Environmental Unit 4

Inner Core

The solid innermost layer of the Earth, primarily composed of iron and nickel.

Outer Core

The liquid layer of the Earth’s core, primarily made of iron and nickel.

Asthenosphere

A semi-fluid layer of the mantle that allows tectonic plates to float.

Divergent Boundary

A type of plate boundary where tectonic plates move apart, creating new oceanic crust.

Subduction Zone

A convergent boundary where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another.

Hot Spot

A region where magma rises independently of tectonic boundaries, often creating volcanic islands.

Watershed

An area of land where all the water drains into a particular body of water.

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

The soil’s ability to hold and exchange nutrients.

Adiabatic Cooling

The cooling of air as it rises and expands due to decreasing pressure.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of wind paths due to the Earth's rotation.