Unit 3 Flashcards
Thermosphere
Not many gases
Where satellites orbit ans the aurora’s are found
Mesosphere
Coldest layer
Where most meteorites burn
1st layer to have atmospheric gasses
Stratosphere
Where ozone is that protects us from uv radiation
No weather
Exosphere
Space
Troposphere
1st 10 km
Where airplanes fly and weather occurs
Weather
Short term changes of an area
Occurs in troposphere
Climate
Long term average weather of an area
Atmosphere
78% nitrogen ans 21% oxygen
Air has more weight and density closer to ground
Higher you go = lower temp and lower pressure
Factors that contribute to climate ans weather
Earths tilt and orbits
Unequal heating kf earth
Atmospheric convention current
Earths rotation
Oceans
Microclimayes
Earths tult and orbits
Axis of 23.3 degrees
365.25 days to orbit
Part of earth tilted toward sun will experience summer because of direct rays
Part of earth tilted away from sun will experience winter bc of less direct rays
Seasons caused by angle of which rays hit earth
Unequal heating of earth
Equator receives most direct and constant sun = stable and warm climates
Closee to poles = increasing angle = temp decrease
Atmospheric convection currents
Adiabatic hearing ans cooling
Are is wadmes by sun radiation = less dense and less pressure = rises
High altitudes = air cools and continues to rise being bushed by hot air
Cold air precipitated
Cool air falls to ground and rewards
Large scale currents called cells
Earths rotation
Earth spins counter clockwise in n hemisphere and clockwise in s hemisphere
Coriolis effect: wind ans water deflected right in n hemisphere and left in s hemisphere
Effect is largest and poles ans smallest at equator
Global winds
6 convection cells
2 polar cells at poles
Ferrell cells from 60 to 30 degrees
2Hadley cells from 30 to equator
60 degrees latitude
Westerlies
30 latitude
Cool air falls
High pressure deserts
Equator
Warm air rises
Low pressure rainforest
Oceans
Driven by winds
Sea breeze
Land heats up faster than ocean
Breeze will blow from sea (high prssure) to land (low pressure)
Ocean gyres
5 massive circular current systems caused by the coriolis effect
Upwellings
Winds push water away from coast and js replaced with nutrients dense deep ocean water
Plankton use these nutrients to produce energy, supporting their food we’ve
Takes past along w coast kf some continents
El nino
Some yrs tropical trade winds slow down or reverse direction
Push warm waters toward the coast = mo unwilling
Collapsed food web
Economic loss from fishing
Rainy and floody in s America
Droughts ans wild fires in Australia
la nina
an enhancement of natural tropic trade winds/ opposite of el nin
more upwelling = more biodiverse food web and fishing $
cold and dry in S america and wet in australia
microclimates
climate of a local area is i=different from the general climate around it
caused by humidity, elevation, and urban islands
humidiity
WATER HAS a high heat capacity = temp change resistant
more humid a place is = less temp fluctuation b/w day and night
warm air holds onto moisture more
caused by: air temp, proximity to water, and evapotranspiration
elevation
elevateed terrain lifts air until it cools and percipitates
rainshadow effectr
rainshadow effect
LEEWARD SIDE OF A MT HAVING ARID CONDITIONS DUE TO THE COOLING/PRECIPITATION THAT OCCURON THE WINDWARD SIDE
urban island heat
man-made microclimate
metro area temp is hootter in city than outside
caused by buildings bloking colder air, industry heat, little vegetation, dark surfaces
albedo
percetange of incoming sunlight that is reflected from a surface
a white surface has a higher albedo than a blakc surface
solutions ot urban island heat
strategic building so that wind passes through city
place factories on outskirs
light colored buildings
increase green spaces
use less energy
most important climatic factors
temperature and percipitation
glbal rainfall
depends on global winds driven by the sun
rays hiting the equaot causies air to rise and then percipitate
tropical rainforest
highest percipitation
most stable temperature
high humidiity
large tropic trees
highet biodiversity
epiphytes
nutrient poor soils
hot deserts
low rainfall
occur at latittures of 30 north and s of equator
plants and animals need special adaptations
savanna/tropical grassland
open grassland w/ scacre shrubs and trees
b/w rainforests and deserts
warm temp yr round
periodic fires
wet and dry seasons
large herbivores and predators dominate
temperate grasslands
cooler temps than tropical grasslands
