Units 30-31 Flashcards
1
Q
What is the key agent in modifying Earth’s surface?
A
Water
2
Q
True or False: The role of water is simple but the behavior of water is complex
A
True
3
Q
Hydrological cycle
A
The movement of water through various reservoirs on or near Earth’s surface
4
Q
Reservoir
A
A place or state where water can reside within the Hydrological sytem
5
Q
What is the most important reservoir of fresh water for human use?
A
Groundwater
6
Q
What drives the hydrological cycle?
A
Solar heating
7
Q
Transpiration
A
water that evaporates out of plants
8
Q
Residence time
A
The average amount of time water spends within a reservoir
9
Q
Stream
A
A conduit through which surface water moves, either constantly or intermittently.
It is any system of flowing surface water with a headwater and an endpoint.
10
Q
Stream gradient
A
The slope of the terrain over which a stream flows
11
Q
Base level
A
The elevation of a stream end point
12
Q
True or False: As the velocity and volume of a stream goes up, the capacity of the stream to carry sediment increases.
A
True
13
Q
True or False: There is more sediment carried by stream runoff during Spring than in the Fall (melting snows)
A
True
14
Q
Equilibrium profile
A
The slope at which sediment is transported
15
Q
Alluvial fan
A
Sediment and debris at the mouth of a canyon deposited by intermittent water flow
16
Q
Delta
A
Sediment and debris deposited in an ocean or lake at the mouth of a river
17
Q
Floodplains
A
Plains intermittently covered with water from a flooding river.
18
Q
True or False: A drop in base level causes down cutting by a stream
A
True
19
Q
True or False: A relative rise in base level causes sediment to be deposited
A
True
20
Q
When will sediment be deposited by a stream?
A
Wherever and whenever the velocity of water is too slow to carry the sediment in the stream.
21
Q
What are three examples of places / circumstances when sediment is deposited by a stream?
A
- Alluvial fans
- Deltas
- Floodplains
22
Q
Where do alluvial fans form most readily?
A
In arid mountainous regions
23
Q
Why do alluvial fans form in arid mountainous regions?
A
Because mountains provide the steep gradient for rapid flow. Aridity prevents permanent streams from forming.
24
Q
True or False: Deltas are some of the most rich, fertile places on earth and are typically places where humans have settled
A
True
25
Zone of accumulation
The region of a glacier where snow accumulates
26
Zone of ablation
Region of a glacier where snow and ice decrease by melting, sublimation, or calving
27
Alpine glacier
A glacier formed in a mountain valley
28
Continental glacier
Glacier covering a large portion of a continent or land mass
29
Moraine
Rock and sediment carried by a glacier
30
Till
Moraines left in the zone of ablation
31
Why do glaciers form?
Because snowfall exceeds summertime evaporation and melting
32
Calving
Where large blocks of ice break off of a glacier
33
How do icebergs form?
When glaciers calve into the ocean
34
Why do glaciers "flow"?
Because the zone of accumulation exceeds a certain weight. They are usually in mountains anyway, so gravity is helping.
35
True or False: Glaciers need to be on a hill to flow/move.
False
36
When would a glacier flow horizontally?
When it is moving from an area of high pressure to low pressure
37
True or False: Glaciers can flow uphill
True
38
Does ice have elastic or plastic properties?
Both
39
What is the difference in sedimentary deposit behavior of a glacier and a stream?
Streams: transport smaller sedimentary particles farther than large particles
Glacier: transport particles of various sizes the same distance
40
Which presents more pressure on bedrock, glaciers or streams? What does this result in?
Glaciers
They pick up rocks and drag them along the bottom, SCOURING the bedrock
41
Porosity
The percentage of empty spaces in a rock that water can occupy
42
Permeability
A measure of how easily water can flow THROUGH rock or sediment
43
Water table
the depth in the ground where rock is saturated with water
44
Aquifer
A ground layer saturated with water and having sufficient porosity and permeability to supply groundwater to a well or spring
45
Aquitard
A ground layer saturated with water and lacking sufficient porosity and permeability to supply groundwater to a well or spring
46
Fun Fact: Antarctica is covered in continental glaciers that are 3500 meters thick in some places
WOAH
47
True or False: Groundwater resides in underground pools or lakes
FALSE
48
Does water flow more easily through rocks of high or low permeability?
High
49
True or False: High permeability and high porosity OFTEN go hand in hand
True
50
True or False: Despite its high porosity, clay is almost always an aquitard.
True
51
Recharge
Water that soaks into the ground replenishing the groundwater reservoir
52
Discharge
Water released from a groundwater reservoir
53
Gaining stream
A stream whose volume of flowing water increases from groundwater discharge along its channel
54
Losing stream
A stream whose volume of flowing water decreases as stream flow is lost to groundwater recharge along its channel
55
Where does groundwater originate?
Snow and rainfall
56
In a gaining stream, is the water table above or below the water line?
Above
57
In a losing stream, is the water table above or below the water line?
Below
58
Why does water flow into a stream (gaining stream)?
The fluid pressure in the aquifer is higher than in the stream. Fluids flow from regions of high to low pressure, so water migrates into the stream.
59
True or False: In streams, water flows from the ground to the stream, not only from runoff.
True
60
Cone of depression
A region next to a well or source of discharge where the water table is lowered.
61
Downcutting
The erosion of the base of a stream until the stream reaches its equilibrium profile.
62
Equilibrium profile
The slope of a stream at which sediment is transported instead of deposited and eroded.
63
Slope retreat
The erosion of the sides of a stream.
64
Intermittent streams
Watercourses that only carry water during flashfloods
65
True or False: Although some of the rocks at the bottom of the grand canyon are 2 billion years old, the process to form the grand canyon took only 4 million yearsish
true
66
True or False: The Colorado river carved the grand canyon on its own
FALSE
67
Why is the Grand Canyon so wide in some areas?
