Earth Trivia
Earth trivia explores the science, history, and oddities of the only known world to support life, from its 4.5-billion-year past to the dynamic systems that shape it today. Expect a mix of approachable facts and tougher stumpers about oceans, continents, weather, geology, and the small details that make our planet remarkable.
Easy Earth Trivia
13 questions
These easy Earth trivia questions are great for beginners and kids around age 12 and under.
Question 1
Which planet is the third planet from the Sun?
Answer: Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
Question 2
About what percentage of Earth's surface is covered by water?
Answer: About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water.
About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water.
Question 3
What is Earth's only natural satellite?
Answer: Earth's only natural satellite is the Moon.
Earth's only natural satellite is the Moon.
Question 4
About how old is Earth?
Answer: Earth is about 4.54 billion years old.
The provided fact gives Earth's age is about 4.54 billion years.
Question 5
Which ocean is the largest on Earth?
Answer: The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth.
The Pacific Ocean is Earth's largest ocean.
Question 6
What is the highest mountain above sea level on Earth?
Answer: Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level on Earth.
Question 7
Which place is Earth's largest desert by total area?
Answer: Antarctica is Earth's largest desert by total area.
The provided fact says Antarctica is the largest desert by total area.
Question 8
What is the outermost solid layer of Earth called?
Answer: The crust is Earth's outermost solid layer.
The crust is Earth's outermost solid layer.
Question 9
Most of Earth's weather happens in which layer of the atmosphere?
Answer: Most weather occurs in Earth's troposphere.
Most weather occurs in the troposphere.
Question 10
The ozone layer is concentrated in which part of Earth's atmosphere?
Answer: The ozone layer is concentrated in the stratosphere.
The ozone layer is concentrated in the stratosphere.
Question 11
What longitude value is assigned to the prime meridian?
Answer: The prime meridian is defined as 0 degrees longitude.
The provided fact defines the prime meridian is 0 degrees longitude.
Question 12
About how long does Earth take to rotate once?
Answer: Earth rotates once in about 24 hours.
Earth rotates once in about 24 hours.
Question 13
About how long does Earth take to revolve around the Sun?
Answer: Earth revolves around the Sun in about 365 days.
The listed fact gives Earth's revolution time is about 365 days.
Earth Family Trivia
12 questions
These family Earth trivia questions are built for mixed-age game nights, classrooms, and groups.
Question 1
On what date is Earth Day celebrated each year?
Answer: April 22
Earth Day is observed annually on April 22.
Question 2
What year saw the very first Earth Day?
- A.1972
- B.1980
- C.1970
- D.1968
Answer: 1970
The first Earth Day was held in 1970.
Question 3
Which space mission took the famous Earthrise photo in 1968?
- A.Apollo 17
- B.Apollo 8
- C.Apollo 7
- D.Apollo 11
Answer: Apollo 8
Apollo 8 took the famous Earthrise photo in 1968.
Question 4
The Blue Marble photograph from 1972 was taken by the crew of which mission?
- A.Apollo 17
- B.Apollo 8
- C.Apollo 13
- D.Apollo 11
Answer: Apollo 17
The Blue Marble photograph was taken by the Apollo 17 crew in 1972.
Question 5
Who wrote the book 'Pale Blue Dot'?
Answer: Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan wrote the book 'Pale Blue Dot'.
Question 6
Which writer is known for authoring 'Silent Spring'?
Answer: Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson wrote 'Silent Spring'.
Question 7
Which film centers on climate change?
- A.Planet Earth
- B.Earth Song
- C.Silent Spring
- D.An Inconvenient Truth
Answer: An Inconvenient Truth
The film 'An Inconvenient Truth' centers on climate change.
Question 8
In what year did Michael Jackson release 'Earth Song'?
Answer: 1995
Michael Jackson released the song 'Earth Song' in 1995.
Question 9
What year did the documentary series 'Planet Earth' first air?
Answer: 2006
The documentary series 'Planet Earth' first aired in 2006.
Question 10
Greta Thunberg began her school climate strike in which year?
Answer: 2018
Greta Thunberg began her school climate strike in 2018.
Question 11
Which marine biologist is especially known for ocean advocacy?
Answer: Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Earle is a marine biologist known for ocean advocacy.
Question 12
What device did Jacques Cousteau co-develop in 1943?
Answer: Aqua-Lung
Jacques Cousteau co-developed the Aqua-Lung in 1943.
