Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources

earthquakes

occurs on a fault, pressure caused by extreme stress in Earth's crust (stress caused by tectonic plates, volcanoes, or man-made), sudden and powerful release of energy, shock waves cause intense vibrations

volcanoes

plates are pushed together, magma is pushed together or pulled apart, pressure explodes, then the pressure forces magma to the top

mountains, atmosphere

how volcanoes formed our current environment

1. form ____ (by becoming not active)

2. formed Earth's ____ (contribute to the carbon cycle by releasing carbon)

gases, forests, lakes, life, die

ways that volcanic eruptions affect the environment, natural ecosystems, and humans:

1. ___ released into air (ash, poisonous steam)

2. ___ are flattened

3. ___ are drowned

4. all ___ is distinguished

5. people can ___

igneous

type of rock formed by magma cooling and hardening, either cools inside or outside Earth (lava), bubbles form from air caught inside

granite, basalt, obsidian

3 examples of igneous rocks

sedimentary

type of rock formed by particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other fragments, gradually forms layers, is fairly soft/crumbles easily, sometimes contains fossils

conglomerate, limestone

2 examples of sedimentary rocks

metamorphic

type of rock formed under the surface from intense heat and pressure, has ribbonlike layers and shiny crystals

gneiss, marble

2 examples of metamorphic rock

metamorphic, melting, magma, cooling, igneous, weathering, sediment, compacting, sedimentary, heat

label the rock cycle

transform

what type of fault is this?

divergent

what type of fault is this?

convergent

what type of fault is this?

physical weathering

mechanical breakdown of rocks and minerals

water, wind, temperature

abiotic causes of physical weathering

plant roots, animal burrowing

2 biotic causes of physical weathering

chemical weathering

increased surface area (from physical weathering) leads to a change in chemical composition of mineral compounds

carbonation, hydrolysis, oxidation

3 types of chemical weathering

chemical weathering

releases essential nutrients from rocks, important part of the phosphorus cycle

anthropogenic chemical weathering

____ ____ ____: fossil fuel combustion --> sulfur and nitrogen oxides --> react with water vapor --> sulfuric acid --> acid precipitation (rain)

acidification, vision, human health, decay

acid rain effects:

1. _____ of soils/trees

2. impaired ____

3. ____ ____ (asthma, bronchitis, emphysema)

4. ____ (limestone, marble statues, gravestones, buildings, and bridges)

raw materials, organic materials, mature soil, nutrient poor

soil development stages:

1. from below: physical breakdown of rocks and primary materials (newly exposed minerals) provide ___ ____

2. from above: deposition of ____ ____ from dead organisms and their waste

3. ___ ___ has more organic material and more nutrients

4. very old soils may be ___ ___ due to plants and water leaching nutrients

organic, topsoil eluviated, subsoil, C horizon, R horizon

label the soil layers (names)

O A E B C R

label the soil layers (letters)

organic

soil layer with decomposed organic material, the lower, most decomposed part is called humus, most pronounced in forest

topsoil

soil type with surface soil, organic material mixed with mineral material most biological activity

eluviated

soil type, in some acidic soils, metals and nutrients (iron, aluminum, organic acids) are leached from above

subsoil

soil type with mineral material, zone of accumulation or metals and nutrients

C horizon

soil type that is least weathered, similar to parent material

R horizon

soil type made of unweathered parent material (rock)

forest

biome with lots of humus (organic soil), thick O layer (because of leaves), and bleaching E layer

grassland

biome with very thick topsoil

rainforests

biome with thin O and A layer (no topsoil), uses a lot == not very healthy soil

desert

biome with no O layer, a thin A layer (little topsoil), large B layer

cycle nutrients, habitats, engineering medium, water storage/filtration, plant growth

label the diagram of ecosystem services provided by soil

parent material, climate, topography, organisms, time

5 soil properties are determined by

parent material

a property soil is determined by, rocks, quartz = nutrient poor, calcium carbonate = high calcium, high pH, high crop productivity

climate

a property soil is determined by, too cold = much undecomposed organic material, humid tropics = rapid weathering leaching of nutrients, decomposition of organic detritus

topography

a property soil is determined by, slope and arrangement of landscape, amount of erosion, depth of soil, soil quality)

organisms

a property soil is determined by, plants = nutrient removal, excretion of acids, animals = tunneling and burrowing by earthworms, gophers, and voles, all organisms = cycling of nutrients by fungi and bacteria, humans = using/walking on soil

time

a property soil is determined by, young vs. mature soils, soil formation over time

topsoil compaction, vegetation

anthropogenic soil degradation:

1. ___ plowed/removed = increased erosion

2. ____ of soil by machines, humans, and livestock

3. less ___ = more erosion

drying, waterlogging, root

compaction of soil by humans:

1. ___ (water won't circulate)

2. _____ (water stays in top layer and oxygen won't circulate)

3. more mechanical/physical resistance to ___ development

positive

what type of feedback loop is this?

nutrients

traditional agriculture = depletion of soil ____

chemical

pesticides = ____ pollution

size/weight, permeability, porosity

3 physical properties of soil

sand, silt, clay

list the soil types from least to most size/weight and permeability

porosity

% space in the soil sample

clay is non-porous

why are many landfills lined with clay?

cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation

2 chemical properties of soil

cation exchange capacity

chemical property of soil, nutrient-holding capacity, organic material = high

base saturation

chemical property of soil, proportion of bases to acids (as a &), bases are essential for nutrition, acids are detrimental

Ca, K, Mg, Na, and Al, H

4 essential bases for soil nutrition, 2 detrimental acids for soil nutrition

loam

what is the best agricultural soil?

cecil

in NC we have ____ soil, which is a dark gray sandy loam with a subsoil of red clay loam

decomposition, breakdown, nitrogen

3 biological properties of soil:

1. _____ (fungi, bacteria, protozoans)

2. ____ down of material (rodents, earthworms, snails, slugs)

3. _____ cycle (nitrogen-fixing bacteria)

soil texture chart

what is this? (used for finding types of soil)

atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere

the earth's life-support system consists of 4 interacting systems:

1. _____ (air)

2. ____ (water)

3. ____ (rock, soil, sediment)

4. ____ (living things)

atmosphere

a life supporting system, provides O2 and CO2, absorbs solar radiation, moderates climate, transports and recycles water and nutrients

atmospheric pressure

we live at the bottom of an "ocean of air," just as water pressure is caused by the weight of water, _____ _____ is caused by the weight of air

weight/area

pressure formula (column of air from surface to the top of atmosphere)

as pressure decreases, altitude increases

pressure and altitude relationship

nitrogen, oxygen, other noble gases

permanent gases in the atmosphere