STANDARD COMPETENCIES:

 

 I.      Define the Earth realms:  atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.

 II.     Define global circulation of the atmosphere, including wind, jet stream, coriolis effect, cyclone and orographic precipitation.

 III.    Define the atmospheric terms:  humidity, adiabatic process, clouds, fog, precipitation, thunderstorm, and orographic precipitation.

 IV.     Describe the different global climates.

 V.      Describe the hydrologic cycle and global water balance.

 VI.     Define the hydrologic terms:  infiltration, runoff, evaporation, transpiration, runoff, drainage basin, water table, artesian, karst and discharge.

 VII.    Describe the soil-water balance and a soil-water budget.

 VIII.   Define the soil terms:  soil, pedon, soil profile, soil texture, soil structure, illuviation and eluviation.

 IX.     Describe the soil-forming processes and soil-classification systems.

 X       Define a landform and provide examples of landforms made by running water, rock structure, glaciers, waves and wind.

 XI.     Define the lithologic terms:  igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic and how these rocks are formed.

 XII.    Describe the theory of plate tectonics and the associated landforms.

 XIII.   Describe how energy is transformed through an ecosystem into the food chain.

 XIV.    Define the biological terms:  habitat, biome, ecological succession, forest, savanna, grassland, desert and tundra.

 XV.     Describe the five major biomes and how they relate to climate and soils.

 XVI.    Describe the types of weathering, mass wasting and erosion and their effects on geomorphology.

 XVII.   Describe the geographic effects of air, soil and water pollution upon the human population.

 TOPICAL OUTLINE:

 

 I.      Atmosphere, weather, and climate

 II.     Biosphere, ecosystems, biomes

 III.    Hydrosphere, ground and surface water

 IV.     Lithosphere, soils, landforms, weathering