Chapter 4: Earth's Independent Systems (Taylor)

Question 1

a system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time. Describes the timing and relationships of events that have occurred during Earth’s history

Answer 1

geological time scale

Question 2

The innermost layer of the Earth. Made up of mostly iron and nickel and has two parts: a solid innerand a liquid outer

Answer 2

core

Question 3

The layer of the earth between the core and the crust. It is about 1,800 miles thick and makes up nearly 80% of the planet’s total volume. Made of magma and rock.

Answer 3

mantle

Question 4

the upper layer of the earth’s mantle, blow the lithosphere, in which there is relatively low resistance to plastic flow and convection is thought to occur

Answer 4

asthenosphere

Question 5

the rigid outer part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle

Answer 5

lithosphere

Question 6

the earth’s hard outer layer. Made up of different types of rocks. Above the mantle.

Answer 6

crust

Question 7

the two sub-layers of the earth’s crust (lithosphere) that move, float, and sometimes fracture and whose interaction causes continental drift, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and oceanic trenches.

Answer 7

tectonic plates

Question 8

a tectonic plate boundary where two plates are moving toward each other. If they are of equal densities, then the plates with push up against each other and form a mountain chain. If they are not, one will usually sink beneath the other in a subduction zone.

Answer 8

convergent

Question 9

a tectonic boundary where two plates are moving away from each other and new crust is forming from magma that rises to Earth’s surface between them.

Answer 9

divergent

Question 10

a type of strike-slip fault that accommodates the relative horizontal slip between tectonic plates. Common along the edges of plates in mid-ocean ridge.

Answer 10

transform fault

Question 11

a volcano that has had a least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. Could be erupting or dormant

Answer 11

active

Question 12

a volcano that is active, not erupting, and supposed to erupt again

Answer 12

dormant

Question 13

a volcano that is not expected to erupt again

Answer 13

extinct

Question 14

volcanoes that form when magma rises into the gap between diverging plates. Occur at or near actual plate boundaries

Answer 14

rift

Question 15

When one of two converging tectonic plates sinks below the other into the mantle, usually because the other has greater density

Answer 15

subduction

Question 16

volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the surrounding mantle

Answer 16

hot spot

Question 17

a broad, domes volcano with gently sloping sides, characteristic of the eruption of fluid, basaltic lava

Answer 17

shield

Question 18

(aka stratovolcano) a conical volcano build up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash.

Answer 18

composite

Question 19

(aka scoria cone) a volcano composed of volcanic cinders (scoria), or small, rough particles of hardened lava.

Answer 19

cinder

Question 20

The location at which an earthquake begins

Answer 20

focus

Question 21

the point on the Earth’s surface located directly above the focus

Answer 21

epicenter

Question 22

an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration

Answer 22

seismograph

Question 23

a long, high sea wave caused by and earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance

Answer 23

tsunami

Question 24

an idealized cycle of processes undergone by rocks in the earth’s crust, involving igneous intrusion, uplift, erosion, transportation, deposition as sedimentary rock, metamorphism, remelting, and further igneous intrusion

Answer 24

rock cycle

Question 25

a type of rock that had formed from sediment deposited by water or air

Answer 25

sedimentary

Question 26

a type of rock that has undergone transformation by heat, pressure, or other natural agencies

Answer 26

metaphorphic

Question 27

a type of rock that is formed when lava or magma solidifies.

Answer 27

igneous

Question 28

What is the term used for the nonliving part of an ecosystem?

Answer 28

abiotic

Question 29

What is the term used for the living part of an ecosystem?

Answer 29

biotic

Question 30

The smallest particle--in size--that can be found in soil.

Answer 30

clay

Question 31

The medium particle--in size-- that can be found in soil

Answer 31

silt

Question 32

The largest particle--in size--that can be found in soil

Answer 32

sand

Question 33

the level of acid in substances such as water or soil; acidity can be measured via the pH scale, ranging between 0, very acidic, to 7, neutral

Answer 33

acidity

Question 34

What is the name given to the quantitative capacity of an aqueous solution to neutralize an acid?

