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APES > PR ENVISCI > Flashcards

PR ENVISCI Flashcards

1
Q

core

A

The innermost zone of the Earth. The inner portion is composed primarily of nickel and iron, and is solid due to tremendous pressure. The outer portion is composed mostly of iron and sulfur, and is semi-solid due to lower pressures.

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2
Q

mantle

A

the layer of the earth between the crust and the core. Contains astenosphere, which is constantly flowing rock.

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3
Q

lithosphere

A

the outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 miles) thick.

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4
Q

convergent boundary

A

a plate boundary where two plates are moving toward each other.

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5
Q

tectonic plates

A

The lithosphere can move and break into large pieces known as these. There are a total of a dozen or so in the lithosphere that move independently of one another, and are made up of both mantle and crust. 6 plates carry the land.

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6
Q

divergent boundary

A

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.

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7
Q

convergent boundary

A

a plate boundary where two plates are moving toward each other. One plate will be pushed into the mantle. Subduction occurs, unless the convergent collision occurs between continent-continent boundaries in this case mountains are formed

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8
Q

divergent boundary

A

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. The magma is released by rift volcano

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9
Q

subduction zone

A

tectonic plate convergent collisions between either oceanic-oceanic plate boundaries or oceanic-continent boundaries. One plate is submerged under the other and then the hot mantle melts this submerged plate.

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10
Q

volcanoes

A

an opening in the earth’s crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected. Formed when tectonic plates meet, since volcanoes are just mountains with lava

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11
Q

extinct volcanoes

A

It’s thought that these volcanoes will never erupt again.

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12
Q

rift volcanoes

A

volcanoes that occur when plates move away from each other. When they erupt, new ocean floor is formed as magma fills in where the plates have separated.

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13
Q

subduction volcanoes

A

volcanoes that occur where plates collide and slide over each other

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14
Q

rift volcanoes

A

volcanoes that occur when plates move away from each other (divergent boundary) . When they erupt, new ocean floor is formed as magma fills in where the plates have separated.

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15
Q

earthquake

A

the result of vibrations that release energy. They often occur as two plates slide past one another at a transform boundary.

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16
Q

hot spot volcanoes

A

volcanoes that don’t form at the margin of plates. Instead, they are found over “hot spots,” which are areas where magma can rise to the surface through the plates. The Hawaiian Islands are thought to have formed over a hot spot.

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17
Q

epicenter

A

the initial surface location of where an earthquake begins

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18
Q

seismograph

A

the size, or magnitude, of earthquakes is measured by using an instrument known as this. It was devised by Charles Richter in 1935.

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19
Q

inner core

A

the molten core of the Earth

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20
Q

seismograph

A

the size, or magnitude, of earthquakes is measured by using an instrument known as this. It was devised by Charles Richter in 1935. Records the highest S-wave.

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21
Q

O Horizon

A

First horizon. Composed of organic material. Contains humus, the dark material that results from the decomposition of organic matter

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22
Q

A Horizon

A

a soil horizon; the layer below the O layer. Is formed of weathered rock, with some organic material; often referred to as topsoil. Also referred to as the zone of leaching.

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23
Q

B Horizon

A

Recieves all the mineral leached out of the A horizon and organic material washed down from topsoil. Referred to as the zone of Illuviation

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24
Q

C Horizon

A

The last soil horizon. Contains chunks of unweathered rock

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25
Q

R Horizon

A

Bedrock bellow C horizon

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26
Q

atmosphere

A

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.

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27
Q

Rock Cycle

A

Time, pressure, and earth’s heat recycle rocks

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28
Q

Sedimentary

A

formed by sediment (eroded rock, dead animals and plants). Occur at subduction zone due to pressure of rocks above the sendiment. Limestone is an example of sendimentary rock

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29
Q

Metamorphic

A

When sedimentary rock falls deeper into the earth and there is more heat and pressure. Example is slate

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30
Q

Igneous

A

Forms when rock is melted and then solidifies. Lava comes to the earth and then solidifies into Magma (molten rock). Example is basalt.

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31
Q

Describe the composition of Soil

A

Half of a sample of soil is generally made up of mineral material, while 5 percent is made up of living or dead organisms. There are pours, which hold water, and the size of these pours is dependent on the size of the soil particles

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32
Q

Categorize clay, silt, and sand in terms of their size

A

sand, silt, clay from largest to smallest. Sand does not adhere much since it has too large particles. Sand also has large pours so it stores lots of water.

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33
Q

Describe the general acidity of soil (on the 0 - 14 scale). What is the problem with soil that is too acidic or too basic?

A

Generally soil ranks 4 - 8 (neutral to slightly acidic). If pH is too high or low, then this can affect the solubility of nutrients that are available for absorption by the root of plants. Also acidic soil allows heavy metals like mercury and aluminum to sink to leach into ground water.

