AP Environmental Science Unit 1: Earth Systems and Resources Glossary

Vocabulary flashcards for Earth Systems and Resources

Aquifer

An underground layer of permeable rock, sediment, or soil that yields water

Atmosphere

The mixture of gases above the Earth's crust

Atmospheric pressure

The amount of force that a column of air exerts on an area of the Earth's surface; measured in millibars (mb)

Clay

Soil grains with the smallest particle size

Convergent

A plate boundary that occurs when two plates collide

Coriolis effect

The deflection of air masses to the right in the north and to the left in the south as a result of Earth's rotation

Desalination

Removing salt from salt water to produce freshwater

Desertification

When land becomes extremely dry and water-deprived

Divergent

A plate boundary that occurs when two plates move away from each other

Erosion

The process in which rock is transported elsewhere by wind and water

Exosphere

The outermost layer of the atmosphere

Fertility

The ability to support reproduction and growth

Freshwater

Water that is free of dissolved salts

Geosphere

The Earth's interior, rocks, minerals, and landforms

Groundwater

Water that is stored in soil or rock

Hot spots

Places on the surface of the Earth where molten material from the mantle reaches the lithosphere

Irrigation

The process of transporting water to plots of area to grow crops

Lithification

The process of compaction and cementation of sedimentary rocks

Lithosphere

The upper mantle and the crust

Mesosphere

The third lowest level in the atmosphere

pH

A measure of the acidity on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14

Porosity

A measure of the amount of space in between soil particles that can carry water or air

Reservoir

Large man-made lakes that supply water to communities

Runoff

Water that flows over land and has not been absorbed into the ground

Salinization

An increase in salt concentrations in water and/or soil; can be caused by over-extraction of groundwater

Sand

Soil grains with the largest particle size

Silt

Soil grains with particle sizes of 0.002 to 0.05 mm

Soil compaction

When smaller soil particles are removed and the remaining soil moves downward to fill in the available space

Soil degradation

When the fertility or health of soil decreases

Stratosphere

The second lowest level in the atmosphere; a temperature inversion layer

Surface water

Water that collects on the surface of the ground and forms rivers, lakes, and other freshwater bodies

Sustainability

The long-term capacity of an ecosystem to maintain ecological processes and functions, biological diversity, and productivity

Thermosphere

The fourth lowest level in the atmosphere

Transform

A plate boundary that occurs when two plates slide past one another

Tropopause

The area of the troposphere that has the lowest temperature; marks the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere

Troposphere

The lowest level in the atmosphere

Watershed

All of the land that supplies water to the river, often in the form of runoff

Weather

The state of the air at a particular place and time

Weathering

The process by which rock materials are broken down into smaller pieces and/or chemically changed