APES unit 4

What are tectonic plates?

Huge slabs of rock or lithosphere floating on the mantle.

What causes the mantle to be molten magma?

Heat from the Earth's core.

What is the composition of the Earth's core?

A dense ball of nickel, iron, and radioactive elements.

What occurs at divergent boundaries?

Plates move away from each other due to rising magma, causing seafloor spreading.

What forms at convergent boundaries?

Oceanic plates subduct beneath continental plates, forming volcanic mountain ranges and trenches.

What happens at transform boundaries?

Plates slide past each other, commonly causing earthquakes.

What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

Weathering is the breakdown of rocks, while erosion is the movement of rock pieces by wind and rain.

What are the soil horizons?

O Horizon (organic matter), A Horizon (topsoil), B Horizon (subsoil), C Horizon (parent material).

What is soil texture?

The percentage of sand, silt, and clay in the soil.

What is loam?

A balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay.

What does soil pH measure?

The acidity or basicity of the soil.

What is the Hadley Cell?

A circulation pattern where warm, moist air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks around 30° N/S.

What is the Coriolis Effect?

The deflection of air movement due to Earth's rotation, affecting wind patterns.

What is a watershed?

An area of land that drains into one central body of water.

What factors affect insolation?

Curvature of Earth's surface and atmospheric conditions.

What causes seasons on Earth?

Earth's tilt on its axis (23.5°) as it orbits the sun.

What is the significance of the Summer Solstice?

The Northern Hemisphere is tilted maximally towards the Sun, resulting in the longest day.

What is the rain shadow effect?

Dry conditions on the leeward side of a mountain due to moisture loss on the windward side.

What are the conditions of El Niño?

Weakening of trade winds, warm surface waters pooling along South America, causing flooding there and drought in Australia.

What occurs during La Niña conditions?

Intensified trade winds, leading to warmer weather in Australia and colder, drier conditions in South America.

What is the role of soil in groundwater filtration?

Soil traps pollutants as water infiltrates, acting as a natural filtration system.

What is the temperature-altitude relationship in the atmosphere?

Temperature generally decreases with altitude in the troposphere but increases in the stratosphere.

What are trace gases in the atmosphere?

Gases that make up about 0.4% of the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide.

What is the function of the ozone layer?

Absorbs UVB and UVC rays, protecting life on Earth.

What is the significance of the September Equinox?

Both hemispheres are equally exposed to the sun, resulting in equal day length.

What is the definition of soil fertility?

The ability of soil to support plant growth, determined by nutrient levels and pH.

What is the impact of acidic soils on plants?

Acidic soils have lower nutrient levels and can damage plant roots by making toxic metals more soluble.

What is the thermocline?

The balance between warm and cold waters in the ocean, which can tilt from east to west.