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Enviro 24-25 > unit 4 > Flashcards

unit 4 Flashcards

1
Q

What is soil made from

A

Sand, silt, and clay.
humus
nutrients
water and air
living organisms

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2
Q

what is humus

A

the main org. part of soil

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3
Q

why is soil important

A

-a medium for growing plants
-breaks down org. matter & recycles nutrients
-a habitat for organisms
-filters water
-stores carbon

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4
Q

what is weathering

A

the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces

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5
Q

what are the types of weathering

A

-physical (wind, rain, freezing/thawing of ice)
-biological (roots of trees crack rocks)
-chemical (acid rain, Acids from moss/lichen)

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6
Q

weathering rocks =

A

soil formation

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7
Q

what is erosion

A

transport of weathered rock fragments by wind and rain. carried to new locations and deposited

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8
Q

types of soil formation

A

-from above
-from below

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9
Q

From above soil formation

A

Break down of org. matter adds humus to soil. erosion deposits sites soil particles from other areas, adding to soil

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10
Q

from below soil formation

A

weathering from parent material produces smaller and smaller fragments that make up the inorganic part of soil. (silt, sand, clay, minerals)

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11
Q

effects on soil formation

A

-parent material
-topography
-climate
-organisms

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12
Q

how does parent material effect soil formation

A

Ph, nutrient levels

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13
Q

how does topography effect soil formation

A

steep slope= too much erosion
level slope= deposition

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14
Q

how does climate effect soil formation

A

-warmer climate= faster breakdown of org. matter
-more precip.=more weathering, erosion, + deposits

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15
Q

soil horizons

A

O-horizon
A-horizon
B-horizon
C-horizon

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16
Q

O-horizon characteristics

A

layer of org. matter on top of soil. provides nutrients to soil

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17
Q

A-horizon (topsoil) characteristics

A

layer of humus and minerals from parent material.

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18
Q

B-horizon (subsoil) characteristics

A

lighter (in color) layer below topsoil, mostly made of minerals w/ little to no org. material

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19
Q

C-horizon (substratum)

A

least weathered soil that is closest to the parent material or bedrock. composed of rock fragments (no org. material)

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20
Q

what soil horizon has the most biological activity

A

A-horizon

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21
Q

what is soil degration

A

the loss of the ability to support plant growth

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22
Q

what is/causes loss of topsoil

A

Tilling and loss of vegetation disturbs soil and makes it more easily eroded by wind and rain. (dries out soil and removes nutrients)

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23
Q
A
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23
Q

what is/what causes compaction

A

compression of soil by machines, grazing livestock, and humans reduces ability to hold water

