a sea
York City was under ice during cow. 3) False. They are different
Page 11 Aurora. the last ice age. Page 45 1) True. 2) False. They species.
record movements of living
Page 12 1) A meteor that has Page 28 1) False. It formed things. 3) True. Page 61 1) A habitat.
fallen to the Earth. 2) No. The from lava produced by 2) A grove of Aspen trees in
Earth moves around the sun. volcanoes. 2) True. 3) False. Page 47 1) False. It is in Utah. 3) A tardigrade.
The Barberton Greenstone Antarctica. 2) False. Some
Belt, South Africa, is believed deserts are very cold at night. Page 65 1) True. 2) False. Cold
Page 15 1) Yes. It is solid to be the oldest.
iron and nickel. 2) The water is carried from the North
asthenosphere. 3) No. The Page 49 1) The surface of and South Poles. 3) False. They
Page 31 1) True. 2) False. It Thailand is made up of many are wind currents.
crust is broken into segments,
becomes rock when it cools caves and sinkholes.
or plates.
and hardens. Page 66 1) True. 2) True. 3) True.
Page 51 1) A stalagmite grows
Page 17 1) True. 2) True. Page 33 1) Volcanic ash or from the floor. 2) No. It is mildly Page 69 1) The mineral halite
3) False. There is some mud. 2) Yellowstone National acidic and only wears away or salt. 2) Seawater. 3) Yes.
gravity from bodies in space. Park. 3) 380 ft (116 m). rocks. 3) A column. Seawater freezes at a lower
temperature than fresh water.
Page 19 Jupiter. Page 34 1) False. Humus is Page 53 1) Molten rock rises up
the top layer. 2) True. 3) True. through seafloor cracks and Page 71 1) Around 4.5 billion
Page 21 1) 4 billion years old. hardens. 2) The Anatolian plate. years old. 2) Yes. The Earth
2) Yes. Crocodiles are related Page 37 1) True. 2) True. 3) The Pacific Ocean plate. wobbles over long periods of
to dinosaurs. 3) 65 million 3) False. Minerals are not alive. time—about every 26,000 years!
years ago. Page 55 1) True. 2) True. 3) The sun.
Page 39 1) b. 2) a.
Page 23 A hippo. Page 57 1) Farmland. 2) Desert. Page 73 1) True.
Page 41 1) About 18,000 years 3) The Amazon Rainforest. 2) True. 3) False. It is the Amazon
ago. 2) Weathering. 3) Yes. River in South America.
133
Page 75 1) No. It is a lake. Page 90 1) Blue light. Page 103 1) Table salt. Page 121 1) About 88,185
2) No. Seas do. 3) The Sea of 2) Seven main colors blend 2) No. Cloud seeding uses tons (80,000 tonnes). 2) Gyres.
Marmara is the world’s smallest. to form millions of shades. clouds to try to make rain
3) Yellow. fall. 3) Water droplets.
Page 123 1) False. Only
Page 76 1) The Atlantic Ocean.
2) Angel Falls. 3) The Denmark Page 92 1) 365 days. 2) No. Page 105 1) The Enhanced certain types of material can
Strait cataract. Only some animals who live in Fujita (EF) scale. 2) A be recycled. 2) True. 3) True.
places with very cold winters cumulonimbus cloud.
Page 79 1) The Antarctic ice hibernate. 3) No. Different 3) The eye of the storm.
Page 125 1) c. 2) b.
sheet. 2) Around 90 percent. places are tilted toward or away
3) A chunk of ice in the ocean from the sun depending on the Page 109 1) Around 10 billion.
that is smaller than an iceberg time of year. This means they 2) Yes. The population is Page 127 Venus.
or a bergy bit. have different seasons. growing. 3) Tokyo.
Page 129 1) Oxygen.
Page 81 1) A long, winding Page 95 Mount Kilimanjaro is Page 110 1) China. 2) The
Pyrenees. 3) Great Britain. 2) Photosynthesis.
ridge of sediment left by a a mountain with a mountain
glacier. 2) Yes. Glaciers move climate, which means it gets
like rivers of ice. 3) The cold even though it is near Page 112 The woolly Page 131 1) Biofuel.
Lambert-Fisher Glacier the equator. mammoth. 2) Solar energy. 3) A
in Antarctica. nuclear power plant.
Page 97 1) Evaporation. Page 115 Romulus and Remus.
Page 82 1) A mid-ocean 2) Water vapor is the gas
ridge. 2) Challenger Deep. version of water. Page 117 1) Wheat.
3) Limestone. 3) Meteorologists. 2) A combine harvester.
3) Animal husbandry.
Page 84 1) Light created by Page 99 1) Cirrus clouds.
animals using chemicals. 2) Precipitation. Page 119 1) True. 2) False.
2) The sunlit zone. 3) Yes. 3) A cumulonimbus cloud. North is the direction toward
Giant squids exist. the top of the Earth. South is
Page 101 1) True. It only downward. 3) False. It is shown
Page 89 1) b. 2) c. sometimes strikes the tallest by lines called contours.
spot. 2) True. 3) True.
