🌱 AP Environmental Science Unit 4 Notes (copy)

Plate Tectonics

The theory explaining the movement of the Earth's plates and how they cause geological phenomena.

Divergent Plate Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where plates move away from each other, creating mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.

Subduction

The process where one tectonic plate is forced under another, commonly occurring at convergent plate boundaries.

Asthenosphere

The solid, flexible outer layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere.

Soil Horizons

Layers of soil differentiated by their composition and characteristics, identified as O, A, B, and C.

Weathering

The breakdown of rocks into smaller fragments through physical, chemical, or biological processes.

Erosion

The transport of weathered rock fragments by natural forces such as wind and water.

Porosity

The amount of pore space within a soil that allows for the retention of water and air.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of wind and ocean currents caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Albedo

The proportion of light that is reflected by a surface, influencing surface temperature.

El Niño

A climate pattern characterized by warmer ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, affecting global weather.

La Niña

A climate pattern characterized by cooler ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, often leading to different weather patterns compared to El Niño.

Watershed

An area where water collects, often part of a river system, draining into a common outlet.

Soil Fertility

The ability of soil to support plant growth through nutrient availability and proper conditions.

Thermohaline Circulation

A large-scale ocean circulation driven by global density gradients created by differences in temperature and salinity.