Fun Earth Trivia
13 questions
These fun Earth trivia questions highlight surprising moments and playful facts for game-night groups.
Question 1
If the Solar System held a 'life club,' which planet is currently the only confirmed member?
- A.Venus
- B.Jupiter
- C.Earth
- D.Mars
Answer: Earth
Earth is the only known planet with life.
Question 2
What glowing sky show near the poles is helped along by Earth's magnetic field?
Answer: Auroras
Earth's magnetic field helps create auroras near the poles.
Question 3
In a total solar eclipse, who photobombs the Sun from Earth's point of view?
Answer: The Moon
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon blocks the Sun from Earth's view.
Question 4
Earth's seasons aren't from mood swingsāthey're caused mainly by a tilt of about how many degrees?
Answer: About 23.5 degrees
Earth's seasons are caused mainly by its axial tilt of about 23.5 degrees.
Question 5
Earth's axis does a very slow cosmic wobble. What's that wobble called?
Answer: Precession
Earth's axis slowly wobbles in a cycle called precession.
Question 6
What's Earth's longest mountain rangeāeven though most of it is underwater and not exactly posing for postcards?
Answer: The Mid-Ocean Ridge
The longest mountain range on Earth is the Mid-Ocean Ridge.
Question 7
At what kind of plate boundary does Earth make fresh oceanic crust?
Answer: Divergent plate boundaries
New oceanic crust is created at divergent plate boundaries.
Question 8
What process inside Earth helps push tectonic plates around like a very slow conveyor belt?
Answer: Convection in the mantle
Convection in the mantle helps drive plate motion.
Question 9
What year did Alfred Wegener propose continental drift?
Answer: 1912
Alfred Wegener proposed continental drift in 1912.
Question 10
Who helped map the seafloor and reveal the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
Answer: Marie Tharp
Marie Tharp helped map the seafloor and reveal the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Question 11
Precise atmospheric CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa began in what year?
Answer: 1958
Charles David Keeling began precise atmospheric CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa in 1958.
Question 12
What name is given to the graph tracking the long-term rise in atmospheric CO2?
Answer: The Keeling Curve
The long-term rise in atmospheric CO2 is tracked by the Keeling Curve.
Question 13
Who proposed the Gaia hypothesis?
Answer: James Lovelock
James Lovelock proposed the Gaia hypothesis.
Funny Earth Trivia
13 questions
These funny Earth trivia questions highlight playful moments, odd facts, and inside jokes.
Question 1
If Earth had to fill out a metal-themed ID card for its solid inner core, which two elements would it brag about most?
- A.Gold and silver
- B.Copper and zinc
- C.Silicon and aluminum
- D.iron and nickel
Answer: Iron and nickel
Earth's solid inner core is primarily made of iron and nickel.
Question 2
What do geologists call molten rock when it's still lurking beneath Earth's surface instead of making a dramatic entrance?
- A.Lava
- B.Basalt
- C.Steam
- D.magma
Answer: Magma
Molten rock beneath Earth's surface is called magma.
Question 3
Earth isn't trying to collect moons like trading cards. How many natural moons does it have?
Answer: One moon
Earth has one natural moon, though many artificial satellites orbit the planet.
Question 4
When February gets its bonus episode during a leap year, how many days does it contain?
- A.29 days
- B.28 days
- C.30 days
- D.31 days
Answer: 29 days
A leap year adds an extra day to February, making it 29 days long.
Question 5
Earth's spin is apparently not in a hurry. By about how much is the length of a day increasing per century?
Answer: About 1.7 milliseconds per century
A day on Earth is getting longer by about 1.7 milliseconds per century.
Question 6
Earth once turned the thermostat all the way up at Furnace Creek. What is the highest reliably recorded air temperature?
Answer: 56.7Ā°C
The highest air temperature reliably recorded on Earth is 56.7Ā°C at Furnace Creek, California, in 1913.
Question 7
Antarctica won the opposite contest. What is the coldest temperature recorded on Earth?
Answer: -89.2Ā°C
The coldest temperature recorded on Earth was -89.2Ā°C at Vostok Station, Antarctica, in 1983.
Question 8
If umbrellas had a capital city, which place is often cited as the wettest on Earth?
