APES Review - Earth's Interdependent Systems
About this set
Created by:
LisaNev on April 12, 2012
Subjects:
Classes:
Buchholz High School - Class of 2016, Buchholz High School - Class of 2015
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
88 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 core | The innermost zone of the Earth. The inner portion is composed primarily of nickel and iron, and is solid due to tremendous pressure. The outer portion is composed mostly of iron and sulfur, and is semi-solid due to lower pressures. |
| mantle | the layer of the earth between the crust and the core |
| lithosphere | the outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 miles) thick. |
| crust | our solid surface of the earth |
| asthenosphere | the part of the mantle that lies just below the lithosphere |
| tectonic plates | The lithosphere can move and break into large pieces known as these. There are a total of a dozen or so in the lithosphere that move independently of one another, and are made up of both mantle and crust. |
| plate boundaries | the edges of tectonic plates |
| convergent boundary | a plate boundary where two plates are moving toward each other. |
| divergent boundary | a plate boundary at which plates are moving away from each other. This causes an upwelling of magma from the mantle to cool and form new crust. |
| transform boundary | also known as transform faults, boundaries at which plates are moving past each other, sideways. |
| subduction zone | in tectonic plates, the site at which an oceanic plate is sliding under a continental plate |
| volcanoes | an opening in the earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected |
| active volcanoes | volcanoes that are currently erupting or have erupted within recorded history |
| dormant volcanoes | volcanoes that have not been known to erupt |
| extinct volcanoes | It's thought that these volcanoes will never erupt again. |
| rift volcanoes | volcanoes that occur when plates move away from each other. When they erupt, new ocean floor is formed as magma fills in where the plates have separated. |
| subduction volcanoes | volcanoes that occur where plates collide and slide over each other |
| hot spot volcanoes | volcanoes that don't form at the margin of plates. Instead, they are found over "hot spots," which are areas where magma can rise to the surface through the plates. The Hawaiian Islands are thought to have formed over a hot spot. |
| earthquake | the result of vibrations that release energy. They often occur as two plates slide past one another at a transform boundary. |
| focus | location at which an earthquake begins within the earth |
| epicenter | the initial surface location of where an earthquake begins |
| seismograph | the size, or magnitude, of earthquakes is measured by using an instrument known as this. It was devised by Charles Richter in 1935. |
| inner core | the molten core of the Earth |
| abiotic | related to factors or things that are separate and independent from living things; nonliving |
| acid | any compound that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Also, a water solution that contains a surplus of hydrogen ions. |
| air mass | enormous bodies of air that move as a unit. |
| A layer | a soil horizon; the layer below the O layer. Is formed of weathered rock, with some organic material; often referred to as topsoil. |
| alkaline | a basic substance; chemically, a substance that absorbs hydrogen ions or releases hydroxyl ions; in reference to natural water, a measure of the base content of the water. |
| aquifer | an underground layer of porous rock, sand, or other material that allowed the movement of water between layers of nonporous rock or clay. Frequently tapped for wells. |
| arable | land that's fit to be cultivated |
| atmosphere | the gaseous mass or envelope surrounding a celestial body—especially the one surrounding the earth which is retained by the celestial body's gravitational field. |
| barrier island | a long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland, built up by the action of wages and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges. |
| biological weathering | any weathering that's caused by the activities of living organisms. |
| biotic | living or derived from living things. |
| B layer | a soil horizon; receives the minerals and organic materials that are leached out of the A horizon. |
| chemical weathering | the result of chemical interaction with the bedrock that is typical of the action of both and atmospheric gases. |
| C layer | a soil horizon; made up of larger pieces of rock that have not undergone much weathering. |
| clay | the finest soil, made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter. |
| conduction | the transmission or conveying of something through a medium or passage, especially the transmission of electric charge or heat through a conducting medium without perceptible motion of the medium itself. |
| convection | the vertical movement of a mass of matter because of heating and cooling; this can happen in both the atmosphere and Earth's mantle. |
| convection currents | air currents caused by the vertical movement of air due to atmospheric heating and cooling |
| coral reef | an erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates. |
| Coriolis effect | The observed effect of the Coriolis force, esp. the deflection of an object moving above the earth, rightward in the Northern Hemisphere, and leftward in the Southern Hemisphere. |
| crop rotation | the practice of alternating the crops grown on a piece of land—for example, corn one year, legumes for two years, and then back to corn. |
