Final Flashcards
The earth’s surface primarily emits what type of radiation?
Infrared (IR)
Greenhouse gases absorb which type of radiation?
Infrared (IR)
The ‘ozone layer’ is found in which layer of the atmosphere?
Stratosphere (third layer)
What are the four major layers of the atmosphere in their proper order (from highest to lowest)?
Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposphere
True or False? Carbon dioxide makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere’s gases.
True
True or False? The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is oxygen.
False
During what geological age did the Ice Age occur?
The Pleistocene Epoch
True or False? There were repeated warm and cold temperature cycles during the Ice Age.
True
What is the cause of the Coriolis effect?
The earth’s rotation
Is dissolution an example of chemical or physical weathering?
Chemical
Clay minerals are formed by what process?
Chemical weathering of rock minerals
What is layer 1 of the atmopshere (top layer)?
Thermosphere
What is layer two of the atmosphere?
Mesosphere
What is layer 3 of the atmosphere?
Stratosphere
What is layer 4 of the atmosphere? (Bottom layer)
Troposphere
Dome-shaped formations of granite fracture into layers like an onion. Like joints, the concentric fractures are due to expansion
Exfoliation
A cohesive block of soil that slides downhill as an intact block
Slump
Small valley that interests a deeper U-shaped valley. The floor of the larger valley is often hundreds of feet below the smaller valley - making waterfalls common!
Hanging Valley
A U-shaped valley that is an inlet to the sea. These channels can be hundreds of feet deep.
Fjord
A long sinuous ridge of glacial sediment deposited in a sub-glacial stream. It is not till, it is layered by the stream currents.
Esker
Glacial melt water flows away from a glacier and carries sand, silt, and gravel, depositing it in delta-like fans or plains
Glacial Outwash
A long period of time when the Earth’s global temperature is consistently low, causing large parts of the Earth to be covered in ice sheets and glaciers
Ice Age
How long ago did the ice age end?
About 11,500 years ago. It started during the Pleistocene Epoch and ended during the Quaternary period
Why is it more appropriate to consider the ice age part of a longer climate cycle?
The Earth’s climate history shows repeated periods of glacial (ice age) phases followed by warmer interglacial periods
What effect does eccentricity have on solar energy reaching the earth?
Eccentricity, which refers to how elliptical Earth’s orbit around the Sun is, directly affects the amount of solar energy reaching Earth by causing variations in the distance between Earth and the Sun throughout the year. Seasons!
What effect does tilt have on solar energy reaching the earth?
The tilt of the Earth significantly affects the amount of solar energy reaching different parts of the planet by determining the angle at which sunlight strikes the surface
What effect does precession have on solar energy reaching the earth?
Precession causes the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth to vary over long periods by changing the timing of when the Earth is closest to the Sun during its orbit, which means different hemispheres will experience more extreme seasonal contrasts depending on the precession cycle, ultimately influencing Earth’s climate patters over time
How does carbon dioxide increase and decrease between glacial and interglacial climate cycles?
During glacial periods (ice ages), carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere decrease because colder oceans absorb more CO2, while during interglacial periods (warm periods), the oceans release some of this stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, causing CO2 levels to rise; this is a feedback loop where changes in temperature influence the amount of CO2 in the air, and vice versa, creating a positive feedback cycle between climate and carbon dioxide levels
How does sea level increase and decrease between glacial and interglacial climate cycles?
During glacial periods, sea level decreases because large amounts of water are stored on land as ice sheets and glaciers, while during interglacial periods, sea level rises as these ice sheets melt and release water back into the oceans, causing a net increase in ocean volume
