Hit Parade (Ch4) Flashcards
a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife
wetland
the gradual breakdown of rock into smaller and smaller particles, caused by natural chemical, physical, and biological factors
weathering
the day-to-day variations in temperature, air pressure, wind, humidity, and precipitation mediated by the atmosphere in a given region
weather
countries that have a renewable annual water supply of about 1,000 - 2,000 m^3 per person
water-stressed
countries that have a renewable annual water supply of less than 1,000 m^3 per person
water-scarce
the region draining into a river system or other body of water
watershed
an opening in the earth’s crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected
volcanoes
a process in which cold, often nutrient-rich, waters form the ocean depths rise to the surface
upwelling
a cyclonic storm having winds ranging from approximately 48 to 121 km (30 to 75 miles) per hour
tropical storm
boundaries at which plates are moving past each other, sideways
transform boundary (aka transform faults)
the more or less constant winds blowing in horizontal directions over the earth’s surface, as part of Hadley cells
trade winds
the A horizon of soil is often referred to as this and is most important for plant growth
topsoil
the outermost shell of the atmosphere, between the mesosphere and outer space, where temperatures increase steadily with altitude
thermosphere
a layer in a large body of water, such as a lake, that sharply separates regions differing in temperature, so that the temperature gradient across the layer is abrupt
thermocline
in tectonic plates, the site at which an oceanic plate is sliding under a continental plate
subduction zone
the atmospheric pressure conditions corresponding to the periodic warming of El Nino and cooling of La Nina
Southern Oscillation
soil with particles .002-.05 mm in diameter
silt
the coarsest soil, with particles .05-2.0mm in diameter
sand
occurs when soil becomes waterlogged from excess irrigation and then dries out. As the water evaporates, the salt crystallizes and forms a layer on the soil surface. This excess of salt prevents the growth of plants
salinization
the right, as to fishing or to the use of a riverbed, of one who owns riparian land (the land adjacent to a river or stream)
riparian right
the bedrock, which lies below all of the other layers of soil
R horizon
a bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters. Certain dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyamlax produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish
red tide
the low-rainfall region that exists on the leeward (downwind) side of a mountian range. This rain shadow effect is the result of the mountain range’s causing precipitation on the windward side
rain shadow effect
when water rights are given to those who ave historically used the water in a certain area
prior appropriation
the edges of tectonic plates
plate boundaries
any process that breaks rock down into smaller pieces without changing the chemistry of the rock; typically wind and water
physical (mechanical) weathering
the uppermost horizon of soil. It is primarily made up of organic material, including waste from organisms, the bodies of decomposing organisms, and live organisms
O horizon
a wind system that influences large climatic regions and reverses direction seasonally
monsoon
the cultivation of a single crop on a farm or in a region or country; a single, homogeneous culture without diversity or dissension
monoculture
the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
mantle
soil composed of a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter
loam
the outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 miles) thick
lithosphere
a cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns
La Nina
deterioration of land quality (topsoil, organisms, vegetation, water quality), usually caused by its exploitation
land degradation
a high-speed, meandering wind current, generally moving from a westerly direction at speeds often exceeding 400 km (250 miles) per hour at altitudes of 15 to 25 km (10 to 15 miles)
jet stream
the delivery rate of solar radiation per unit of horizontal surface
insolation
the molten core of the earth
inner core
a severe tropical storm originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean, that travels north, northwest, or northeast, from its point of origin, and usually involves high speed winds and heavy rains
hurricane (typhoon, cyclone)
the dark, crumbly, nutrient-rich material that results from the decomposition of organic material, which is also a product of composting organic waste
humus
a layer of soil
horizon
the water from which a river rises; a source
headwaters
a system of vertical and horizontal air circulation that creates major weather patterns, predominately in tropical and subtropical regions
Hadley cell
the phenomenon whereby the earth’s atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass through but absorb heat radiated back from the earth’s surfave
greenhouse effect
the time after the Industrial Revolution when farming became mecanized and crop yields in industrialized nations boomed as farmers began using large amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
Green Revolution
the place where two tectonic plates abut each other
fault
the part of the wide lower course of a river where its current is met by the tides
estuary
the process of soil particles being carried away by wind or water. It moves the smaller particles first and hence degrades the soil to a coarser, sandier, stonier texture
erosion
a climate varation that takes place in the tropical pacific about every 3 to 7 years, for a duration of about one year
el nino
the result of vibrations that release energy from within the earth. They often occur as two plates slide past one another at a transform boundary
earthquake
the result of chemical interaction with the bedrock that is typical of the action of both water and atmospheric gases
chemical weathering
a soil horizon; made up of larger pieces of rock that have not undergone much weathering
C horizon
the finest soil, made up of particles that are less than .002 mm in diameter
clay
weather conditions, especially temperature and precipitation, that remain constant over 30 years or more
climate
the trasmission or conveying of something through a medium or passage, especiallly the transmission of electric charge or heat through a conducting medium without perceptible motion of the medium itself
conduction
the vertical movement of a mass of matter because of heating and cooling; this can happen in both the atmosphere and Earth’s mantle
convection
air currents caused by the vertical movement of air due to atmospheric heating and cooling
convection currents
a plate boundary where two plates are moving toward each other
convergent boundary
an erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates
coral reef
the observed effect of the Coriolis force, especially the deflection of an object moving above the earth, rightward in the Northern Hemisphere, and leftward in the Southern Hemisphere, as away from the equator
Coriolis effect
the practice of alternating the crops grown on a piece of land to replenish soil nutrients - for example, corn one year, legumes for two years, and then back to corn
crop rotation
a usually triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river
delta
a plate boundary at which plates are moving away from each other. This causes an upwelling of magma from the mantle to cool and form new crust
divergent boundary
a region of the ocean near the equator, characterized by calms, light winds, or squalls
doldrums
a method of supplying irrigation water through tubes that literally drip water onto the soil at the base of each plant
drip irrigation
related to factors or things that are separate and independent from living things; nonliving
abiotic
any compound that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Also, a water solution that contains a surplus of hydrogen ions
acid
enourmous bodies of air that move as a unit
air mass
a soil horizon; the layer below the O horizon. It is formed of weathered rock, with some organic material; often referred to as topsoil
A horizon
a basic substance; chemically, a substance that absorbs hydrogen ions or releases hydroxide ions; in reference to natural water, a measure of the base content of the water
alkaline
an underground layer of porous rock, sand, or other material that allows the movement of water between layers of nonporous rock or clay. They are frequently tapped for wells
aquifer
land that’s fit to be cultivated
arable
the part of the mantle that lies just below the lithosphere
asthenosphere
the gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body - especially the one surrounding the earth which is retained by the celestial body’s gravitational field
atmosphere
a long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland, built by the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast form erosion by surf and tidal surges
barrier island
any weathering that’s caused by the activities of living organisms
biological weathering
living or derived from living things
biotic
a soil horizon; it recieves the minerals and organic materials that are leached out of the A horizon
B horizon