wet and dry seasosns are much more dramatic
praries
seasonal precipitation
lower biodiversity than tropical grasslands
richest soils
ex” great plains
temperate rainforests
yr round rainfall
large, old growh trees
seen at higher latitudes than tropical rainforests
moderate temps
temperate decidupus forest
dominated by decidous trees like oak, hickory, elm, maple and ash which lose leaves in winter
moderate rainfall
dramatic appearance of all 4 seasosn
coniferous forest/taiga.boreal forest
largest biome
higher latittude than deciduous
coniferous trees that dont lose their leaves in winter: pine
shorter growing season
ong cold winters, mild summers
high humidity
moderate percipitation
ex” redwoods
chaparral
coastal biome
hot, dry summers and mild, rainy windters
spiny evergreen shrubs
maintaed by fire
tundra
cold desert
bitter cold, high winds
short growing season
permafrost
arctic
low perciptation
primary productivity
a measure of producers in an ecosystem
NPP = GPP - R
helps perdict biomass/biodiversiy in other trophic levels
rainforest = highest
desert = lowest
tundra = 2nd lowest
deforestation
tropical rainforests using land for soul, cattle, and palm oil
loss of biodiversity
more co2
timber operations more regulated in US
soil erosion
tilling
overgrazing
compaction
salination
soultion: leve it alone
climate change
heating of the planet is causing weateher patterns and biomes to shift
extended growing seasons
changes in migration
droughts = fires
melting permafrost = release of carbon = positive feedback loop
lithosphere
crust
asthenosphere
upper liquid mantle
mesophere
mostly hard lower mantle
tectonic plate theory
proposed by alfred wegener in 1915
the hard lithosphere is broken up into 15 hard plates that float over the molten asthenosphere
evidence for tectonic plate theory
continets fit togehter like puzzle pieces
ancient fossil and rocks can be found far away on other continents
earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, ridges occur at plate boundries
hotspots
occur in weak spots in earths lithosphere
magma plumes
creates island arcs and volcanoes
i.e yellostone
convergent plate boundries
plates move toward each other
ocean to ocean convergent plate boundries
subduuctions of the oldest crust
trenches and volcanoes
mariana trench
oceanic and continental convergent plate boundries
oceanic subduction
volcanoes and mtns
pacific ring of fire
continental and continental convergent plate boundries
mnts and earth quakes
himalayas
divergebt olate boundries
plates move away from eachother
causes magma upwelling and formation of new crest
oceaninc seaspreading = mtns and volcanoes
contintel= rifts
transform boundry
strike-slip
plates slide past each other
tension builds up and earthquakes happen when tension releases at the slop
tsunamis
underwater faults slip
displacement of ocean = waves
waves are larger as they reach shallow water
volcanoes
rupture in lithosphre allows aethoosphere to reach surface
volcanic eruptions
ejecta (ash, rock)
magma (igneous rock)
gases (water vapor, co2, nd sulfur dioxide)
block sunlight
sulfur diozide can cause global cooling
soil
mix of rock particles, decaying organic matter, humus, air, water, and organisms
foundation for biodiversity, food security, and carbon squestering
soil formation
decaying organic matter
weathered parent bedrock
distinct horizons form
parent material
rock is weathered through acids, water, wind, or lichen, mooses, snd tree roots
is then transported by wind and water and deposited
determines what chemical propertie and minerals the soul will have
properties affecting soil
parent material
cimate
topography
organism
time
igenous rock
cooled magma
sedimentary rock
weathered and eroded igneous
metamorphic rock
changed due to heat and pressure
how climate affeects soil
too cold= undecomposed organic materia
humid= rapid weathering and leaching of nutrients
leaching
loss of minerals from teh top layer of soil by percolating percipitaito
how topograpy affects soul
steeper landscae = higher erosion, less deep soil and less saturation can occur
how organisms affect soil
organisms in soil:
decay organic matter
break down toxic materials
clen water
soil aeration
nitrogen
how time affects soil
young = no horizons nor organic atter
mature: more than 1 layer and many nutrients
old: nutrient poor
soil horizons
o, a, e, b, c, r
o layer
decomposed keaves, twigs, feces
most pronounced in forests
a layer
top soil
partiall decomposed organic matter called humus
most biological activity
e layer
in some acidic sools
leached nutrients
