EDUC 224 - Earth's Processes

sleet

partially solid water that falls to the earth as water and ice pellets

fossil fuels

a natural non-renewable fuel source derived from underground, fossilized (petrified) remains of living organisms (ex: natural gas, petroleum, coal)

water vapor

water in the gas phase

seismometer

a device used to measure the amplitude of waves in an earthquake

greenhouse effect

the trapping of the sun’s heat in the atmosphere due to the increased presence of gases in the atmosphere; light is allowed to pass through, but heat is trapped, similar to the glass walls of a greenhouse

global warming / climate change

an overall increase in average global temperature due to the greenhouse effect (the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere trapping more heat)

cryptodome

underground bulge of magma on the side of a stratovolcano (ex: before the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption)

bulges

areas on earth in line with the moon’s gravity which have a larger amount of water

chemical weathering

the process of breaking down rocks by chemical means (ex: acid rain)

lightning

a huge electrical spark within clouds, between clouds, or between the ground and clouds

wildfire

an uncontrolled fire that destroys plants, animals, and habitats over a large region

volcano

structure that forms after lava erupts though cracks or vents in Earth’s crust

subduction zone

the region at a convergent plate boundary where dense oceanic plate sinks and is pulled beneath the less dense continental plate. creates oceanic trenches. (ex: coast of Washington and Oregon)

algal bloom

a rapid increase in the population of algae in a marine community ; happens naturally, but it can also be caused by excess fertilizer from farms entering waterways

condensation

a phase change from the gas state to the liquid state (ex: humidity condensing on a cold glass of tea)

constructive processes

processes that add new landforms to the surface of the earth (ex: hot spots causing volcanoes)

transform boundary

a boundary between tectonic plates where the two plates slide past one another; the earth around the boundary is crumpled (ex: San Andreas fault)

tectonic plates

plates or portions of Earth’s crust and upper mantle, which glide across the asthenosphere (ex: Pacific Plate)

tropics

the region between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees north latitude) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees south latitude); warm temperatures; high rainfall (ex: Amazon Rainforest)

viscosity

the resistance to flowing (ex: honey has a much higher this than water)

subglacial volcanoes

volcanoes that form under ice caps (ex: Viedma)

weathering

a destructive process by which rock is gradually worn away and broken into smaller sediments and/or soil (ex: water gradually breaking down and smoothing rock)

extrusive igneous rock

igneous rock formed when magma breaks through the Earth’s surface and cools rapidly (ex: basalt; obsidian; pumice)

high tide

higher water levels due to the gravity of the moon and sun

magma

underground molten rock, present before and during a volcanic eruption

coriolis effect

a curving of the flow of wind or water caused by Earth’s rotation; to the right in the northern hemisphere, to the left in the southern hemisphere

maritime tropical air mass (mT)

a warm, moist air mass that formed over tropical oceans

temperate zones

the areas between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5 degrees N and S) and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles (66.5 degrees N and S)

cinder cone

cone-shaped hill volcano near the vents or sides of shield volcanoes, form when pressure builds up in a vent (ex: Sides of Mauna Kea, Hawaii)

supervolcanoes

very large and destructive stratovolcano that erupts infrequently but violently (ex: Yellowstone Caldera)

climate

a measure of an area’s long-term weather patterns (ex: average temperature range in the Amazon Rainforest is 64 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit)

greenhouse gases

gases which, when present in elevated quantities in Earth’s atmosphere, trap solar radiation and cause the planet to warm (ex: carbon dioxide)

sedimentary rock

rock formed when sediments build up and cement together; visible layers (ex: sandstone; siltstone; coal; shale)

elastic energy

potential energy resulting from objects being compressed, stretched, or otherwise deformed; energy due to strain

geyser

a hot spring of water that intermittently jets water and steam into the air; caused by magma heating the groundwater (ex: Old Faithful)

epicenter

the spot on earth’s surface directly above an earthquake

artificial satellites

devices in Earth’s orbit which collect weather data and allow scientists to quickly monitor atmospheric conditions (ex: weather satellite)

feedback loop (in systems)

the part of a system in which some (or all) of the system’s output is used as input for future operations (ex: body temperature regulation - the body temperature is achieved and then measured for future changes needed)

surface runoff

water which flows over the surface of the earth to a body of water

mechanical weathering

the process of breaking down rocks by physical means (ex: water freezes in a crack in the rock and breaks it apart)

stratovolcano / composite volcano

large, layered volcano with violent eruptions of felsic materials, found inland from subduction zones including in the Ring of Fire (ex: Mt. Fuji)

nitrogen cycle

the process by which nitrogen circulates between the earth and the atmosphere

computer forecast models

a weather model, usually in text or map format, which uses data collected from weather balloons, satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations around the world to determine the likelihood of thunderstorm conditions developing (ex: Global Forecast Model)

rock cycle

the process by which rock changes form and cycles through the earth’s mantle and crust

tsunami

an energetic ocean wave in deep water caused by an underwater earthquake, its height increasing as it approaches land

denitrification

the process by which nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted back into nitrogen gas (ex: ammonification and nitrification)

carbon cycle

the process by which carbon circulates between the earth and the atmosphere

hail

large chunks of ice that fall to the earth during severe weather

fissure vent

relatively flat volcanoes where lava erupts from a crack in Earth’s crust (ex: Iceland)

