Unit 4 Vocab

Question 1

subduction

Answer 1

oceanic plate slides under a continental place creating narrow coastal mountains and volcanoes

Question 2

volcano

Answer 2

when a plate moves over a hotspot and rising magma forms a volcano

Question 3

divergent plate boundary

Answer 3

plates move away from each other
ex. seafloor spreading

Question 4

seafloor spreading

Answer 4

plates move apart and bring elements to the surface

Question 5

convergent plate boundary

Answer 5

plates move towards each other and collide
ex. subduction and mountain building

Question 6

transform fault boundary

Answer 6

plate move sideways past each other

Question 7

fault

Answer 7

a fracture zone which causes rocks to move

Question 8

seismic activity

Answer 8

earthquakes and elastic waves through earth

Question 9

fault zone

Answer 9

large areas of rock where movement occurred

Question 10

earthquake

Answer 10

rocks in the lithosphere rupture along a fault

Question 11

epicenter

Answer 11

the exact point on the earth’s surface directly above where a rock ruptures

Question 12

richter scale

Answer 12

measurement of ground movement from earthquakes, increases by a factor of 10

Question 13

tsunami

Answer 13

giant waves caused by eathquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea

Question 14

hot spot

Answer 14

places where molten material from the mantle reaches the lithosphere

Question 15

plate tectonics theory

Answer 15

the lithosphere is divided into moving plates

Question 16

tectonic cycle

Answer 16

sum of processes that build up/break down the lithosphere

Question 17

rock cycle

Answer 17

the constant formation/destruction of rock

Question 18

igneous rock

Answer 18

forms directly from magma

Question 19

intrusive igneous rock

Answer 19

forms from within earth when magma cools

Question 20

extrusive igneous rock

Answer 20

forms when magma cools above the earth, ex from a volcano

Question 21

sedimentary rock

Answer 21

forms when mud/sand/gravel is compressed

Question 22

physical weathering

Answer 22

mechanical breakdown of rocks/minerals from water, wind, temperature, animals, roots

Question 23

chemical weathering

Answer 23

releases essential nutrients from rocks such as the phosphorus cycle

Question 24

acid precipitation

Answer 24

result of fossil fuel combustion and released elements reacting with water vapor that gets rained down as sulfuric acid

Question 25

erosion

Answer 25

earth materials are worn away and moved by wind or water

Question 26

parent material

Answer 26

starting point for soil development, mineral rock/organic material

Question 27

soil degradation

Answer 27

topsoil is removed which increases erosion

Question 28

soil horizon

Answer 28

layers of soil

Question 29

O horizon

Answer 29

organic decomposed material, has humus in the lower layer

Question 30

humus

Answer 30

dark organic material that forms as a result of decaying

Question 31

A Horizon

Answer 31

topsoil, organic/mineral material, most biological activity

Question 32

E Horizon

Answer 32

Eluviated, some acidic soils, metals/nutreints are leached

Question 33

B Horizon

Answer 33

subsoil, mineral material zone of accumulation

Question 34

C Horizon

Answer 34

least weathered layer, most like the parent material

Question 35

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

Answer 35

nutrient holding capacity
ex. clay, acidic pH, org. material

Question 36

base saturation

Answer 36

proportion of bases to acids in %
bases are essential and acids are detrimental