- A.Cherrapunji
- B.Mawsynram
- C.Mumbai
- D.Manaus
Answer: Mawsynram
The wettest place on Earth is often cited is Mawsynram, India.
Question 9
Which famously parched place is the driest non-polar desert on Earth?
- A.The Sahara Desert
- B.The Gobi Desert
- C.The Mojave Desert
- D.Atacama Desert
Answer: The Atacama Desert
Chile's Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on Earth.
Question 10
Earth's atmosphere doesn't just stop politely at the roofline. What outer region does it extend into?
- A.The troposphere
- B.The mesosphere
- C.The lithosphere
- D.exosphere
Answer: The exosphere
Earth's atmosphere extends into a region called the exosphere.
Question 11
Astronauts and mapmakers often use a particular altitude as the edge of space. Where is the KƔrmƔn line set above Earth?
Answer: 100 kilometers
The KƔrmƔn line, often used is the edge of space, is set at 100 kilometers above Earth.
Question 12
Earth does a lot of its volcanic work where fish are the witnesses. About what share of volcanic activity happens beneath the oceans?
Answer: About 90%
About 90% of Earth's volcanic activity occurs beneath the oceans.
Question 13
What fiery-sounding zone wraps around much of the Pacific Ocean basin like Earth forgot to turn off the stove?
- A.The Pacific Crack
- B.The Flame Circle
- C.Ring of Fire
- D.The Belt of Ash
Answer: The Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire circles much of the Pacific Ocean basin.
Hard Earth Trivia
14 questions
These hard Earth trivia questions are for expert fans who want a real challenge.
Question 1
Roughly when did the Great Oxidation Event occur?
Answer: About 2.4 billion years ago.
The Great Oxidation Event is dated to roughly 2.4 billion years ago.
Question 2
The global glaciation episodes nicknamed 'Snowball Earth' are associated with which period?
- A.Cretaceous Period
- B.Permian Period
- C.Cryogenian Period
- D.Ediacaran Period
Answer: The Cryogenian Period.
The Cryogenian Period included global glaciation episodes often called Snowball Earth.
Question 3
About how many million years ago did the Ediacaran Period begin?
Answer: About 635 million years ago.
The Ediacaran Period began about 635 million years ago.
Question 4
The Permian-Triassic mass extinction is dated to approximately what time?
Answer: About 252 million years ago.
The Permian-Triassic mass extinction occurred about 252 million years ago.
Question 5
At roughly what date did the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction occur?
Answer: About 66 million years ago.
The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction happened about 66 million years ago.
Question 6
Which historical figure is often called a founder of modern geology?
Answer: James Hutton.
James Hutton is often called a founder of modern geology.
Question 7
Which geology classic was written by Charles Lyell?
Answer: Principles of Geology.
Charles Lyell wrote the geology classic 'Principles of Geology'.
Question 8
Name the discontinuity that marks the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle.?
Answer: The MohoroviÄiÄ discontinuity.
The MohoroviÄiÄ discontinuity marks the boundary between the crust and mantle.
Question 9
Which named boundary separates Earth's mantle from its outer core?
- A.Gutenberg discontinuity
- B.MohoroviÄiÄ discontinuity
- C.Lehmann discontinuity
- D.Wadati-Benioff zone
Answer: The Gutenberg discontinuity.
The Gutenberg discontinuity marks the boundary between Earth's mantle and outer core.
Question 10
Which discontinuity is associated with the boundary of Earth's inner core?
Answer: The Lehmann discontinuity.
The Lehmann discontinuity is associated with the boundary of Earth's inner core.
Question 11
If Earthās outer core could fill out a state-of-matter survey, what box would it check?
- A.Liquid
- B.Solid
- C.Gas
- D.Plasma
Answer: Liquid.
Earth's outer core is liquid.
Question 12
What process in Earth's outer core generates the planet's magnetic field?
Answer: The geodynamo.
The planet's magnetic field is generated by the geodynamo in Earth's outer core.
Question 13
About how thick is continental crust on average?
Answer: About 35 kilometers.
The average thickness of continental crust is about 35 kilometers.
Question 14
Mainly what kind of composition does oceanic crust have?
- A.Carbonate-rich
- B.Basaltic
- C.Granitic
- D.Andesitic
Answer: Basaltic.
Oceanic crust is mainly basaltic in composition.
Download PDF
Get the generated PDF file for printing, classroom rounds, or offline use.
Download printable trivia PDF