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24
what is/what causes nutrient depletion
Repeatedly growing crops on the same soil removes the nutrients overtime
25
darker soil has _____ nutrients
more
26
Particle size in soil
-geological (rock) parts of soil is made up of 3 particles -(biggest to smallest) sand>silt>clay
27
what is soil texture
the % of sand, silt, and clay (in that order) in soil
28
what does bigger pore spaces mean in soil
sand has the biggest pores, this allows air/water to enter the soil easily
29
What does smaller pore sizes mean
clay has the smallest pores, so it's harder for air/water to enter clay heavy soil
30
what is porosity
the pore space within a soil
31
what is permeability
-how easily water drains through soil
32
higher porosity=
higher permeability (positive correlation)
33
what is H20 holding capacity
how well water is retained or held by soil.
34
the less H20 capacity=
the more porous (inverse or negative correlation)
35
how does porosity effect soil fertility
-soil that is too porous (sandy) drains water too quickly for roots -clay heavy soil, doesn't let water down to roots/ waterlog.
36
what is the name of the ideal soil for most plants
loam
37
soil texture chart tips
-always start on bottom with sand -move up and to the left -then do clay -make sure it adds up to 100
38
soil fertility
the ability of soil to support plant growth
39
what is soil fertility based on
nutrients and water\
40
what are the main nutrients in soil
-nitrogen (N) -Phosphorus (P) -potassium (K) -magnesium (mg 2+) -calcium (Ca 2+) -sodium (Na +)
41
factors that increase soil nutrients
-org. matter -Humus -decomposer activity -clay -basic PH
42
factors that decrease soil nutrients
-Acids/ Ph -Excessive rain/ irrigation -excessive farming -topsoil erosion
43
factors that increase H20 holding capacity
-Aerated soil -Compost/humus/org. matter -clay content -root structure
44
factors that decrease H20 holding capacity
-compact soil -topsoil erosion -sand -root loss
45
why does clay increase nutrient levels
neg. charged clay binds pos. charged nutrients
46
core
dense mass of solid and liquid iron, nickel, and radioactive elements that release massive amounts of heat
47
mantel
solid/semi-solid layer of rock/magma surrounding the core
48
Athemosphere
the flexible outer layer of the mantel
49
Lithosphere
thin brittle layer of rock that includes the mantel and crust (forms the tectonic plates)
50
crust
very outer layer of the lithosphere, the earths surface
51
plate boundries
divergent convergent transform fault
52
divergent plate boundary
plates that are moving apart from each other. rising magma from mantle forces plates apart.
53
what does a divergent plate boundary cause
mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes, seafloor spreading, rift valleys, and earth quakes
54
convergent plate boundary
plates that move towards each other. leads to subduction
55
Subduction
one plate being forced under another
56
what does a convergent plate boundary cause
mountains, island arcs, eathquakes, and volcanoes
57
what does a transform fault plate boundary cause
earthquakes
58
Transform fault plate boundary
plates sliding past each other in opposite directions
59
Types of convergent plate boundaries
oceanic-oceanic oceanic-continental continental-continental
60
oceanic-oceanic convergent boundary
one plate subducts under the other, causing mid-ocean volcanoes, island arcs, off-shore trenches
61
Oceanic-continental convergent boundary
dense oceanic plate subducts under the other forming coastal mountains (andes), volcanoes on land, trenches, and tsunami
62
Continental-continental convergent boundary
one plate subducts under another forming mountains (Himalayas)
63
how does a transform fault boundary cause earthquakes
plates sliding past each other creates fault, and the edges get stuck. pressure builds as the plates try to keep sliding, when stress overcomes the locked fault, plates suddenly release, shaking the lithosphere and causing an earthquake.
64
ring of fire
pattern of volcanoes and earthquakes all around the pacific plate
65
transform fault are most likely the location of..
earthquakes
66
What are hotspots
areas of especially hot magma rising up to the lithosphere. causes mid-ocean islands (Hawaii , Iceland )
67
Atmosphere circulation is due to
-most solar radiation is at equator -density properties of air -rotation of earth (coriolis effect)
68
what are the properties of air
-warm air is less dense so it rises -warm air holds more moisture than cold air -cool air is more dense so it sinks
69
hadly cell steps
1. most direct sunlight at equator warms air 2. warm air rises, cool, and produces rain 3. air continues to rise, cool, and expand 4. cooling and expanding, air spreads out 5. dry air sinks back down to earth at 30 degreed N/S
70
30 degrees N/S =
high pressure
71
0 degrees=
low pressure
72
coriolis effect
deflection of objects traveling through the atm. due to the spin of the earth
73
which way does earth spin?
Counterclockwise
74
wind between 0-30 degrees N/S deflects..
west (eastern trade winds)
75
wind between 30-60 degrees N/S deflects..
east (westerlies)
76
wind between 60-90 degrees N/S deflects..
west (polar easterlies)
77
gasses in earths atm.
-nitrogen (78%) -oxygen (21%) -argon (1%) -water vapor (0-4%) -c02 (0.04%)
78
Troposphere
tropo=change (weather) 0-16 km, most dense. ozone is harmful in the this layer
79
stratosphere
"s" for second 16-60km less dense ozone layer is found here, absorbs uv radiation
80
Mesosphere
meso=middle 60-80km, even less dense
81
thermosphere
therm=hottest absorbs x-rays and uv-radiation and the charged gas molecules glow causing the northern lights
82
exosphere
outermost layer where atm. merges with space
83
temperature gradient
Troposphere- decreases (further from earths warm surface) stratosphere-increases (ozone layer absorbing radiation) mesosphere-decreases (density decreases) thermosphere- increases (absorption of solar radiation)
84
watershed
all of the land that drains into a specific body of water
85
what are watersheds determined by
slope, ridges, vegetation, soil comp
86
more vegetation in watersheds means..
more infiltration and groundwater recharge
87
greater slope in a watershed means
faster velocity of runoff and more erosion
88
how does nutrient pollution effect watersheds
leads to eutrophication in the water.
89
major Nitrogen and Phosphorus sources
discharge from sewage treatment plants, animal waste from CAFOS, synthetic fertilizer
90
how does sediment pollution effect watersheds
increases turbidity and covers rocky streamed habitats, reduces sunlight, animals might suffocate
91
what causes sediment pollution
Deforestation, urbanization, tilling
92
direct effects of clearcutting
soil erosion (loss of root structure), deposits sediments, sediment makes water warmer, loss of tree shade makes water warmer
93
insolation
the amount of incoming solar radiation reaching an area. measured in watts/m2
94
intensity of solar radiation depends on
angle: how directly rays strike the earths surface atm.: the amount of atmosphere sun's rays pass through

Enviro 24-25 (8 decks)

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