134
Questions
Quiz your 1. What is the name
of the supercontinent
friends! that existed around
330 million years ago?
Who knows the most about
h at is foss
the Earth? Test your friends .W ilize
d po
and family with these tricky
5
op
questions. See pages ca
136–137 for the answers.
lle
d?
9. How much
warmer was the Earth
56 million years ago?
2. What is the
imaginary circle
around the middle
of the Earth called?
3. H E
oo on
4. What is w
the
n?
ay
o
8. W
the deepest ar long a d
th w ould m
ocean zone? be the
h
without
hottest tem
ich p
hat are low,
l
W
a
6.
louds calle
ce h ratu
y c d?
ff
flu
pe
old re
st o
7. Which term e
h
refers to large re
n c
areas of forestland th ord
e E for
being cut down? art the
h?
Answers
angaea
1. P
13. Microplastics
137
he ivides the
long!
pheres.
4. Hadal is the
deepest zone of
mis
w or d
at the ocean.
qu t
o
e e
2. Th into
h
Eart
5. Coprolite
7. Deforestation
6. Cumulus clouds
15. 90 percent of
an iceberg is
underwater.
138
Glossary
acidic bedrock crust extinction
Containing a chemical Layer of rock beneath Outer rocky layer When a species
that can wear away the ground of the Earth dies out completely
certain materials
biome current fossil
adaptation Area where living Flow of water, air, Remains of a plant
When a species things share common or electricity or an animal or its
develops features to features that help them activities preserved
help it survive in a survive in their climate desert in stone
certain area Area that receives
boreal forest very little precipitation, gemstone
air Cold biome with such as rain or snow Beautiful or valuable
Gases that form the freezing temperatures type of mineral
Earth’s atmosphere for around half the earthquake
year, also known Shaking of the Earth glacier
artificial as taiga due to the activity Large body of ice
Made by humans of plates beneath that slowly moves
carbon dioxide the surface across land like a river
ash Gas found in
Small bits of rock that the atmosphere ecosystem government
erupt out of volcanoes that makes the Community of living Group of people that
Earth warmer things in an area run a country, city, etc.
atmosphere
Layer of gases climate energy gravity
surrounding the Earth Usual temperature Force that causes Force that pulls
and amount of things to happen, things together
atoms precipitation in such as movement
Tiny particles that a specific area habitat
make up gases, equator Area where a
liquids, and solids cloud Imaginary circle type of animal
Floating mass around the middle usually lives
axis of water droplets of the Earth
Invisible line through or ice crystals Karman line
the center of the Earth, erosion Imaginary line marking
around which the continent Movement of rock by the place where the
planet rotates Huge area of land, wind, rain, or ice from Earth’s atmosphere
usually made up of one place to another ends and space begins
bacteria different countries
Small living things evaporation landform
that can usually be core Process of liquid water Natural, rocky feature
seen only with a Extremely hot being heated to found on land or at the
microscope center of the Earth become a gas bottom of the ocean
139
Index
A Arctic 25 Caspian Sea 75 crust, Earth’s 9, 14, 15
abyssal zone 85 ash clouds 31 caves 48, 50–51 crystals 37
aerial seeders 102 atmosphere 10–11, 88, Chile 53 culture 111
asthenosphere 14, 15 89, 90–91, 94, 127 China 52 cumulonimbus 99
Africa 25 axis, Earth’s 12 cinder cones 31 cumulus 99
air 88–89, 90–91, cirrocumulus 98 currents
cirrus 98 ocean 65, 76–77,
128 B cities 113, 114–115 94
alligators 59 bacteria 21
alpine deserts 47 climate change wind 64, 67
Baikal, Lake 74–75
altostratus 98 126–127, 130 cycling 131
beaches 41, 101
Amazon River 72 climate zones 94–95
biofuel 131
clouds 97, 98–99,
amber 45 bioluminescence 85
100, 102–103,104
D
amoebas 21 biomes 56–57 dams 112
Angel Falls 77 colonies 110
birds 20, 21 daylight 13
animals compasses 118
boats 58 days, length of
biomes 56–57 concrete 39
boreal forest 56 70
deserts 47 coniferous forests 57
boundaries, natural Dead Sea 75
farming 117, 125, conquests 111
111 death 44
129 continental crust 15
bridges, natural 43 decomposition 34, 44
fossils 44–45 continents 9, 22–23
buildings, tall 113, 114 deforestation 113,
moss 60–61 convergent plates
129
nocturnal 71 53
Denmark Strait
oceans 84–85, C coprolites 44
cataract 76–77
121 cables, submarine 83 coral reefs 54, 82
deserts 46–47, 56,
salt water 69 calcium 36 core, Earth’s 9, 14,
125
seasons 93 calderas 31 33
diamonds 38
in soil 34–35 canyons 43 corona 10
dinosaurs 20, 21, 23
swamps 58–59 carbon dioxide 50, countries 110–111
divergent plates 53
Antarctica 46, 80 128, 129 crops 116, 125
141