APES Ch.4 Flashcards

Adiabatic cooling

The cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands

Adiabatic heating

The heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of Earth and decreases in volume

Albedo

The percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface

Aphotic zone

The layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

Benthic zone

The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean

Biome

A geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land, and a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow in water.

Boreal forests

A forest made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons.

Chemosynthesis

A process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide.

Climate

the average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time

Coral bleaching

A phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white.

Coral reefs

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline.

Coriolis effect

The deflection of an object's path due to the rotation of Earth

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

The periodic changes in winds and ocean currents, causing cooler and wetter conditions in the southeastern United States and unusually dry weather in southern Africa and Southeast Asia.

Freshwater wetlands

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation.

Gyres

A large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

Hadley cells

A convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30° N and 30° S.

Intertidal zone

The narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide

Intertropical convergence zone

An area of Earth that receives the most intense sunlight; where the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells converge.

Latent heat release

The release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water

Limnetic zone

A zone of open water in lakes and ponds

Littoral zone

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow

Mangrove swamps

A swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water.

Permafrost

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil

Photic zone

The upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Phytoplankton

Floating algae

Polar cells

A convection cell in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60° N and 60° S and sinks at the poles, 90° N and 90° S.

Profundal zone

A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes

Rain shadow

A region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side

Salt marshes

A marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates.

Saturation point

The maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature.

Savannas

A region of grassland with scattered trees lying between the equatorial forest and the hot deserts in either hemisphere.

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending roughly 16 to 50 km (10-31 miles) above the surface of Earth.

Subtropical deserts

A biome prevailing at approximately 30° N and 30° S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation.

Temperate grassland/ cold desert

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers.

Temperate rainforests

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

Temperate seasonal forests

A biome with warmer summers and colder winters than temperate rainforests and dominated by deciduous trees.

Thermohaline circulation

An oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water

Tropical rainforests

A warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation.

Tropical seasonal forests/ Savanna

A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons

Troposphere

A layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth, extending up to approximately 16 km (10 miles), and containing most of the atmosphere's nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor.

Tundra

A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation.

Upwelling

The upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents

Woodland/ shrubland

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters