Da VIP Academy / GED / Science / Earth & Space Science
Earth Systems & Cycles
Describe the water and rock cycles and plate tectonics.
How it works
The water cycle
Evaporation lifts water into the air, condensation forms clouds, precipitation returns it, and runoff or infiltration moves it through land. The Sun powers the whole cycle.
Plate tectonics
Earth's plates move slowly; where they collide, mountains and earthquakes form; where they pull apart, new crust forms. Most volcanoes and quakes sit along plate boundaries.
Worked examples
Why are earthquakes common on the west coast but rare in Missouri's bootheel by comparison?
- Quakes cluster at plate boundaries.
- The west coast sits on an active boundary.
- Interior regions have fewer, though not zero, quakes.
Words to know
- Plate boundary
- Where two tectonic plates meet.
Test-day tips
- • The Sun drives the water cycle; Earth's internal heat drives tectonics.