Chapter 04: Variations in Environment Flashcards
adiabatic cooling (n.)
the decrease in temperature with increasing elevation
laterization (n.)
the leaching of silicon from soil due to weathering under warm, moist conditions, leaving oxides of iron & aluminum to predominate
What causes adiabatic cooling?
The expansion of air under decreasing atmospheric pressures
podsolization (n.)
the breakdown and loss of clay particles in the acidic soil of cold, moist regions
intertropical convergence zone (ICZ) (n.)
the region at the solar equator where surface currents of air meet and begin to rise under the warming influence of the sun
What are the three air cells, from ICZ outward?
Hadley, Ferrel, and polar
What are the determinants of soil characteristics?
Climate, parent material, vegetation, age, local topography
laterization (n.)
the leaching of silicon from soil due to weathering under warm, moist conditions, leaving oxides of iron & aluminum to predominate
adiabatic cooling (n.)
the decrease in temperature with increasing elevation
What causes adiabatic cooling?
The expansion of air under decreasing atmospheric pressures
intertropical convergence zone (ICZ) (n.)
the region at the solar equator where surface currents of air meet and begin to rise under the warming influence of the sun
What are the three air cells, from ICZ outward?
Hadley, Ferrel, and polar
thermohaline circulation (n.)
the slow and deep movement of water in the ocean
thermocline (n.)
the depth in water where temperature changes most rapidly
What are the determinants of soil characteristics?
Climate, parent material, vegetation, age, local topography
