APES exam!

alkaline

basic/substance with a pH greater than 7.

aquifer

porous rock underground that stores water (often tapped for wells)

O horizon

top layer of soil, composed mainly of organic material and humus.

A horizon

layer of soil second to the top, “topsoil” that contains minerals and organic matter, crucial for plant growth.

B horizon

layer of soil below the A horizon, primarily composed of minerals and clay

C horizon

layer of soil beneath the B horizon, consisting of partially weathered parent material, providing a transition to bedrock.

convection

vertical movement of matter due to heating and cooling

coriolis effect

the apparent deflection of moving objects caused by Earth's rotation. (right in northern hemisphere, left in southern hemisphere)

hadley cell

a large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern that creates trade winds and influences tropical weather. It is characterized by rising warm air at the equator and descending cooler air at around 30 degrees latitude.

assimilation

absorption of ammonium, ammonia, and nitrate through plant roots

GPP vs NPP

G= total photosynthesis N=energy remaining after respiration and other biological processes

tailings

waste material from mining

scrubbers

devices to remove sulfur dioxide from industrial plants using alkaline substances

exosphere

outermost layer of atmosphere

thermosphere

second highest layer of atmosphere

mesosphere

middle layer of the atmosphere

stratosphere

atmospheric layer second closest to earth, contains ozone

troposphere

lowest atmospheric layer, most of weather occurs here

what bigeochemical cycle doesn't enter the atmosphere?

phosphorous

el niño

opposite of normal (dry weather and upwelling of warm water near aus and southeast asia, rain in n and s america)

la niña

extreme version of normal conditions