geology exam 3

What is atmospheric stability?

The tendency of air to resist or enhance vertical motion.

What is adiabatic cooling?

Cooling of rising air due to expansion without heat exchange.

What is adiabatic heating?

Warming of sinking air due to compression.

What is the Dry Adiabatic Rate (DAR)?

~10°C per 1000 m for unsaturated air.

What is the Moist Adiabatic Rate (MAR)?

~6°C per 1000 m for saturated air (varies).

What is the Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR)?

The actual rate of temperature decrease with altitude in the atmosphere.

When is the atmosphere unstable?

When rising air is warmer than surrounding air.

When is the atmosphere stable?

When rising air is cooler than surrounding air.

What is conditional instability?

Air is stable when dry but unstable when saturated.

What are the conditions for cloud formation?

Cooling air, saturation, and condensation nuclei.

How are clouds classified?

By altitude, shape, and precipitation potential.

What are the four lifting mechanisms?

Convergent, convectional, orographic, frontal.

What is orographic lifting?

Air rising over mountains.

What is the windward side?

Side of mountain where air rises and cools (wet).

What is the leeward side?

Side where air descends and warms (dry).

What is a rain shadow?

Dry region on the leeward side of a mountain.

What is frontal lifting?

Warm and cold air masses meet and rise.

Difference between cold and warm fronts?

Cold fronts are steeper and faster; warm fronts are gradual.

What is an air mass?

Large body of air with uniform temperature and humidity.

How are air masses named?

By moisture (continental/maritime) and temperature (tropical/polar).

What are thunderstorms?

Storms with lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and strong winds.

What is a tornado?

A violently rotating column of air connected to the ground.

What is a mesocyclone?

Rotating updraft within a thunderstorm.

What are tropical cyclones?

Large rotating storms over warm ocean water.

Regional names for tropical cyclones?

Hurricanes (Atlantic), typhoons (Pacific), cyclones (Indian Ocean).

What is the hydrologic cycle?

Movement of water through Earth systems.

What is evaporation?

Liquid water → vapor.

What is evapotranspiration?

Evaporation + plant transpiration.

What is infiltration?

Water entering the soil.

What is runoff?

Water flowing over land.

What is groundwater flow?

Movement of water underground.

What is hygroscopic water?

Thin film tightly bound to soil particles.

What is capillary water?

Water held in soil pores (available to plants).

What is gravitational water?

Water that drains through soil due to gravity.

What is potential evapotranspiration (PET)?

Maximum possible water loss.

What is actual evapotranspiration (AET)?

Actual water loss.

What is water surplus?

Excess water after needs are met.

What is water deficit?

When demand exceeds supply.

What is an aquifer?

Underground layer that stores water.

Difference between confined and unconfined aquifers?

Confined = trapped under pressure; unconfined = open to surface.

What is over-pumping?

Excessive groundwater extraction.

What is a watershed?

Land area draining into a river.

What is a drainage divide?

Boundary between watersheds.

What is gradient?

Slope of a river.

What is discharge?

Volume of water flowing per time.

What are drainage patterns?

Arrangement of streams (e.g., dendritic).

What are fluvial processes?

Erosion, transport, deposition.

Types of sediment load?

Types of sediment load?

What is a braided stream?

Multi-channel stream with sediment bars.

What is a meandering stream?

Single channel with curves.

What is a cut bank?

Eroding outer bank of a curve.

What is a point bar?

Depositing inner bank.

What is an oxbow lake?

Abandoned meander loop.

What is a floodplain?

Flat area prone to flooding.

What is an alluvial fan?

Fan-shaped sediment deposit.

What is a delta?

Sediment deposit at river mouth.

What are abiotic factors?

Non-living components (water, soil, climate).

What are biotic factors?

Living organisms.

What is photosynthesis?

Process plants use to make food.

Photosynthesis equation?

CO₂ + H₂O + sunlight → glucose + O₂

Respiration equation?

Glucose + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O + energy

What is a food chain?

Linear feeding relationship.

What is a food web?

Interconnected feeding relationships.

What are trophic levels?

Feeding positions in a food chain.

What are producers?

Organisms that make their own food.

What are consumers?

Organisms that eat others.

What are decomposers?

Break down dead material.

What is an omnivore?

Eats plants and animals.

What is a herbivore?

Eats plants.

What is a carnivore?

Eats animals.

What is an energy pyramid?

Shows energy loss at each trophic level.

Why is energy lost between levels?

Heat loss and metabolism.

What is biological magnification?

Increase of toxins up the food chain.

Examples of biomagnification?

DDT and mercury.