sometimes appear white
b layer
subsiol
inorganic matter
c layer
partly weathered rock
r kayer
bed rock/parent material
porosity
anount of space in soil
high = higher biodiverisy and healthier sols
organisms in soil need oxygen
plant roots need to access water
permeability
how fast water will infilitrate and percolate the soil
soil texture
percent of sand, silt, or clay in a samke
loam: 40/40/20 (sand)
loam is ideal for agriculture
cation exchange capacity
nuetrient holding capacitiy
higher = better nutrient access for plants
clay has high CEC
base saturation
most soils are slightly acidic
nonsustaibalble agriculture increases acididty
acidicty = lowers nutrients
add limestone to increase pH
cattle ranching affect on soil
compaction: animals and machines squish soil, decreasing por and perm
over grazing = plant death
green revolution
1960’s= switch to heavy machinery, chemical fetilizer, gmos, irrigation and pesticides increase crop yield
monocropping
increased efficienty and profitability
compaction
decreases por and perm
watterlogging
smaller plants
tilling/ploughing
loosens soil dor plating, mizes ferlizies, aerates soils, and kills pests and weeds
destroys horizons
soil erodes
desirtification
kills good soil organisms
more prone to compaction
desertification
process by which fertlile land becomes desert through drought, deforestation, or inapproriatio agriculture
fertilizers
eutrophication
salination
causes for irrigation
compaction, climate change, and salination = more
salination
fertlizer and groundwater contians salts and minerals that accumulate over time
dehydration = more irrigation = positive feedback loop
need for gmos
deforestation affect on soil
less roots to anchor souk
increases sedimentation pollution/turbidit in water = fish death
less humus
less nuetrients
solution to cattle ranching
eat less meat
nomadic/regemerative grazing
solutions to industrailixed farming
no till farming
intercropping/strip cropping
crop rotation
contour farmin
terrace farming
agroforestry
no till farming
no tilling b.w seaons to reduce topsoil erosion
roots hold soil in place
horizons
mroe microbes
reatained moisture
decreased co2
intercropping/strip cropping
alternating strips of erosion rresistnt cripw s/ erosion prone crios
encourages infuiltration
increased yeields
crop rotation
rotation crops b.w plots over time to increase biodiversiry
reduce fertilizer use
contour farming
plating parallel to topographic tontours of the land
reduces wind and wter erosion
reduce water runn off
terace farming
buidling steps to reduce water erosion
less run off
agoforestry
alley cropping
plating trees on either side of an alley of crops
less wind erosion
birds = pest control
solutions to deforestation affect on soil
restoration: add top soil and plant vegetation
refining
industrial process that removes impurities frm ore
requires fossil fuel and water use
tailings
left over impurities
crushed rock, water, metal, additives
plased in tailing storage facilities
reserves
locations with high abundance of a mineral
more distrubance of land with more mining
surface mining
removing large portions of rock and soil to access ore underneath
overburdn placed to the side in spols
open pit minging
keeping digging into eath, creating a pit
contour strip mining
harvest ore in strips
done w. horizontal ores ona slopped terrain
mountain top removal
remove mtn top for mining
surface mining control and reclamation act of 1977
regrade and contour the land
replace or add topsoil
replant with native pioneer species
monitor for 5-10 yrs to ensure refurnishment
sub-surface mining
preferred
less habiatats destroyed
expensive and dangerous
water is pumped out to prevent faming
risks: collapeses, gases, explosions
impact of mining
habitat loss
air pollution
soil erosion and desertification
water contamination
human health risks
mining impact: habitat loss
removal of topsoil, vegetaiton and animals
fragmentation
mining impact: air pollition
dust particles
metal particulates
methand and co2 emissions
mining impact: soil erosion and desertification
removal of topsoil and vegetaion = erosion
hard to reestablish vehetation and soil health
mining impact: water contamination
increased turbidity = decrease in npp + clogged fish gills
acid mine drainage
acid mine frainage
sulfide exposed to water or air creates rust and sulfuric acid
acids make other metals mroe water soluable
water becomes acidic and metal rich
solution: limestone
mining impact: human health
cave-ins, poisonous gases
black lung and lung cancer