Answer 34

alkalinity

Question 35

a term that refers to the geological process of rocks breaking apart without changing their chemical composition

Answer 35

physical weathering

Question 36

the erosion or disintegration of rocks caused by chemical reactions rather than mechanical processes

Answer 36

chemical weathering

Question 37

the weakening and disintegration of rock by plants, animals, and mircrobes

Answer 37

biological weathering

Question 38

Layers parallel to the soil surface whose physical characteristics differ from the layers adjacent to it. In order from top to bottom, O(organic), A (surface), B (subsoil), C (sub stratum), and R (bedrock)

Answer 38

soil horizons

Question 39

the organic component of soil, formed by decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms

Answer 39

humus

Question 40

the process of draining chemicals or minerals away from soil, ash, or similar materials by the action of percolating liquid, like rainwater

Answer 40

leaching

Question 41

the introduction of salts or colloids into one soil horizon from another by percolating water

Answer 41

illuviation

Question 42

used or suitable for growing crops

Answer 42

arable

Question 43

Soil that is composed of sand, silt, and a smaller amount of clay is referred to as ____. It is suitable for growing most plant varieties

Answer 43

loamy

Question 44

the cultivation of a single crop or animal in a given area

Answer 44

monoculture

Question 45

the simultaneous cultivation or exploitation of several crops or kinds of animals

Answer 45

polyculture

Question 46

the action or system in agriculture of rotating between different crops in one area over time to avoid depletion of soil and control diseases, pests, and weeds.

Answer 46

crop rotation

Question 47

a large increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties

Answer 47

Green Revolution

Question 48

the process of increases the salt content within soil want water.

Answer 48

salinization

Question 49

a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land; any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be undesirable.

Answer 49

land degradation

Question 50

an irrigation system that delivers a slow moving supply of water at a gradual rate directly to the soil; prevents soil degradation from erosion, salinization, etc.

Answer 50

drip irrigation

Question 51

the gradual destruction of a substance, such as soil or rock, by wind, water, or other natural agents

Answer 51

erosion

Question 52

soil laws

Answer 52

The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936: allows government to pay farmers to reduce production to conserve soil and prevent erosion

Question 53

the lowest region of the atmosphere, reaching to about 6-10 km above sea level

Answer 53

troposphere

Question 54

the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere by the absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse gases; GLOBAL WARMING

Answer 54

greenhouse effect

Question 55

the interface between the troposphere and the stratosphere

Answer 55

tropopause

Question 56

the layer of earth's atmosphere above the troposphere and below the mesosphere; home to the ozone layer

Answer 56

stratsphere

Question 57

a colorless, unstable, toxic gas that is bad for humans to inhale, but good for us because it protects us from harmful UV radiation

Answer 57

ozone

Question 58

the region of earth's atmosphere between the stratosphere and thermosphere

Answer 58

mesosphere

Question 59

the outermost layer of the earth's atmosphere, above the mesosphere

Answer 59

thermosphere

Question 60

the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards to temperature, dryness, cloudiness, wind, rain, etc.

Answer 60

weather

Question 61

the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period of time.

Answer 61

climate

Question 62

the winds from the direction that is predominant at a particular place or season

Answer 62

prevailing winds

Question 63

the apparent curving of the path of a moving object moving through the air from an otherwise straight path due to the earth's rotation

Answer 63

Coriolis effect

Question 64

When the sun heats the earth's surface, then, when cooler air comes in to contact with it, the air warms and rises, creating an upward current, which can cause wind, clouds, or other weather. What is this current called?

Answer 64

convection current

Question 65

air moving at the same speed and in the same direction (horizontally) with little to no cross-over of air streams.

Answer 65

horizontal airflow

Question 66

the atmospheric temperature below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form

Answer 66

dew point

Question 67

What is the term used to describe rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground

Answer 67

precipitation

Question 68

a system of air that rises when hot and drops when cooled

Answer 68

convection cell

Question 69

convection cell in which air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes

Answer 69

Hadley cell

Question 70

exposure to the sun's rays

Answer 70

insolation

Question 71

the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, such as a planet or moon

Answer 71

albedo

Question 72

wind blowing steadily towards the equator

Answer 72

trade winds

Question 73

wind blowing from the west

Answer 73

westerly

Question 74

dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure areas of the polar highs towards the low-pressure areas within the westerlies at high latitudes

Answer 74

polar easterlies

Question 75

a belt of calm air and sea occurring in both the northern and southern hemispheres between the trade winds and the westerlies

Answer 75

horse latitudes

Question 76

(aka equatorial calms) equatorial regions of light ocean currents and winds within the intertropical convergence zone, a belt of winds and rising air around the equator

Answer 76

doldrums

Question 77

a narrow, variable band of very strong, predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth.

