Year: 2017

Why Do We Have Seasons?

Because the Earth is tilted on its axis, it’s why we have seasons. When Earth receives more sunlight on one side, it’s summer. And vice versa for winter.

What Is the Carbon Cycle? Photosynthesis, Decomposition, Respiration and Combustion

Carbon is essential for living things and making cars move. It takes up various forms through photosynthesis, decomposition, respiration and combustion.

What Are the 4 Steps of Nitrogen Cycle?

Nitrogen transforms into several different forms in the 4 steps of the nitrogen cycle – nitrogen fixing, decomposition, nitrification & denitrification.

What Are the 3 Types of Rocks?

Earth is covered with these 3 types of rocks are: (1) sedimentary rocks (2) metamorphic rocks and (3) igneous rocks. How they are different from each other?

What are the 5 Oceans of the World?

Since the year 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) started recognizing 5 oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern Ocean.

Earth Crust: Oceanic Crust vs Continental Crust

Earth’s crust is all around us. It’s the layer we live on. But did you know that Earth’s crust is composed of oceanic and continental and oceanic crust?

Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus): Our Sun’s Closest Neighbor

Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus) is the closest star system away from our sun. It’s about 4.3 light years (or 25 trillion miles) away from Earth.

Plate Tectonic Types: Divergent, Convergent and Transform Plates

Plate boundaries interact with each other in 3 primary ways. The types of plate tectonic boundares are divergent, convergent and transform (conservative).

What Is the Exosphere?

The exosphere is the upper part of Earth’s atmosphere. It starts at about 500 km and gradually extends into the vacuum of outer space at about 190,000 km.

How Does Eutrophication Work? Causes, Process and Examples

Eutrophication occurs in water bodies when too many nutrients are introduced. Over-fertilization of water causes algae to grow blocking sunlight for plants.

River Delta: How It Forms

Streams carrying too much sediment clogs the entrance into the basin. As sediments dump in, water flow decelerates and widens the entrance forming a delta.

What’s the Difference Between Lava and Magma?

Magma is liquid rock with dissolved gas at the interior of Earth. When magma reaches the surface, it’s lava. The difference for lava vs magma is location.

5 Comet Facts: Dirty Snowballs of the Solar System

Comets are balls of frozen gases mixed with pieces of rocks, water and ice. There are only a hundred or so named comets and a bit over 3500 known comets.

Earth’s Atmosphere Composition: Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon and CO2

From largest to smallest, Earth’s atmosphere composition contains nitrogen, oxygen, argon, CO2 and trace gases. Water vapor is excluded from this total.

What Are the 4 Layers of the Atmosphere? [Infographic]

There are 4 primary layers of the atmosphere on Earth: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. The ionosphere and exosphere are above those.