Unit 4 Flashcards
rock formed directly from magma
igneous rock
- rock that forms when sediments such as muds, sands, or gravels are compressed by overlying sediments
- forms over longer periods of time
- fossil records found here
sedimentary rock
rock that forms when sedimentary rock, igneous rock, or other metamorphic rock is subjected with high temperature and pressure
metamorphic rock
a place where molten material from Earth’s mantle reaches the lithosphere
hot spot
the process of one crustal plate passing under another
subduction
a vent in the surface of earth that emirs ash, gases, or molten lava
volcano
a chain of volcanoes, hundreds to thousands of miles long, that forms above a subduction zone
volcanic island arcs
an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other
divergent plate boundary
- an area where plates move toward one another and collide
- plates are forced into one another which then pushes material upward in one of the processes that leads to the formation of mountains
convergent plate boundary
a fracture in rock caused by a movement of Earth’s crust
fault
an area where tectonic plates move sideways past each other
transform fault boundary/strike-slip
a series of waves in the ocean caused by seismic activity or an undersea volcano
tsunami
the physical removal of rock fragments from a landscape or ecosystem
erosion
the accumulation or depositing of an eroded material such as sediment, rock fragments, or soil
deposition
the most fully decomposed organic matter in the lowest section of the O horizon
humus
- the organic horizon at the surface of many soils, composed of organic detritus in various stages of decomposition
- found in forests soils and some grasslands
- most organic material
O horizon
- frequently the top layer of soil, a zone of organic material and minerals that have been mixed together
- AKA topsoil
A horizon
a zone of leaching, or eluviation, found in some acidic soils under the O horizon or less often, the A horizon
E horizon
- a soil horizon composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter
- AKA subsoil
B horizon
the least-weathered soil horizon, which always occurs beneath the B horizon and is similar to the parent material
C horizon
how much water can be stored in the soil
porosity
how quickly soil drains
permeability
break down of rock
weathering
the average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time
climate
the short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area, which include temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, and wind speed
weather
- layer closest to the surface of Earth, extending up to approximately 16 km (10 miles)
- weather occurs here
- greenhouse gases occur
troposphere
- layer above the troposphere, extending roughly 16 to 50 km (10–31 miles) above the surface of Earth
- ozone layer located here
stratosphere
lies between the thermosphere and the stratosphere
mesosphere
- the second-highest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, extending from the mesopause to the thermopause
- aurora borealis occurs
thermosphere
the outermost layer of the atmosphere
exosphere
the deflection of an objects path due to the rotation of earth
coriolis effect
dry conditions - leeward side of mountain range windward side.
wet conditions- windward side of mountains
rain shadows
the percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface
albedo
a large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
gyre
the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents
upwelling
- a periodic reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific
- weak trade winds
- warm water to move eastward
- parts of North and South America experience warmer temperatures and wetter winters which can lead to flooding
- India, Indonesia and Australia experience dryer than normal weather which can lead to drought and crop failures
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
- stronger Trade Winds
- warm water pushed towards Asia
- upwelling increases off west coast of the Americas
- cooling of Pacific Ocean
- wetter conditions for india, Indonesia, and Australia
- leads to drought in southern US and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada
La Nina
the process in which sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock
lithification
the location of increased seismic and volcanic activity around the margins of the Pacific Ocean basin
ring of fire
persistent wind that blows westward and toward the Equator from the subtropical high-pressure belts toward the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
trade winds
formed when the parent material is weathered, transported/eroded, and deposited
soil
a place that is fertile and where crops can be grown
arable
- a natural process in which water from the rain, snowmelt, or surface or groundwater dissolves substances in contact with the water on the surface of the Earth, and both water and substance are washed away
- this process happens in soil when rainwater leaches nutrients from the soil
leaching
the proportion of sand, silt and clay sized particles that make up the mineral fraction of the soil
soil texture
the managed, aerobic (oxygen-required) biological decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms
compost
- occurs when freezing aur passes over a lake’s warmer waters
- some lake water evaporates, warms the air, and moves away from the lake
- after cooling, the air dumps its moisture as snow
lake snow effect
the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density
ocean current
a constantly moving system of deep-ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity
ocean conveyor belt
the climate of a very small or restricted area, especially when this differs from the climate of the surrounding area
microclimte
dry
arid
program that encourages farmers and landowners to convert highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as native grasses, trees, and riparian buffers
conservation reserve program
an area of land which drains precipitation to a particular river/lake/ocean
watershed
a freshwater stream that feeds into a larger stream or river
tributary
areas adjacent to rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans that are periodically flooded at different points in time
floodplain
electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sun
solar radiation
varies with latitude
sun’s rotation
- 23.5*
- causes seasons and the amount of daylight that an area can get
earth’s tilt
a convection current in the atmosphere that lies between hadley cells and polar cells
ferrell cell
a convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60N and 60S and sinks at the poles, 90N and 90S
polar cell
a convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30N and 30S
hadley cell
the area in which one side of the mountains recieves lots of precipitation and the other side is dry
rainshadow effect
the amount of solar radiation received by a planet
solar insolation
original rocks that were broken down to start the basis of soil
parent material
occurs when stress overcomes a fault and releases stored energy
earthquake
What happens to the erosion rates when there is a removal of vegetation?
increased rates of erosion