Unit 4 - Earth Systems Flashcards
What are the layers of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
What are the key characteristics of the troposphere?
Densest layer, weather
What are the key characteristics of the stratosphere?
Ozone layer, absorbs UV radiation
What are the key characteristics of the mesosphere?
Burns up meteors and asteroids
What are the key characteristics of the thermosphere?
auroras
What are the key characteristics of the exosphere?
furthest layer from Earth, transition between Earth and space
What are the four major spheres?
Biosphere - life
Hydrosphere - water
Geosphere - rocks and soil
Atmosphere - air
What makes seasons?
The tilt of the earth
What is a rain shadow?
a region of drier land due to a higher elevation area blocking precipitation (mountains)
What causes the Coriolis Effect?
Earth’s rotation
What is a divergent plate boundary?
Moves away, causes rifts and new crust to form
What is a convergent plate boundary?
Moves towards each other, makes mountains
What is an intraplate hotspot?
Weak spots in the crust that cause magma to form islands
What is a transform plate boundary?
moves parallel, causes earthquakes at a Faultline
How is soil formed?
Erosion and weathering of rocks over time
What happens when plates collide in a subduction zone?
One goes below the other
How does subduction lead to volcanic activity?
One plate dips and melts, causing magma to rise
What material is most prone to becoming water logged?
Clay
What is the source of energy driving wind patterns?
Solar energy
What is an El Nino?
The warming of water in the Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean
