apes unit 4 vocab

Aeration

The process of increasing oxygen levels in soil or water, which helps plant roots and aquatic life by improving air and nutrient flow.

Atmospheric Convection Cells

Large air circulation patterns in the atmosphere caused by warm air rising and cold air sinking. They help move heat and moisture around the Earth.

Aurora Australis

Also called the Southern Lights, it’s a colorful light display near Antarctica caused by solar particles hitting Earth’s atmosphere.

Aurora Borealis

Also known as the Northern Lights, it’s a natural light show in the polar skies caused by charged solar particles interacting with Earth’s magnetic field.

Biomes

Large ecological areas with similar climate, plants, and animals, like deserts, forests, and tundras.

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)

A soil’s ability to hold and exchange positively charged nutrients (cations) needed by plants.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Human-made chemicals once used in fridges and sprays. They damage the ozone layer and are now mostly banned.

Convection Cells

Circular patterns of movement in air or water created by hot material rising and cool material sinking.

Convergent Boundary

A place where two tectonic plates push into each other, often creating mountains, earthquakes, or volcanoes.

Coriolis Effect

The bending of winds and currents due to Earth’s rotation—right in the Northern Hemisphere, left in the Southern.

C horizon

A soil layer made of weathered rock from which soil forms. It’s below the B horizon and above bedrock.

Denitrification

A part of the nitrogen cycle where bacteria turn nitrates into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere.

Discharge Point

Where water from a river or stream empties into another body of water like a lake or ocean.

Divergent Boundary

A place where tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and create new crust.

Earthquakes

Sudden shaking of the ground caused by the movement of tectonic plates along faults.

El Niño

A climate event where warm Pacific Ocean water changes weather patterns worldwide, often bringing floods or droughts.

Equinoxes

Times of the year when day and night are nearly equal in length—around March 21 and September 21.

Fertility (Soil)

How well soil can support plant growth. Good fertility means it has enough nutrients and organic matter.

Fossil Fuels

Nonrenewable energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas formed from ancient organisms.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases like CO₂ and CH₄ that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

Nitrogen Cycle

The movement of nitrogen through the environment, involving processes like fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

O horizon

The top soil layer rich in decomposed organic matter like leaves and twigs. Great for plant growth.

Ozone Layer

A layer in the stratosphere that absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun, protecting life on Earth.

Permeability

How easily water flows through soil or rock.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use sunlight, water, and CO₂ to make food (glucose) and oxygen.

Porosity

The amount of empty space in soil or rock that can hold water or air.

Rain Shadow

A dry area on the downwind side of a mountain, where less rain falls because moisture gets blocked by the mountains.

R horizon

The solid rock layer beneath all soil layers—unweathered bedrock.

Rift Valleys

Long, narrow valleys formed when tectonic plates pull apart at divergent boundaries.

Soil Compaction

When soil is compressed, reducing pore space and making it harder for water, air, and roots to move through.

Soil Erosion

The movement of soil by wind, water, or human activity. It can remove fertile topsoil.

Soil Horizons

Layers of soil with different colors, textures, and compositions. They include O, A, B, C, and R horizons.

Soil pH

A measure of how acidic or basic soil is. It affects nutrient availability and plant health.

Soil Texture Triangle

A diagram that classifies soil based on the amount of sand, silt, and clay it contains.

Solar Radiation

Energy from the sun in the form of light and heat. It powers weather, photosynthesis, and climate systems.

Solstices

The longest and shortest days of the year, marking the start of summer and winter. They happen around June 21 and December 21.

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere. It contains the ozone layer and is where planes often fly.

Subduction

When one tectonic plate slides under another at a convergent boundary, often forming volcanoes.

Tectonic Plates

Massive slabs of Earth’s crust that move and interact at boundaries, causing earthquakes, mountains, and more.

Trade Winds

Steady winds that blow from east to west near the equator. Historically used by ships for trading routes.

Transform Boundary

A place where two tectonic plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.

Transform Faults

Cracks where tectonic plates move sideways past one another. They’re sites of strong seismic activity.

Volcanoes

Openings in Earth’s crust where magma, gases, and ash erupt. Often found at plate boundaries or hotspots.

Water Filtration

The process of removing impurities from water to make it clean for drinking or other uses.

Water-Holding Capacity

How well soil can retain water for plant use. Clay soils hold more water; sandy soils drain quickly.

Water Quality

A measure of how clean or safe water is for drinking, wildlife, or recreation. Affected by pollutants, pH, and nutrients.

Watershed

An area of land where all water drains into the same body of water. Important for managing pollution and water flow.