| delta | a usually triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river. |
| doldrums | a region of the ocean near the equator, characterized by calms, light winds, or squalls. |
| drip irrigation | a method of supplying irrigation water through tubes that literally drip water onto the soil at the base of each plant. |
| El Niño | a climate variation that takes place in the tropical Pacific about every three to seven years, for a duration of about one year. |
| erosion | the process of soil particles being carried away by wind or water. Moves the smaller particles first and hence degrades the soil to a coarser, sandier, stonier texture. |
| estuary | the part of the wide lower course of a river where its current is met by the tides. |
| fault | the place where two plates abut each other. |
| Green Revolution | the development & introduction of new varieties of (mainly) wheat and rice that has increased yields per acre dramatically in countries since the 1960s. |
| greenhouse effect | the phenomenon whereby the earth's atmosphere traps solar radiation, caused by the presence in the atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass through but absorb heat radiated back from the earth's surface. |
| Hadley cell | a system of vertical and horizontal air circulation predomination in tropical and subtropical regions and creating major weather patterns. |
| headwaters | the water from which a river rises; a source. |
| horizon | a layer of soil. |
| humus | the dark, crumbly, nutrient-rich material that results from the decomposition of organic material. |
| hurricane | (typhoon, cyclone) - a severe tropical cyclone originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean, traveling north, northwest, or northeast from its point of origin, and usually involving heavy rains. |
| insolation | the delivery rate of solar radiation per unit of horizontal surface. |
| jet stream | a high-speed, meandering wind current, generally moving from a westerly direction at speeds often exceeding 400 km (250 miles) per hour at altitudes of 15 to 25 km (10 to 15 miles). |
| land degration | when soil becomes water-logged and then dries out, and salt forms a layer on its surface. |
| La Niña | a cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every 4 to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns. |
| loamy | soil composed of a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter. |
| monoculture | the cultivation of a single crop on a farm or in a region or country; a single, homogenous culture without diversity or dissension. |
| monsoon | a wind system that influences large climatic regions and reverses direction seasonally. |
| O layer | the uppermost horizon of soil. It is primarily made up of organic material, including waste from organisms, the bodies of decomposing organisms, and live organisms. |
| physical weathering | (mechanical weathering) - any process that breaks down rock into smaller pieces without changing the chemistry of the rock; typically wind and water. |
| prior appropriation | when water rights are given to those who have historically used the water in a certain area. |
| rain shadow | the low-rainfall region that exists on the leeward (downward) side of a mountain range. This rain shadow is the result of the mountain range's causing precipitation on the windward side. |
| red tide | a bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters. Certain dinoflagellates of the genus Gonyamlax produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish |
| R horizon | The bedrock, which lies below all of the other layers of soil |
| riparian right | the right, as to fishing or to the use of a riverbed, or one who owns riparian land (the land adjacent to a river or stream). |
| salinization | the process in which soil becomes saltier and saltier until, finally, the salt prevents growth of plants. Caused by irrigation, as salts brought in with the water remain in the soil as water evaporates. |
| sand | the coarsest soil, with particles 0.05-2.0 mm in diameter. |
| silt | soil with particles 0.002-0.05 mm in diameter. |
| Southern Oscillation | the atmospheric pressure conditions corresponding to the periodic warming of El Niño and cooling of La Niña. |
| thermocline | a layer in a large body of water, such as a lake, that sharply separates regions differing in temperature, so that the temperature gradient across the layer is abrupt. |
| thermosphere | the outermost shell of the atmosphere, between the mesosphere and outer space, where temperatures increase steadily with altitude. |
| topsoil | the A layer of soil is often referred to as this and is most important for plant growth. |
| trade winds | the more or less constant winds blowing in horizontal directions over the earth's surface, as part of Hadley cells. |
| tropical storm | a cyclonic storm having winds ranging from approx. 48 to 121 km (30 to 75 miles) per hour. |
| upwelling | a process in which cold, often nutrient-rich, waters from the ocean depths rise to the surface. |
| watershed | the region draining into a river system or other body of water. |
| water-scarce | countries that have a renewable annual water supply of less than 1,000 cubic meters per person. |
| water-stressed | countries that have a renewable annual water supply of about 1,000-2,000 cubic meters per person. |
| weather | the day-to-day variations in temperature, air pressure, wind, humidity, and precipitation mediated by the atmosphere in a given region. |
| weathering | the gradual breakdown of rock into smaller and smaller particles, caused by natural chemical, physical, and biological factors. |
| wetlands | a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.