caldera

a large crater that forms when the top of a volcano falls into the hollow space left after an eruption (ex: Crater Lake)

percolate

to travel from the surface to groundwater through the spaces between soil and rock particles

photosynthesis

process by which plants use light, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food (sugar) and oxygen

polar

the region between 66.5 degrees north and south latitudes and the poles; cool summers and extremely cold winters; low rainfall (ex: Antarctica)

air masses

regions of warm or cold, wet or dry air that tend to move as a unit across Earth’s surface, carrying their temperature and humidity compositions with them

erosion

the slow wearing away of the surface of the land by wind or water (ex: wind erosion, water runoff)

tides

rising and falling sea levels due to the sun’s and moon’s gravity and the rotation of the earth

snow

solid water crystals that fall to the earth as snowflakes

decomposer

an organism that breaks down dead matter for energy and nutrients. returns unused nutrients to the soil (ex: fungi [mushroom])

continental arctic air mass (cA)

a frigid, dry air mass that formed over arctic landmasses

igneous rock

rock formed when magma or lava cools; air pockets or crystals (ex: basalt; granite)

nitrogen fixation

the process by which nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is converted by lightning or bacteria into a form useable by plants (ex: nitrogen gas into ammonia and nitrates)

faults

place in the rock at which the stress of compression or tension is too much for the rock to bear so the rock breaks or shears. larger faults are cracks in the earth’s crust (ex: San Andreas fault in California; Anatolian fault in Turkey)

maritime polar air mass (mP)

a cold, moist air mass that formed over polar oceans

northern hemisphere

the half of the earth north of the equator

lava

molten rock ejected onto Earth’s surface during an eruption

earthquakes

a physical event involving the shaking of the surface of the earth (ex: Haitian earthquake in 2010)

weather

a measure of an area’s short-term atmospheric conditions (ex: 70% chance of rain with a high of 80 degrees today)

intrusive igneous rock

igneous rock formed when magma stays below Earth’s surface (ex: granite; gabbro)

lava dome

smaller dome found in the crater of a stratovolcano (ex: in the crater of Mt. St. Helens after the 1980 eruption)

southern hemisphere

the half of the earth south of the equator

destructive processes

processes that break down or destroy landforms (ex: water running across a rock causes the rock to wear down)

hot spring

a geological feature produced when water is heated by geothermal activity and pushed to Earth’s surface (ex: Banff Upper Hot Springs in Banff National Park)

focus

the actual location where the earthquake begins

humidity

a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air

acid rain

rain with a lower pH than neutral ; corrosive to many substances, including rocks ; often caused by pollution (ex: sulfur dioxide dissolves in the water droplets of clouds to make sulfuric acid)

continental tropical (cT)

a warm, dry air mass that formed over tropical landmasses

levee

a wall that keeps water from flooding an area; often built of rock, dirt or sand

neap tide

lesser tidal effects due to the sun and moon pulling on the earth from different directions

spring tide

greater tidal effects due to the sun, moon, and Earth being aligned

subduction

the process of one tectonic plate moving down beneath another along a convergent boundary; this process drags rocks down with it, but not far enough into the mantle to melt

ring of fire

a circle of violent volcanoes and earthquakes at convergent plate boundaries around much of the Pacific Ocean (ex: Pacific Ocean rim)

precipitation

water which falls to the earth due to gravity (ex: rain, snow, sleet, hail)

cumulonimbus clouds

multi-level clouds; impressive, towering appearance; indicate thunderstorms and severe weather

latitude

the horizontal lines of the grid system that measure distance above and below the Equator

seismic waves

the wave pattern of movement of the earth produced by an earthquake

mafic magma

smooth-flowing magma formed from dense, dark, mantle rock, basalt forms from this

hot spot

a place far away from tectonic plate boundaries where upwelling magma creates a hole in Earth’s crust and lava erupts onto the surface (ex: Galapagos Islands)

convergent boundary / destructive boundary

a boundary between tectonic plates where the two plates move toward one another; creates mountains and trenches

metamorphic rock

form when rock is subjected to great heat and pressure; banding or stripes (ex: marble)

triangulation

a process scientists use in order to identify the epicenter of an earthquake

water cycle / hydrologic cycle

the process by which water circulates between the earth and the atmosphere

evaporation

a phase change from the liquid state to the gas state (ex: water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level)

richter scale

the logarithmic scale used for indicating the magnitude of an earthquake; the scale spans from one to ten, with ten being the strongest

shield volcano

large, gently-sloped volcano formed from basaltic lava flows, present at divergent plate boundaries and above hot spots (ex: Hawaiian Islands [Mauna Loa])

continental polar air mass (cP)

a cold, dry air mass that formed over polar landmasses

transpiration

process of evaporation in which water exits as vapor from the surface of plant leaves

low tide

lower water levels due to being out of line with the gravity of the moon and sun

thunderstorm

cloudy, rainy conditions with high winds, thunder and lightning

ensemble forecast models

a weather model which uses several models at one time in order to determine the models’ validity; if all the models predict the same weather conditions, they are likely correct (ex: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts uses Ensemble forecasting)

felsic magma

viscous magma formed from continental crust, rich in feldspar and quartz, often light in color, granite forms from this