AP Environmental Science: Unit 4

low pressure systems in the northern hemispheres rotate…

counterclockwise

low pressure systems in the southern hemispheres rotate…

clockwise

deserts are located…

30 degrees north and south the equator

coriolis effect

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

what stabilizes the temperature in an area

proximity to water

lake effect

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

what powers the weather

differential heating

how is the heat energy redistributed

by the atmosphere around the globe in six cells

el nino

warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial pacific

la nina

cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial pacific

rain shadow

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

what do ocean currents influence

temperature and rainfall

as temperature decreases elevation…

increases

prevailing winds

winds that blow from a single direction over a specific area

convergence zones

areas where prevailing winds meet

watershed

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

what causes unequal distrubution of sunlight

earths tilt

convergent boundaries

a tectonic boundary where two plates are moving toward each other

what do convergent boundaries create

mountains, volcanoes, or subduction zones that form large trenches

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

divergent boundaries create

ocean crust at mid ocean ridges

transform boundaries

places where plates slide sideways past eachother

transform boundaries create

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

fault

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

convection currents

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

subduction zone

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

what powers the plates

the heat from earths interior

oceanic-continental convergent boundaries

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

hotspots

volcanoes not necessarily at boundaries

continental-continental convergent

create mountains

elastic rebound theory

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

what gases make up the atmosphere

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

the greatest pressure in the atmosphere is…

at the bottom (in the troposphere)

troposhere

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

where is the ozone layer

in the stratosphere

stratosphere

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

mesosphere

meteors here, as you go higher temperature decreases

thermosphere

as you go higher temperature increases

o soil layer

humus (top)

a soil layer

topsoil

e soil layer

elluviation

b soil layer

subsoil

c soil layer

bedrock starts to weather

r soil layer

bedrock/parent material (bottom)

Volcanoes not at plate boundaries are a result of…

hotspots

3 soil particle sizes from biggest to smallest

sand, silt, clay

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

clay

What is Humus?

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

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

loam

Where are PSC’s( polar stratospheric clouds)?

stratosphere

Where are noctilucent clouds?

mesosphere

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

stratosphere

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

equator

march equinox

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

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)

september equinox

the start of fall

june solsice

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