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34
Q

Soil is the combination of which 2 things

A

Organic material and weathered rock. Therefore soil depends on the bed rock.

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35
Q

Weathering of Rocks: Physical weathering

A

breaks the rock into smaller pieces without changing the chemical composition of the rock. ex: Water and wind

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36
Q

Weathering of Rocks: Chemical Weathering

A

Changes chemical composition of rock. Interaction between water and gases from the atmosphere

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37
Q

Weathering of Rocks:Biological Weathering

A

Weathering that occurs due to the activities of living organisms

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38
Q

Loamy

A

An aggregate type soil (composed of several types of soil). Aggregates are considered to be the best type for farming. Loamy is a type of soil that has equal amounts of sand, silt, and clay.

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39
Q

Monoculture

A

the planting of just one type of plant in a large area

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40
Q

What is Crop Rotation? What does it solve

A

different crops are planted in the area in each growing season. Crop rotation is meant to solve the decrease in genetic variation in crops. The lack of genetic variation makes the crop more susceptible to pests and also the crop strips the soil of the same specific nutrients.

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41
Q

What is the Green Revolution? What effect has the Green Revolution had on the environment and farming?

A

Boom in agricultural productivity. The green revolution has detrimental effects on the environment. The use of pesticides has spawned a new breed of pesticide resistent insects. Genetically modified food has taken steps for solving the problem of pesticide resistent insections. Also caused over irrigation

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42
Q

Salinization

A

A process in which mineral salts accumulate in the soil, killing plants; occurs when soils in dry climates are irrigated profusely

43
Q

Define Land Degradation. What is it a result of

A

Land degradation occurs when the soil’s ability to support crops decreases. Result of salinization

44
Q

What is Drip Irrigation? What does drop irrigation combat?

A

allots an area only as much water as is necessary, delivers water directly to the roots. Drip irrigation combats land degradation

45
Q

Erosion. Which type of soil is mopre susceptible to Erosion? Why is erosion bad for farmers and people? Causes of erosion?

A

The process by which rock fragments (soil) is moved to new locations. Bare soil, soil with not plants is more susceptible to erosion. Farmers lose top soil and this soil ends up in water sources. The water sources then become contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers from the soil. Erosion is caused by deforestation and “slash-and-burn agriculture” where plants and trees are cut or burned in order to make fields. Others include over-cultivation, which breaks the aggregates in the soil, overgrazing, and urbanization.

46
Q

Strip Farming

A

Alternating erosion prone crops like staple crops (wheat, rice, and corn) with erosion resistence crops like forage crops (used for grzing) and fallow grass strips

47
Q

Methods of soil conservation

A
  • Use animal waste and plant residue to increase the amount of organic material in soil
  • Modify tillage methods to reduce the breakup of soil. Via contour plowing or strip planting.
  • Plant trees
48
Q

Contour Plowing

A

Contour Plowing is plowing along the furrows of the land rather straight up and down the slopes. Contour plowing forms ridges that slows the water flow and helps to preserve top soil.

49
Q

Soil and Water Conservation Act

A

Soil and water conservation programs to help landowners. Set up conditions to continue evaluating the condition of U.S. soil and water.

50
Q

Food Security Act

A

Discouraged the convertion of wetlands to nonwetlands. Denied farm suplements to those that converted wetlands to farmland.

51
Q

Atmosphere

A

Layer of gas that’s held close to Earth by the force of gravity

52
Q

Greenhouse Gases

A

C02 and H20

53
Q

Troposphere

A

layer of gas that lies closest to the earth, where all the weather occurs, contains the majority of atmospheric water vapor and clouds, becomes colder with latitude. Contains greenhouse gases which absorb radiation from the sun

54
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere

55
Q

Tropopause

A

a layer that acts as a buffer between the troposphere and the next layer up; the stratosphere. Temperature increases as altitude increases

56
Q

Stratosphere

A

Gases not well-mixed in this layer, gets warmer as distance from earth increases due to the thin band of ozone, which absorbs radiation from the sun

57
Q

Mesosphere

A

Area where meteors usually burn up

58
Q

Thermosphere

A

Thinnest gas layer, place where auroras take place. Layer where spaceships orbit. Also the thermosphere is known as the ionosphere, because this region is where ionization takes place. Also this region absorbs most of the energetic photons (solar winds) from the sun.

59
Q

Weather

A

the day-to-day properties such as wind speed, direction, temperature, amount of sunlight, pressure, and humidity

60
Q

The motion of air around the globe is the result of

A

The motion of air is due to solar heating, rotation of the Earth, the physical properties of air, water, and land.

