Geography & Earth System Dynamics

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from geography lecture notes covering Earth systems, Tibet geography, climatograms, and tropical rainforest dynamics.

Tibet

An autonomous region of China in a political and administrative sense, bordering Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, and the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Strait of Hormuz

A narrow, strategically vital ocean passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

Atmosfeer (Atmosphere)

The sphere of Earth consisting of gases that provides oxygen gas and maintains a livable climate.

Biosfeer (Biosphere)

The global system comprising all living organisms on Earth, providing food and habitat.

Geosfeer (Geosphere)

The solid part of Earth composed of rocks and minerals, supplying raw materials and acting as a carbon sink.

Hydrosfeer (Hydrosphere)

The sphere of Earth comprising all water bodies, providing water for ecological processes and human consumption.

Verwering (Weathering)

The breakdown of rocks under the influence of weather, climate, plants, and animals.

Erosie (Erosion)

The process of loosening parts of the Earth's crust and transporting the loose material.

Evapotranspiratie (Evapotranspiration)

The combined process of water evaporation from surfaces and plant leaf transpiration into the atmosphere.

Koolstofput (Carbon Sink)

A reservoir or system, such as the geosphere or dense forests, that absorbs and stores more carbon dioxide than it releases over a long period.

Tropisch Regenwoud (Tropical Rainforest)

A biome featuring evergreen trees, multi-layered dense vegetation, high biodiversity, average monthly temperatures above $18\,^{\circ}\text{C}$, and abundant rainfall year-round.

Plankwortels (Buttress Roots)

Roots that grow vertically above the soil surface to anchor massive rainforest trees in shallow soil.

Strooisellaag (Litter Layer)

The top layer of organic plant debris on soil, which is virtually non-existent in tropical rainforests due to fungi breaking down leaves up to 60 times faster than in the taiga.

Slash and Burn

An agricultural technique where farmers cut down and burn forest plots so the ash temporarily fertilizes poor soil before moving to new land after a few harvests.

Rondônia

A state in South Brazil heavily affected by rapid deforestation due to 1960s-1970s government infrastructure development, land redistribution, and agricultural migration.

Klimatogram (Climatogram)

A chart illustrating a location's monthly mean temperatures ($T_m$) with a line graph and monthly precipitation totals ($N_m$) with bar graphs over twelve months.

Groeimaand (Growth Month)

A month in a climatogram where climatic conditions meet both temperature ($T_m \ge 10\,^{\circ}\text{C}$) and rainfall ($N_m \ge 2 \times T_m$) criteria required for tree growth.