Albedo
Ability of a surface to reflect light
rain shadow
a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side
Coriolis effect
The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents.
Watershed
An ecosystem where all water runoff drains into a single body of water
subduction zone
in tectonic plates, the site at which an oceanic plate is sliding under a continental plate.
Porosity
Percentage of open spaces between grains in a rock.
Permeability
Ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
The periodic changes in winds and ocean currents, causing cooler and wetter conditions in the southeastern United States and unusually dry weather in southern Africa and Southeast Asia.
divergent plate boundary
an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other
convergent plate boundary
A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, come together, or crash into each other.