61
Q

Climate

A

The patterns that are constant over many years

62
Q

Reasons why earth is heated unevenly

A
  1. More of the sun’s rays strike the equator
  2. The tilt of the Earth points some regions towards and some regions away from the sun
  3. Coriolis Effect
63
Q

Coriolis Effect

A

Since the earths equator is moving faster at than the poles. Therefore the motion of air changes into prevailing winds, which are belts of air that distribute heat and moisture unevenly. Winds in the north are deflected to the right and winds in the southern hemisphere are deflected to the left.

64
Q

Convection Currents

A

Solar energy warms Earth’s surface. The heat is transfered to the atmosphere through radiation heating. The warmed gases expand (becoming less dense) and rise creating vertical currents called convection currents.

65
Q

Dew Point

A

the temperature at which water vapor condenses into liquid water. Convection currents rise until they cool in the atmosphere. Convection currents rise until they condense at dew point.

66
Q

How are surface winds created?

A

Warm currents that hold lots of moisture rise and cool air replaces the warm air. This aire flow creates surface winds

67
Q

Convection Cell

A

Accounts for land and sea breezes

68
Q

Hadley Cell

A

Global scale of convection cell.

69
Q

Wind

A

Air that is moving as a result of the unequal heating of Earth. Part of the earth’s circulatory system that moves pollution, soil, heat, and moisture around the earth.

70
Q

Trade Winds

A

Prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator

71
Q

Westerly

A

Result of the coriolis effect. the west-to-east winds that occur in the temperate zones of the Earth. Travel South and West in the Northern hemisphere and North and West in the Southern Hemisphere.

72
Q

Polar Easterlies

A

Winds between latitudes of 60 degrees to the North Pole blow North to East. From South Pole blow South to East.

73
Q

Horse Latitudes

A

are regions of high pressure and gentle winds at about 30 degrees north and south latitude

74
Q

Doldrums

A

air near the equator that is still, because it is always rising. Also called the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

75
Q

ITCZ

A

intertropical convergence zone

76
Q

Jet Stream

A

high-speed currents of win that occur in the upper troposphere. These winds have a large influence on local weather patterns.

77
Q

Monsoon

A

a seasonal wind pattern in southern Asia that blows warm, moist air from the southwest during the summer, bringing heavy rains, and cold, dry air from the northeast during the winter

78
Q

Rain Shadow Effect

A

Low precipitation on the far side (leeward side) of a mountain when prevailing winds flow up and over a high mountain or range of high mountains. This creates semiarid and arid conditions on the leeward side of a high mountain range.

79
Q

Hurricane

A

a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale)

80
Q

El Nino

A

abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific that reduces the number of nutrients

81
Q

La Nina

A

Abnormal cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific that increases nutrients

82
Q

Watershed

A

the land area that drains into a particular stream

83
Q

Delta

A

flat, low-lying land built up from soil carried downstream by a river and deposited at its mouth

84
Q

Estuary

A

Where the “arm” of the ocean extends inland to meet the mouth of a river

85
Q

Wetlands

A

Ecosystems of several types in which vegetation is surrounded by standing water during part or most of the year

86
Q

Littoral Zone

A

Begins with very shallow water at the shoreline, receive abundant sunlight

87
Q

Limnetic Zone

A

surface of open water, depth that sunlight can penetrate

88
Q

Profundal Zone

A

Water that is too deep for sunlight to penetrate

89
Q

Aphotic

A

a zone that light cannot reach

90
Q

Benthic Zone

A

deepest layer in a body of water, characterized by very low temperatures and low oxygen levels

91
Q

Barrier Islands

A

landforms that lie off coastal shores

92
Q

Coral Reef

A

A structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow ocean water.

93
Q

Coastal zone

A

zone consists of the water closest to land

94
Q

Euphotic Zone

A

upper layers of water, warmest region of ocean water, highest levels of dissolved oxygen

95
Q

Bathyal Zone

A

Middle Region, receives insufficient light for photosynthesis and is colder then the euphotic zone

96
Q

Abyssal Zone

A

deepest region of the ocean, extremely cold, low levels of dissolved oxygen, high level of nutrients

97
Q

Upwelling

A

the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface

98
Q

Red Tide

A

a population explosion of certain marine dinoflagellates that causes the water to turn a red or red-brown color and to contain poisonous alkaloids produced by the dinoflagellates

99
Q

Interbasin Transfer

A

Water is transferred very long distances from its source; used to combat water shortages

100
Q

Ground Water

A

any water that comes from the ground

101
Q

Aquifers

A

underground beds or layers of Earth that yield water

102
Q

Riparian Right

A

the right of people who have legal rights to use an area

103
Q

Prior appropriation

A

water rights given to those who have historically used the water in a certain area

APES (5 decks)

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