Answer 77

jet stream

Question 78

a seasonal prevailing wind blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (aka the wet ___), or from the northeast between Octover and April (aka the dry ___)

Answer 78

monsoon

Question 79

when an area has little precipitation due to the effect of a topographic barrier, commonly a mountain range, that causes the prevailing winds to lose their moisture on the windward side, causing the leeward side to be dry.

Answer 79

rain shadow effect

Question 80

a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean

Answer 80

hurricane

Question 81

a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans

Answer 81

typhoon

Question 82

an irregularly occurring and complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region and beyond every few years, characterized by the appearance of unusually warm, nutrient-poor water off northern Peru and Ecuador

Answer 82

El Niño

Question 83

a periodic seesaw fluctuation in sea-level atmospheric pressures over the southern Pacific and Indian oceans that is believed to be linked to El Niño and La Niña events

Answer 83

Southern Oscillation

Question 84

a cooling of the water in the equatorial Pacific that occurs at irregular intervals and is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns complementary to those of El Niño, but less extensive and damaging in their effects

Answer 84

La Niña

Question 85

refers to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, the interaction between the atmosphere and ocean in the tropical Pacific that results in somewhat periodic variation between below- and above-normal sea surface temperatures and dry and wet conditions over the course of a few years

Answer 85

ENSO events

Question 86

water in or taken from the sea

Answer 86

seawater

Question 87

of or found in fresh water; not of the sea

Answer 87

freshwater

Question 88

an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas; an area or region drained by a river, river system, or other body of water

Answer 88

watershed

Question 89

a landform that forms from deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or standing water

Answer 89

delta

Question 90

the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream; where saltwater from the ocean meets the freshwater of a river

Answer 90

estuary

Question 91

land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land

Answer 91

wetland

Question 92

the upper layer of water in a stratified lake

Answer 92

epilimnion

Question 93

the lower layer of water in a stratified lake, typically cooler than the water above and relatively stagnant

Answer 93

hypolimnion

Question 94

a steep temperature gradient in a body of water such as a lake, marked by a layer above and below which the water is at different temperatures

Answer 94

thermocline

Question 95

the region of a freshwater body lying along the shore

Answer 95

littoral

Question 96

the open surface of a freshwater body, surrounded by the littoral zone

Answer 96

limnetic

Question 97

the deep zone of a freshwater body, located blow the range of effective light penetration.

Answer 97

profundal

Question 98

the lowest level of an ocean

Answer 98

benthic

Question 99

a long, narrow island lying parallel and close to the mainland, protecting the mainland from erosion and storms

Answer 99

barrier island

Question 100

a ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of coral

Answer 100

coral reef

Question 101

the layer of the ocean close enough to the surface that it receives enough light for photosynthesis to occur.

Answer 101

euphotic

Question 102

the zone of the sea between the continental shelf and the abyssal zone

Answer 102

bathyal

Question 103

the lowest zone of the ocean at the ocean floor

Answer 103

abyssal

Question 104

the zone of the ocean at surface beside the coast

Answer 104

coastal

Question 105

an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface, replacing the warmer, usually nutrient-depleted surface water

Answer 105

upwelling

Question 106

a discoloration of sea water caused by an algal bloom of toxic, red dinoflagellates

Answer 106

red tide

Question 107

a term used to describe man-made conveyance schemes which move water from one river basin where it is available to another basin where water is less available or could be utilized better for human development

Answer 107

interbasin transfer

Question 108

water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices

Answer 108

groundwater

Question 109

a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater

Answer 109

aquifer

Question 110

an aquifer into which water seeps from the ground surface directly above the aquifer

Answer 110

unconfined aquifer

Question 111

an aquifer in which an impermeable dirt/rock layer exists that prevents water from seeping into the aquifer from the ground surface located directly above.

Answer 111

confined aquifer

Question 112

when the demand for water exceeds the available amount or when poor quality restricts its use.

Answer 112

water-stressed/scarce

Question 113

an interface between land and a river or stream; relating to or situated on the banks of a river

Answer 113

riparian

Question 114

___ ___ water rights is the legal doctrine that the first person to take a quantity of water from a water source for beneficial use, such as agricultural, industrial, or household, has the right to use that quantity of water for that purpose

Answer 114

prior appropriation