AP Environmental Science Unit 4 Terms

A collection of flashcards covering significant terms and concepts for AP Environmental Science Unit 4.

Biome

A large geographical area characterized by specific climatic conditions, flora, and fauna.

Chaparral (shrublands)

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, often with drought-resistant shrubs.

Desert

A biome that receives less than 25 cm of rain per year, often characterized by extreme temperatures.

Savanna

A grassland biome with scattered trees, found in regions with a seasonal rainfall pattern.

Deciduous Forest

A forest biome characterized by trees that lose their leaves in the fall.

Temperate Rainforest

A biome characterized by high rainfall, moderate temperatures, and lush vegetation.

Taiga

A biome characterized by coniferous forests located in the northern regions, also known as boreal forests.

Temperate Grasslands

Biomes dominated by grasses and characterized by moderate rainfall, which is not sufficient for forests.

Tropical Rainforest

A biome characterized by high rainfall, high biodiversity, and warm temperatures throughout the year.

Tundra

A cold biome characterized by permafrost, low biodiversity, and limited vegetation.

Convection Current

The movement of fluid caused by differences in temperature and density.

El Niño

A climate pattern characterized by the warming of ocean surfaces in the central and eastern tropical Pacific.

ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation)

A climate variation characterized by periodic changes in ocean temperature and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific.

La Niña

A climate pattern characterized by cooler than average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific.

Upwelling

The process by which deep, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface.

Equinox

The time of year when day and night are of equal length, occurring in spring and fall.

Latitude

The geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the Earth's surface.

Seasons

The four divisions of the year caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis and its orbit around the sun.

Plate Tectonics

The theory that explains the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates and their interactions.

Tectonic plates

Large slabs of Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at plate boundaries.

Valley-divergent

A tectonic boundary where two plates move away from each other, often forming new crust.

Asthenosphere

A semi-fluid layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere, involved in tectonic movements.

Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, including the crust and upper mantle.

Solar Insolation

The measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area during a given time.

African Rift

A tectonic plate boundary where the African continent is splitting into two, forming rift valleys.

Solstice

The time of year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, resulting in the longest and shortest days.

Algal Bloom

A rapid increase in the population of algae in water bodies, often due to excess nutrients.

Hot Spot

An area in the Earth's mantle from which heat rises as a thermal plume.

Guano

Fertilizer made from the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats, high in phosphorous.

Dead Zone

Areas in bodies of water where oxygen levels are low, leading to dead aquatic life.

Eutrophication

The process by which nutrient pollution leads to algal blooms and hypoxic conditions in water bodies.

Limiting Factor

A condition that restricts growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or population.

Phosphate

A chemical compound containing phosphorus, often a limiting nutrient in aquatic ecosystems.

Phosphorous Cycle

The movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Runoff

Water that flows over land and into bodies of water, often carrying pollutants.

Atmosphere

The layer of gases surrounding the Earth, essential for life.

Exosphere

The outer layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where the atmosphere transitions into space.

Conditions (In Meteorology)

Factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind that affect the atmosphere.

Mesosphere

The layer of the atmosphere where temperatures decrease with altitude, and meteors burn up.

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, characterized by temperature increases with altitude.

Thermosphere

The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, where auroras occur and temperatures rise dramatically.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs and life exists.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of moving objects caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Ferrel Cell

A mid-latitude cell in the atmospheric circulation that influences weather patterns.

Hadley Cell

A tropical atmospheric circulation pattern that creates trade winds and determines climatic zones.

Polar Cell

A circulation pattern at the poles that influences temperature and precipitation.

Igneous Rock

Rock formed from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

Lava

Molten rock that erupts from a volcano or fissure.

Magma

Molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface.

Metamorphic Rock

Rock formed through the alteration of existing rock by heat, pressure, or chemical processes.

Transform Plate Boundary

A boundary where two tectonic plates slide past each other.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

An underwater mountain range formed by divergent tectonic plates in the Atlantic Ocean.

Mountain

A large landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, typically with steep slopes.

Rain Shadow Effect

A phenomenon where one side of a mountain range receives more rainfall than the other.

Leeward Side

The side of a mountain that faces away from the prevailing winds, typically drier.

Windward Side

The side of a mountain that faces the prevailing winds, receiving more moisture.

Earthquake

A sudden shaking of the ground caused by the movement of tectonic plates.

Convergent Plate Boundary

A boundary where two tectonic plates move toward each other.

Continental Crust

The thick part of the Earth's crust that forms the continents.

Oceanic Crust

The thinner part of the Earth's crust that underlies the oceans.

Ring of Fire

A region in the Pacific Ocean known for its high volcanic and seismic activity.

Sedimentary Rock

Rock formed through the accumulation and compaction of sediment.

Rock Cycle

The natural cycle of rock formation, degradation, and reformation.

Volcano

An opening in the Earth’s crust through which magma, ash, and gases erupt.

Subduction Zone

A tectonic boundary where one plate moves under another plate.

Divergent Plate Boundary

A tectonic boundary where two plates move apart from each other.