AP Environmental Science: Unit 4

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65 Terms

1

low pressure systems in the northern hemispheres rotate…

counterclockwise

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2

low pressure systems in the southern hemispheres rotate…

clockwise

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3

deserts are located…

30 degrees north and south the equator

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4

coriolis effect

the curving of the path of objects or fluids due to the earths rotation

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5

what stabilizes the temperature in an area

proximity to water

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6

lake effect

wind blowing across warmer water will carry more water vapor because of evaporation

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7

what powers the weather

differential heating

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8

how is the heat energy redistributed

by the atmosphere around the globe in six cells

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9

el nino

warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial pacific

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10

la nina

cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial pacific

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11

rain shadow

disruptions of airflow by mountains and cities affect local climates. Windward sides are wet. leeward sides are dry.

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12

what do ocean currents influence

temperature and rainfall

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13

as temperature decreases elevation…

increases

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14

prevailing winds

winds that blow from a single direction over a specific area

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15

convergence zones

areas where prevailing winds meet

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16

watershed

aslo called a drainage basin, an area of land where all water drains to a common waterway (bad stuff comes from upstream)

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17

what causes unequal distrubution of sunlight

earths tilt

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18

convergent boundaries

a tectonic boundary where two plates are moving toward each other

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19

what do convergent boundaries create

mountains, volcanoes, or subduction zones that form large trenches

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20

divergent boundaries

a tectonix boundary where two plates are moving away from each other and new crust forms from magma that rises to the earths surface between the plates

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21

divergent boundaries create

ocean crust at mid ocean ridges

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22

transform boundaries

places where plates slide sideways past eachother

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23

transform boundaries create

earthquakes, ridges and valleys (lithosphere is neither created nor destroyed)

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24

fault

a fracture or zone of fractures between blocks of rock. the boundary between tectonic plates where earthquakes happen

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25

convection currents

heat driven cycles that occur in the air, ocean, and mantle

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26

subduction zone

a collision between tectonic plates where one sinks into the mantle underneath the other plate

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27

what powers the plates

the heat from earths interior

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28

oceanic-continental convergent boundaries

oceanic plates subduct under continental because oceanic plates are more dense. trenches. volcanoes, and island arcs form

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29

hotspots

volcanoes not necessarily at boundaries

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30

continental-continental convergent

create mountains

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31

elastic rebound theory

the earths crust can gradually store elastic stress that is released suddenly during an earthquake.

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32

what gases make up the atmosphere

nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), others

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33

the greatest pressure in the atmosphere is…

at the bottom (in the troposphere)

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34

troposhere

80% of gases are here. as you go higher up the temperature decreases, all weather occurs here.

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35

where is the ozone layer

in the stratosphere

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36

stratosphere

as you go higher temperature increases, airplanes here because of the stable air

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37

mesosphere

meteors here, as you go higher temperature decreases

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38

thermosphere

as you go higher temperature increases

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39

o soil layer

humus (top)

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40

a soil layer

topsoil

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41

e soil layer

elluviation

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42

b soil layer

subsoil

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43

c soil layer

bedrock starts to weather

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44

r soil layer

bedrock/parent material (bottom)

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45

Volcanoes not at plate boundaries are a result of…

hotspots

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46

3 soil particle sizes from biggest to smallest

sand, silt, clay

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47

Which soil particle is best at retaining water and nutrients because of its high surface area to volume ratio?

clay

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48

What is Humus?

dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.

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49

What is the best soil texture for most agriculture because of its balance of attributes?

loam

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50

Where are PSC’s( polar stratospheric clouds)?

stratosphere

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51

Where are noctilucent clouds?

mesosphere

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52

Where do pollutants such as ash persist for long periods of time because the air is so stable here?

stratosphere

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53

The shape of our Earth means that when sunlight reaches the poles it is less direct than near the

equator

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54

march equinox

brings earlier sunrises, later sunsets and spring in the Northern Hemisphere

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55

december solstice

the Northern Hemisphere tilts the farthest away from the Sun. it is when we have the least amount of daylight of any time of the year (winter)

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56

september equinox

the start of fall

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57

june solsice

occurs at the moment the earth's tilt toward the sun is at a maximum (summer) so the longest days

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