Back to New York Earth and Environmental Science
New York · NYSEDQ&A
Earth and Environmental ScienceQ&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every New York Earth and Environmental Science syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Astronomy and Earth in Space
- Explain Earth's rotation and revolution, the evidence for each, and how they produce the apparent daily motion of celestial objects at 15 degrees per hour, including the use of Polaris to find latitude.2Q&A pairs
- Calculate the eccentricity of an elliptical orbit using the Reference Tables equation (distance between foci divided by length of the major axis) and relate eccentricity to orbital shape and orbital velocity.2Q&A pairs
- Explain how the tilt of Earth's axis and its revolution change the angle and duration of insolation through the year, producing the seasons, the solstices and the equinoxes.2Q&A pairs
- Use the Luminosity and Temperature of Stars diagram to classify stars, describe the Sun and nuclear fusion, and state the evidence for the Big Bang (red shift and cosmic background radiation).2Q&A pairs
- Describe the phases of the Moon, solar and lunar eclipses, and the tides as consequences of the motions and gravitational interactions of the Earth, Moon and Sun.2Q&A pairs
- Describe the structure of the solar system and use the Selected Properties of the Planets table and Kepler's laws to relate a planet's distance from the Sun to its period and orbital velocity.2Q&A pairs
Environmental Science: Resources and Human Impact
- Explain the greenhouse effect and the role of greenhouse gases, distinguish natural from human-enhanced climate change, and describe the evidence for and consequences of recent global warming.2Q&A pairs
- Distinguish renewable from non-renewable energy resources, describe the main sources (fossil fuels, nuclear, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal) and weigh their advantages and environmental costs.2Q&A pairs
- Explain how human activities (pollution, deforestation, land use, resource extraction) affect Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere, and evaluate ways to reduce harm.2Q&A pairs
- Describe major natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather, floods) and explain how forecasting, monitoring and preparedness use Earth science to reduce their impact on society.2Q&A pairs
- Describe Earth's key natural resources (water, soil, minerals, air, forests) and explain how resource management, conservation and sustainability balance human needs against the limits of Earth's systems.2Q&A pairs
- Describe how carbon cycles among the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere through photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition and combustion, and explain how human activities alter the carbon cycle.2Q&A pairs
Geologic History and Dating
- Explain how fossils form, what index fossils are, and how fossils are used to correlate rock layers between distant locations and to infer past environments, using the Reference Tables.2Q&A pairs
- Explain radioactive decay and half-life and use the Reference Tables Radioactive Decay Data to calculate the absolute age of a sample from the ratio of remaining radioactive isotope to its decay product.2Q&A pairs
- Apply the principles of relative dating (superposition, original horizontality, cross-cutting relationships, inclusions and unconformities) to order events in a sequence of rock layers.2Q&A pairs
- Use the Reference Tables Geologic History of New York State and the bedrock map to read New York's tectonic and environmental history, including ancient mountain-building, shallow seas and the most recent glaciation.2Q&A pairs
- Describe how the geologic time scale is divided (eons, eras, periods, epochs), how its boundaries mark major changes in life, and use the Reference Tables geologic time scale to read ages and events.2Q&A pairs
Surface Processes: Weathering, Erosion and Deposition
- Explain how deposition occurs as transporting agents lose energy, and use the Reference Tables relationship of particle size to water velocity, together with particle size, shape and density, to predict settling order and sorting.2Q&A pairs
- Identify the agents of erosion (running water, glaciers, wind, waves and gravity) and use the characteristic shapes and deposits of sediment to infer which agent transported it.2Q&A pairs
- Explain how landscapes are classified (mountains, plateaus, plains) by elevation, relief and structure, how climate and bedrock control landscape development, and use the Reference Tables map of New York's landscape regions.2Q&A pairs
- Describe stream behavior and drainage patterns, and use topographic (contour) maps with the Reference Tables gradient equation to calculate gradient, determine stream flow direction and read elevations.2Q&A pairs
- Distinguish physical from chemical weathering, explain the factors that control the rate of weathering (climate, surface area, rock type), and describe how weathering and other processes form soil.2Q&A pairs
The Hydrosphere and Meteorology
- Explain the factors that control climate (latitude, elevation, proximity to water, ocean currents, mountain barriers and prevailing winds) and distinguish climate from weather.2Q&A pairs
- Explain humidity, dewpoint and relative humidity, use the Reference Tables dewpoint and relative humidity charts from dry-bulb and wet-bulb readings, and relate cooling to condensation, cloud and precipitation formation.2Q&A pairs
- Describe the layered structure and composition of the atmosphere and explain how energy is transferred by radiation, conduction and convection, including how surfaces absorb and reflect insolation.2Q&A pairs
- Explain how ocean surface currents form (winds, the Coriolis effect) and how they redistribute heat, moderate coastal climates and connect to density-driven deep circulation.2Q&A pairs
- Describe the water cycle and its processes, and explain the factors that control infiltration, runoff and groundwater storage (porosity, permeability, slope, saturation and the water table).2Q&A pairs
- Classify air masses, describe the weather at warm and cold fronts and around high- and low-pressure systems, and interpret weather maps and the Reference Tables station model.2Q&A pairs
The Lithosphere: Minerals, Rocks and Plate Tectonics
- Explain how P-waves and S-waves behave and use the Reference Tables earthquake travel-time graph to find the distance to an epicenter, the origin time and the number of stations needed to locate it.2Q&A pairs
- Define a mineral and explain how physical properties (hardness, cleavage, luster, streak, color and density) and chemical composition are used to identify minerals, using the relevant Reference Tables charts.2Q&A pairs
- Describe the layered structure of Earth's interior and explain the theory of plate tectonics, including the evidence (sea-floor spreading, matching coastlines, fossils, magnetic stripes) and the calculation of plate spreading rate.2Q&A pairs
- Explain how sedimentary rocks form by compaction and cementation or by chemical and biologic processes, and how metamorphic rocks form by heat and pressure, using the Reference Tables charts to identify each by texture and composition.2Q&A pairs
- Describe the rock cycle and explain how igneous rocks form from cooling magma or lava, using the Reference Tables Scheme for Igneous Rock Identification to relate texture, composition, color and density to the rock name.2Q&A pairs
- Explain where and why volcanoes form (boundaries and hot spots), describe how crustal rock is deformed by folding, faulting and tilting, and interpret evidence of crustal movement such as displaced rock layers and marine fossils on mountains.2Q&A pairs