APES: Unit 4 Review

What are the soil particles listed from largest to smallest?

sand, silt, clay

What pair of nutrients are commonly depleted in soil?

Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K)

Tsunamis and land subsidence are known as __________ effects of earthquakes.

secondary

Define a transform boundary.

An area where two tectonic plates slide past one another.

What is the core of the Earth primarily made up of?

Liquid nickel and iron.

The Ring of Fire is located in the __________.

Pacific Ocean.

What is biological weathering?

When bacteria and fungi break down rocks and minerals into smaller pieces.

What type of soil is best to add to the bottom of a constructed pond to minimize leakage?

Mostly clay.

What does the A Horizon consist of?

Silt and sand concentrated; topsoil with humus.

What occurs in the B Horizon of soil?

Layer where minerals accumulate; subsoil layer.

What represents the C Horizon?

Deep, underlying non-soil materials; bedrock.

What defines the D Horizon in soil composition?

Leaf litter layer; mostly undecayed materials.

What does nutrient depletion refer to?

Repeatedly growing crops on the same soil, removing key nutrients over time.

What is meant by compaction in soil?

Compression of soil caused by machines, grazing, or humans.

Define permeability in relation to soil.

How easily water drains through a soil.

What are the major gases in the atmosphere and their approximate percentages?

Nitrogen: 78%, Argon: 0.93%, CO2: 0.04%, Oxygen: 21%, Water Vapor: 21%.

Name the outermost layer of the atmosphere.

Exosphere.

Which layer of the atmosphere has the hottest temperature?

Thermosphere.

What happens to temperature in the stratosphere?

Temperature increases.

What is the Coriolis effect?

Ocean currents that redistribute heat from the sun due to uneven heating of the earth's surface.

What are gyres?

Large, circular ocean currents.

Define watersheds in environmental science.

All the land that drains into a body of water.

What is the relationship between vegetation and groundwater recharge?

More vegetation leads to more infiltration and groundwater recharge.

What does albedo measure?

Reflection of radiation; lower albedo means higher absorption.

What is Earth's main energy source?

Incoming solar radiation.

Where does maximum insolation occur?

At the equator.

What is the Earth's axial tilt?

23.5 degrees.

Describe the El Niño phenomenon.

Occurs in the Pacific, characterized by warmer temperatures, prevents upwellings, and causes dryer conditions.

What are the typical effects of La Niña?

Cooler temperatures and wetter weather.

What is a front in meteorology?

A boundary between two air masses with different temperatures and densities.

What happens during a warm front?

Advancing warm air rises up over cooler air.

What happens during a cold front?

Advancing cold air stays close to the ground, wedging below warmer air.

Where is atmospheric pressure greater?

Near the Earth's surface.

What is a characteristic of high-pressure systems?

Lacks condensation.

What happens in low-pressure systems?

Condensation occurs.