Chapter 4: Earth's Independent Systems (Taylor) Flashcards
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
geological time scale
The innermost layer of the Earth. Made up of mostly iron and nickel and has two parts: a solid innerand a liquid outer
core
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.
mantle
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
asthenosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, including the crust and upper mantle
lithosphere
the earth’s hard outer layer. Made up of different types of rocks. Above the mantle.
crust
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.
tectonic plates
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.
convergent
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.
divergent
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.
transform fault
a volcano that has had a least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. Could be erupting or dormant
active
a volcano that is active, not erupting, and supposed to erupt again
dormant
a volcano that is not expected to erupt again
extinct
volcanoes that form when magma rises into the gap between diverging plates. Occur at or near actual plate boundaries
rift
When one of two converging tectonic plates sinks below the other into the mantle, usually because the other has greater density
subduction
volcanic regions thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the surrounding mantle
hot spot
a broad, domes volcano with gently sloping sides, characteristic of the eruption of fluid, basaltic lava
shield
(aka stratovolcano) a conical volcano build up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash.
composite
(aka scoria cone) a volcano composed of volcanic cinders (scoria), or small, rough particles of hardened lava.
cinder
The location at which an earthquake begins
focus
the point on the Earth’s surface located directly above the focus
epicenter
an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration
seismograph
a long, high sea wave caused by and earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance
tsunami
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
rock cycle
a type of rock that had formed from sediment deposited by water or air
sedimentary
a type of rock that has undergone transformation by heat, pressure, or other natural agencies
metaphorphic
a type of rock that is formed when lava or magma solidifies.
igneous
What is the term used for the nonliving part of an ecosystem?
abiotic
What is the term used for the living part of an ecosystem?
biotic
The smallest particle–in size–that can be found in soil.
clay
The medium particle–in size– that can be found in soil
silt
The largest particle–in size–that can be found in soil
sand
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
acidity
What is the name given to the quantitative capacity of an aqueous solution to neutralize an acid?
alkalinity
a term that refers to the geological process of rocks breaking apart without changing their chemical composition
physical weathering
the erosion or disintegration of rocks caused by chemical reactions rather than mechanical processes
chemical weathering
the weakening and disintegration of rock by plants, animals, and mircrobes
biological weathering
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)
soil horizons
the organic component of soil, formed by decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms
humus
the process of draining chemicals or minerals away from soil, ash, or similar materials by the action of percolating liquid, like rainwater
leaching
the introduction of salts or colloids into one soil horizon from another by percolating water
illuviation
used or suitable for growing crops
arable
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
loamy
the cultivation of a single crop or animal in a given area
monoculture
the simultaneous cultivation or exploitation of several crops or kinds of animals
polyculture
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.
crop rotation
a large increase in crop production in developing countries achieved by the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yield crop varieties
Green Revolution
the process of increases the salt content within soil want water.
salinization
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.
land degradation
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.
drip irrigation
the gradual destruction of a substance, such as soil or rock, by wind, water, or other natural agents
erosion
soil laws
The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936: allows government to pay farmers to reduce production to conserve soil and prevent erosion
the lowest region of the atmosphere, reaching to about 6-10 km above sea level
troposphere
the trapping of the sun’s warmth in a planet’s lower atmosphere by the absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse gases; GLOBAL WARMING
greenhouse effect
the interface between the troposphere and the stratosphere
tropopause
the layer of earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere and below the mesosphere; home to the ozone layer
stratsphere
a colorless, unstable, toxic gas that is bad for humans to inhale, but good for us because it protects us from harmful UV radiation
ozone
the region of earth’s atmosphere between the stratosphere and thermosphere
mesosphere
the outermost layer of the earth’s atmosphere, above the mesosphere
thermosphere
the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards to temperature, dryness, cloudiness, wind, rain, etc.
weather
the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period of time.
climate
the winds from the direction that is predominant at a particular place or season
prevailing winds
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
Coriolis effect
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?
convection current
air moving at the same speed and in the same direction (horizontally) with little to no cross-over of air streams.
horizontal airflow
the atmospheric temperature below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form
dew point
What is the term used to describe rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground
precipitation
a system of air that rises when hot and drops when cooled
convection cell
convection cell in which air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes
Hadley cell
exposure to the sun’s rays
insolation
the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, such as a planet or moon
albedo
wind blowing steadily towards the equator
trade winds
wind blowing from the west
westerly
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
polar easterlies
a belt of calm air and sea occurring in both the northern and southern hemispheres between the trade winds and the westerlies
horse latitudes
(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
doldrums
a narrow, variable band of very strong, predominantly westerly air currents encircling the globe several miles above the earth.
jet stream
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 ___)
monsoon
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.
rain shadow effect
a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean
hurricane
a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans
typhoon
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
El Niño
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
Southern Oscillation
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
La Niña
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
ENSO events
water in or taken from the sea
seawater
of or found in fresh water; not of the sea
freshwater
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
watershed
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
delta
the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream; where saltwater from the ocean meets the freshwater of a river
estuary
land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land
wetland
the upper layer of water in a stratified lake
epilimnion
the lower layer of water in a stratified lake, typically cooler than the water above and relatively stagnant
hypolimnion
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
thermocline
the region of a freshwater body lying along the shore
littoral
the open surface of a freshwater body, surrounded by the littoral zone
limnetic
the deep zone of a freshwater body, located blow the range of effective light penetration.
profundal
the lowest level of an ocean
benthic
a long, narrow island lying parallel and close to the mainland, protecting the mainland from erosion and storms
barrier island
a ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of coral
coral reef
the layer of the ocean close enough to the surface that it receives enough light for photosynthesis to occur.
euphotic
the zone of the sea between the continental shelf and the abyssal zone
bathyal
the lowest zone of the ocean at the ocean floor
abyssal
the zone of the ocean at surface beside the coast
coastal
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
upwelling
a discoloration of sea water caused by an algal bloom of toxic, red dinoflagellates
red tide
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
interbasin transfer
water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices
groundwater
a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater
aquifer
an aquifer into which water seeps from the ground surface directly above the aquifer
unconfined aquifer
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.
confined aquifer
when the demand for water exceeds the available amount or when poor quality restricts its use.
water-stressed/scarce
an interface between land and a river or stream; relating to or situated on the banks of a river
riparian
___ ___ 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
prior appropriation
