Flashcards
Earth Systems and Resources
Cards in this deck (25)
- 1plate tectonicsthe lithosphere is divided into plates which are (usually) in constant motion
- 2transform platestectonic plates move sideways past each other -- results in earthquakes, faults
- 3divergent plates2 plates "diverge", or move away from each other -- results in seafloor spreading, rifts
- 4convergent plates2 plates "converge", or crash together -- results in volcanoes, mountains, island arcs, tsunamis
- 5igneous rocks-cooled magma (intrusive or extrusive)
-any rock can be melted to magma and then cooled to become igneous
-can be found at convergent boundaries - 6sedimentary rocks-compressed, layered rocks
-any rock can become sedimentary if goes through weathering/layering process
-usually where fossils are found
-found with rocks exposed to weathering - 7metamorphic rocks-heated, but non-melted rocks
-usually found at plates
-any rock can become metamorphic if it's compressed w/out melting - 8monocultureplanting one crop in a large area, results in no genetic variation and leeches the soil of specific nutrients
- 9leechingthe transportation of molecules through soil via groundwater (often from the plowing/ burning of fields) , results in quality nutrients being pushed further down
- 10salinizationexcessive watering, so salt appears on surface, leads to land degradation but can be reduced by using drip irrigation
- 11erosion (in reference to damaging soil)the physical movement of rock fragments, which is bad b/c there's nothing to hold soil together (ex: the Dust Bowl)
- 12aquifersmall spaces found within permeable layers of rock and sediment where water is found
confined: surrounded by layer of rock / clay
unconfined: porous rock covered by soil, water flows freely - 13groundwater rechargethe process where water from precipitation percolates through soil and works its way into the groundwater
- 14stratosphere2nd closest layer of atmosphere to surface, contains the ozone layer
- 15troposphereclosest layer of atmosphere to surface, includes weather
- 16differential heatingresult of (1) albedo, and (2) the way the sun strikes earth, latitude and solar intensity
it creates wind - 17albedohow much energy is reflected off of a surface (ex: glaciers have a higher albedo than the ocean)
- 18hadley cellcirculation pattern in the tropical atmosphere (30 degrees N/S of equator) -- it creates a rising motion near equator and descending motion in sub-tropics (think triangle)
- 19Coriolis effectlag of atmosphere slightly behind the spinning of the earth- deflects wind
the deflection of an object's path b/c of the rotation of earth - 20El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO)reversal of wind and water currents in south pacific - suppresses upwelling off coast of Peru + results in cooler/wetter conditions in southeast U.S. + causes dry weather in southern Africa/ southeast Asia
- 21soil degradationthe loss of some or all of a soil's ability to support plant growth
- 22the rock cyclethe geologic cycle governing the constant formation, alteration, and destruction of rock material - results from tectonics, weathering, erosion, etc.
- 23seismic activityfrequency and intensity of earthquakes experienced over time
- 24rain shadowa region with dry conditions found on leeward side of mountains - result of humid winds from ocean causing precipitation on the windward side
- 25climate vs. weatherclimate: average weather in an area over long period of time
weather: short-term conditions of atmosphere in local area (ex: humidity, clouds, etc)
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- Advanced placement Environmental Science (Flashcards) Flashcards on Earth Systems and Resources, created by Ashley Hay on 01/04/2016.
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- Ashley Hay
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