- decaying organic material (humus) - source of nutrients for the soil - organic horizon - most pronounced in forests + some grasslands

Unit 1 Flashcards by Irina Ho

Convection Currents

Heat staring at the interior and flows toward the surface

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What is the cause of plate movements?

Convection currents

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When two plates move toward each other

Convergent

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Subduction zone

Convergent - continental and oceanic plate (oceanic plate ALWAYS go below)

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Creates mountains, island arcs, earthquakes, volcanoes, trenches

Convergent boundary

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When two plates move away from each other

Divergent

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Creates earthquakes, sea floor spreading, rift valley, volcanoes, ridges

Divergent boundary

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Rift valley

Land is being pulled apart

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When two plates slide past each other

Transform boundary

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Causes earthquakes

Transform boundary

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Occurs at an existing fault line

Earthquakes

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Earthquakes

Abrupt movement of a massive amount of stored energy that’s held in place by friction

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Hotspot

A large plume of hot mantle material rising from deep within the earth

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Tsunami

An underground earthquake

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Consequences of tsunamis

Destroys habitat, uproots trees, drowns species, contaminates water w/saltwater + debris

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Soil ecosystem services

Good from natural resources/services that ecosystems carry out that have measurable economic/financial value to humans

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Parent material

45% mineral particles, 25% water, air 25%, 5% organic matter

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Physical weathering

Mechanical breakdown of rocks + minerals
AGENTS: wind, water, temp varies (freeze/thaw)
BIOLOGICAL AGENTS: plant roots + burrowing animals

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Chemical weathering

Breakdown of rocks + minerals by chemical reactions or dissolving of chemical elements from rock
AGENTS: natural acid in rain, lichen (fungi/lichen), can produce weak acid, acid rain

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Erosion + disposition

Transport of weathered rock fragments by wind/water + varied new location + deposits

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Factors affecting soil + rate for formation

Parent material, topography, climate, organisms

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Topography

Steepness: steep slope = lots of erosion, more level = deposition

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Soil horizons

O, A, B, C, R

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O horizon

decaying organic material (humus)
source of nutrients for the soil
organic horizon
most pronounced in forests + some grasslands

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What horizon is most pronounced in forests + some grass lands

O horizon

What horizon is the source of nutrients for the soil

O horizon

A horizon

- top soil - zone where organic matter (top) and sediment minerals (bottom) are mixed together - thicker/darker it is = healthier it is

Which horizon has a zone where organic matter (top) and sediment minerals (bottom) are mixed together

A horizon

B horizon

- subsoil - mineral material w/very little organic material

What horizon is mineral material

B horizon

What horizon is top soil

A horizon

What horizon is subsoil

B horizon

C horizon

- parent material - least weathered portion of soil profile *more rock —> need dynamite

What horizon is parent material

C horizon

What horizon has the least weather portion of soil profile

C horizon

R horizon

- eluvial layer - not present in all soils - leached of clay, minerals, organic matter - light in colors - usually occurs in sandy forests soils in high rainfall areas

What horizon is not present in all soils

R horizon

What horizon is light in color

R horizon

What horizon is thick and dark in color

A horizon

What horizon usually occurs in sandy forests soils in high rainfall areas

R horizon

Soil degradation

Loss of the ability to support plant growth

Why does soil degradation occur

Loss of top soil due to tiling, compaction (harder to hold moisture —> dry soil + erodes faster), nutrient depletion

Soil texture

Sand > silt > clay

Porosity

The amount of pore space a soil had

Permeability

How easily water drains through a soil

H2O holding capacity

How well water is retained/held by a soil

Ideal soil texture

Loam

Soil fertility

Ability to support plant growth

Soil nutrients

N, K, Ça, P, Mg, Na

Increasing soil nutrients

Organic matter, humus, décomposer, clay

Decreasing soil nutrients

Acids, excessive rain/irrigation, excessive farming, top soil erosion

Atmosphere %

78% nitrogen 20.95% oxygen .93% argon .038% carbon dioxide

Atmosphere absorbs…

UV radiation

Atmosphere reduces…

Extreme temp changes

Farthertest layer of the atmosphere

Exosphere

What occurs at the thermosphere

Northern lights

What occurs in the mesosphere

Mediores

What is the stratosphere

Ozone layer

What is the troposphere

Where we live + where wether occurs

Factors that influence atmospheric circulation

1. Density properties of air 2. Energy from sun 3. Rotation of earth

Coriolis effect

Deflection of objects traveling in atmosphere due to rotation of earth

What happens to warm air and cold air

Warm air rises and cold air sinks

Warm vapor capacity

Warm air hold more water

Air rises

Expands in volume + lowers temp —> rain

Air sinks

Forced to decrease volume + raises temp

Where is sunlight most direct

At the equator

What is the pressure at 30N or 30S

High pressure (push down)

What is the pressure at the equator

Low pressure (push up)

How we effect watershed

Logging, residential (pesticide/fertilizer/animal/car), livestock + crop land, dam

How is the earth tilted during June + December solstices?

N or S hemisphere is maximally tilted toward sun

How is the earth tilted during March + September solstices?

N and S hemisphere is equally facing the sun

Insolation

The amount of solar radiation (energy from the sun rays) reaching an area

Albedo

Portion of light that is reflected by a surface

High albedo

Reflects more light + absorbs less (ice/snow) —> absorbs less heat

Low albedo

Reflect less light + absorb more (water) —> absorbs more heat

Rain shadows cause…

Desertification

Mountains can…

Disrupt wind + produce rain shadow effect

Oceans can…

Moderate temperature + add moisture to air

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

Pattern of shifting atmosphere pressure + ocean currents in Pacific Ocean between S America + Australia

Normal wind conditions

Trade winds head toward the equator (vertical), surface waters travel west towards Australia, upwelling occurring east by South America

El Niño wind conditions

Northeast trade winds toward the equator, surface waters move east towards South America, upwelling occurs by west - Australia

La Nina wind conditions

Increased upwelling in South America, warmer weather in Australia and SE Asia

Less upwelling means…

Fishing suffers