Because of side streams and tributaries from the main Colorado river, carving out their own canyons
68
Which erodes faster, sediment or bedrock?
Sediment
69
Where does the stream flow the fastest, in the middle or on the sides?
Middle
70
What shape valley is formed by alpine glaciers?
U-shaped
71
What shape valley is formed by streams?
V-shaped
72
True or False: Moraines are characterized by angular and unsorted debris
True
73
How are sinkholes and caverns formed?
Water dissolving certain kinds of rock, like limestone
74
Climate
The historic cycle of weather patterns. The generally prevailing weather conditions throughout the year. The expected or average weather conditions.
75
True or False: Climate changes abruptly
False (but weather can)
76
What are the five types of climates in Koppens climate system?
1. Humid tropical
2. Dry
3. Humid mid latitude with mild winters
4. Humid mid latitude with severe winters
5. Polar
77
What is a humid tropical climate?
Warm places that NEVER experience cold temperatures. Temps average well above freezing all year long.
78
What is a dry climate?
Places where water is always deficient because evaporation and transpiration rates are greater than precipitation rates.
79
What is a humid mid-latitude with mild winters climate?
Places with average temps below 64 degrees F but above 27 degrees F
80
What is a humid mid-latitude with severe winters climate?
Places with mean temperatures above 50 degrees F but with the coldest monthly averages below 27 degrees F
81
What is a polar climate?
Places that never experience warm summers. All months are below 50degrees F
82
Examples of local influences that affect climate (other than the location that place is on the earth):
1. Land and water
2. Prevailing winds
3. Mountains and highlands
4. Ocean and air currents
5. Pressure and temperature
83
True or False: Land gains and loses heat faster than water
True
84
True or False: Temperature variations are much greater over land than over oceans or large lakes
True
85
Why do places farther from water have colder winters and hotter summers?
Because they are on the land, where temperature variations are larger. Land gains and loses heat faster than water. Water locations regulate temps better.
86
How do prevailing winds affect local climate?
Winds blowing air in from the ocean bring moisture with it. Winds that blow air out TO the ocean take moisture, leaving that area dry.
87
Why are mountains and highlands important to climate?
They promote rainfall and moisture
88
How do ocean and air currents affect local climate?
Convection currents carrying warm water to colder regions and cold water to warmer regions, moderating their temps.
89
Is El Nino cold or warm?
Warm
90
Is La Nina cold or warm?
Cold
91
Is earth in a warming or cooling period?
Warming
92
What is a temperature proxy?
The way we look at approximate temperatures of ancient dates to see what our ancient climate has been like.
93
Examples of temperature proxies:
1. Width and characteristics of tree rings
2. Chemical abundance in snow, corals, and stalactites
3. Recorded histories of sea ice melting and crop harvest times
4. Isotope analysis (for much farther dates), usually oxygen
5. Ice cores - for millions of years
94
What is "eccentricity"
The amount that Earth's orbit varies from being circular (and becomes more elliptical)
95
When does earth's climate vary more, during a circular or elliptical orbit?
Elliptical
96
Milankovitch Cycles
The name given to the three cycles in Earth's orbital conditions that influence climate on regular intervals of 100,000-year, 41,000-year, and 23,000-year cycles.
97
What is a positive feedback?
Turns a small temperature change into a larger one. Amplifies the influence a small temperature change has on the environment.
A small temp drop causes land masses to be covered with ice, which in turn reflects more sunlight back into space without heating up. As a consequence, the global temp is lowered further, more snow and ice accumulates, and the temp drops even more.
98
What is a negative feedback?
The opposite of a positive feedback. Reduces the temp drops/changes.
Minimizes the influence of a temperature change on the climate.
99
Greenhouse gases
Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat and keep earth warmer than it would otherwise be.
100
What are the 4 most important greenhouse gases?
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Methane
3. Nitrous oxide
4. Water vapor
101
True or False: Greenhouse gases are significant temperature regulators
True
102
black-body radiation
Electromagnetic radiation given off by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero.
It is the continuous light spectrum emitted by a hot, dense object. Hot = above absolute zero.
In other words, all things in the universe glow to some degree
103
Greenhouse effect
Short wavelength light from the sun is transmitted through the atmosphere warming the earth's surface.
Long wavelength light (infrared,heat) from the EARTH is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
This prevents heat from escaping , increasing earth's temp.
104
How much visible and near UV light from the sun are reflected back by snow, ice, and clouds?
About 30%
105
What wavelengths/light is captured by greenhouse gases?
Black-body radiation coming from the earth
106
True or False: Rotting vegetation creates methane
True
107
True or False: Rotting vegetation producing methane is an example of positive feedback
True
108
What type of feedback is represented by high levels of water vapors creating more clouds that prevent sunlight from reaching earth's surface?
Negative
109
True or False: When the earth's temperature gets warmer, it encourages an even higher number of CO2 and CH4 emissions, which is a positive feedback
True
110
True or False: Negative feedback is an effect caused by changes in climate that decreases how much the climate responds to the change.
True
111
True or False: Positive feedback is an effect caused by changes in climate that increases how much the climate responds to the change.
True
112
What happens during the first 100,000 year cycle of the earth's orbit?
It goes from a circular orbit to an elliptical one. This changes the sunlight distribution and heat affecting earth in different parts of the orbit.
113
What happens during the second 41,000 year cycle of the earth's orbit?
The earth goes from a large tilt to a smaller tilt (by about 3)
114
What happens during the third 23,000 year cycle of the earth's orbit?
the axis points change as the earth's rotation on its axis is uneven.
115
