Tt Flashcards
What is the troposphere?
The lowest layer of the atmosphere, where most weather occurs; extends up to about 8-15 km.
What is the stratosphere?
The second layer of the atmosphere, containing the ozone layer; extends from about 15 to 50 km above Earth.
Why is the mesosphere important?
It’s where meteors burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, located above the stratosphere (50–85 km).
What characterizes the thermosphere?
A high-temperature layer (up to 2,500°C), with very thin air; extends from 85 to about 600 km.
Define the exosphere.
The outermost layer of the atmosphere, transitioning into space; very thin, with few particles.
What is atmospheric pressure?
The force exerted by the weight of the air above; it decreases with altitude.
What is the main composition of Earth’s atmosphere?
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases (argon, carbon dioxide, etc.).
Explain the role of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
It is a greenhouse gas, trapping heat and contributing to the greenhouse effect.
What is the water cycle?
The continuous movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
What is the role of clouds in the atmosphere?
They regulate Earth’s temperature by reflecting sunlight and trapping heat.
Define humidity.
The amount of water vapor in the air, which affects weather and comfort levels.
What are jet streams?
Fast-flowing air currents in the upper levels of the atmosphere, affecting weather patterns.
What is an inversion layer?
A layer in the atmosphere where temperature increases with altitude, trapping pollutants near the ground.
What is acid rain and how does it form?
Rain that contains acidic components from sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) emissions.
Describe the process of convection in the atmosphere.
Warm air rises and cools as it expands, creating air currents and contributing to weather patterns.
What are cyclones and anticyclones?
Cyclones are low-pressure systems with spiraling air inwards, while anticyclones are high-pressure systems with air spiraling outward.
What is a plateau?
An elevated flat area, formed by uplift or volcanic activity.
Define a valley.
A low area between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it.
What is a canyon?
A deep gorge, typically with steep sides, formed by river erosion over time.
What is a glacier?
A large mass of ice that moves slowly over land, shaping the landscape through erosion.
Define abrasion in geomorphology.
The process where particles carried by wind, water, or ice wear away rocks.
What is frost wedging?
A type of physical weathering where water in cracks freezes and expands, breaking rocks apart.
Explain sedimentary rocks and how they form.
Rocks formed by the accumulation and compaction of sediment, often in water.
What is a fault?
A fracture in the Earth’s crust where rocks have slipped past each other, often due to tectonic forces.
What is a meander?
A bend or curve in a river, formed by lateral erosion and deposition.
Describe a floodplain.
A flat area adjacent to a river, formed by periodic flooding and deposition of sediments.
What is a moraine?
Accumulated debris (rock and soil) left behind by a glacier.
Explain what a karst landscape is.
A region with features like sinkholes, caves, and underground rivers, formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone.
Define mass wasting.
The downhill movement of soil and rock due to gravity, such as landslides.
What are alluvial fans?
Cone-shaped deposits of sediment formed where a stream flows from a steep slope to flatter land.
What is deflation in geomorphology?
The removal of loose, fine particles by wind, often leaving behind a rocky desert surface.
Define a delta and describe how it forms.
A landform where a river deposits sediment as it enters a larger body of water, like an ocean.
What is spatial analysis in GIS?
Examining geographic patterns to understand relationships and trends.
What is geocoding?
The process of converting addresses into geographic coordinates.
Explain attribute data in GIS.
Non-spatial data associated with map features, such as names, population, or types of land use.
What is buffering in GIS?
Creating a zone around a geographic feature, often used for proximity analysis.
Define raster data.
Pixelated data representing spatial information, commonly used for images like satellite photos.
Define vector data.
Data represented by points, lines, and polygons, used for features like roads, boundaries, and cities.
