EXAM 2

pangaea

the idea that at one point every continent was connected and was one super continent, thought of by Alfred Wegener

divergent plate boundary

when an oceanic ridge forms and it breaks apart and pushes the plates apart

convergent plate boundary

when the plates push together and up

transport plate boundary

move side by side together which leads to earth quakes

carrying capacity

comes from ecology means maximum number of organisms that a given area can support

increase in diseases, starvation, etc

what happens when carrying capacity is exceeded?

food production in developed countries

the way that land is used is by using a lot of plant breeding, inorganic fertilizers, etc

food production in developing countries

agriculture is the primary means of economy in these countries, if something happens in the global market the economy crashes

increasing yield

to increase the amount or size of something positive like food or profit

green revolution

started in the 1960s by Norman Ernest Borlaug, was a movement to eliminate hunger and help developing countries deal with growing populations by improving agricultural production through technology

90s

when was the issue of starvation in Africa adressed

sustainable agriculture

farming that meets human needs without harming the environment or depleting water and soil resources

biosphere

the part of Earth that supports life, including all ecosystems and living organisms

atmosphere

the air surrounding the earth

hydrosphere

all the water on the earth: including on the surface, underground, or in the air

lithosphere

the earths outermost, rigid layer of rock and minerals

sociosphere

a term that fully encompasses the idea of humans interaction with earth

high human impact

places with high population where we are using a lot of resources

anthrosphere

the age of man, human being for better or worse the majority on the planet and we change the biosphere

glaciation

the process, condition, or result of being covered by glaciers or ice sheets

shifts in habitats and climate zones along with more frequent distrubances

consequences of climate change

sea level rises

what happens when polar ice caps melt?

resilience

the ability to withstand climate change

vulnerability

the likelihood of being harmed by climate change

the paris climate agreement

an international treaty that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change

GMOS: genetically modified organisms

splicing together the genes from widely divergent species to achieve particular characteristics

lower price, higher nutrition, greater durability

pros to GMOS

human health concerns, environmental concerns

cons to GMOS

food security

the ability of the state to regularly provide an adequate amount of food to the entire population

25,600 glasses a day which is 583,000 gallons a year

how much H2O does the average american use

hidden!

95% of the water we use is….

blue water

water extracted from nature and underground (exists on the surface)

green water

rain that falls directly onto crops

grey water

water that goes back into nature but could be polluted

virtual water

a way of measuring the volume of water that different places are using

privatization

the transfer of ownership from the government to private entities

commodification

the process of turning something into a commodity (raw material that is bought and sold)

industrialization

emissions impact quality and temperature

urbanization

density impacts access and sanitation

agriculture

runoff impacts sedimentation and pollution loads

weather

conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, can change within minutes or hours

climate

how the atmosphere behaves over a long period of time and space, average regional weather pattern over decades

albedo

the difference between the surfaces that absorb incoming solar radiation

urban areas generally trap heat because of the buildings and asphalt

what happens with heat in urban areas?

valleys

trap heat during the day and gather cold air at night

height

what does temperature decrease with?

lakes and seas

moderate the temperature of the nearby land

warm ocean currents

cause warmer air temperature

sea breezes

cool the land

hot winds from the desert

bring heat to areas far away

air from the upper atmosphere

mixes down to the surface on sunny days

precipitation

air masses are pushed up and their ability to hold water diminishes and rain begins

ITCZ

intertropical convergence zone

climate change

a slow shifting of climate patterns from general cooling or heating of the atmosphere

global warming

observed warming of earths surface and climates

greenhouse effect

a natural process that warms the earths surface by trapping heat from the sun

greenhouse gasses

gasses in the atmosphere that trap heat and warm the earths surface