apes unit 4 earth systems and resources
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43 Terms
Q: What is the lithosphere?
A: A thin, brittle layer of rock broken into tectonic plates, floating on the mantle.
Q: What boundary forms mountains and trenches through subduction?
A: Convergent boundary.
Q: What features form at divergent boundaries?
A: Mid-ocean ridges, seafloor spreading, rift valleys, volcanoes.
Q: What causes earthquakes at transform boundaries?
A: Plates sliding past each other and releasing built-up stress.
Q: What are hotspots?
A: Areas where hot magma rises through the mantle, forming volcanoes independent of plate boundaries.
Q: What components make up soil?
A: Weathered rock (sand, silt, clay), organic matter (humus), water, air, and organisms.
Q: How is soil formed from below?
A: Through weathering of parent material via physical, chemical, and biological processes.
Q: What is the O horizon in soil?
A: The organic layer with roots, leaf litter, and decomposed material.
Q: What human activities lead to soil degradation?
A: Tilling, deforestation, and overgrazing.
Q: Which soil particle is the largest?
A: Sand.
Q: What is porosity?
A: The amount of empty space between soil particles.
Q: How does clay affect water retention?
A: It increases water retention due to low pore space and high surface area.
Q: What does a soil pH test reveal?
A: The acidity level, which affects nutrient availability.
Q: What happens when sandy soil drains too quickly?
A: Plant roots dry out due to low water retention.
Q: What are the main gases in Earth’s atmosphere?
A: Nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (~1%), CO₂, and water vapor.
Q: What layer contains weather and is the most dense?
A: Troposphere.
Q: What layer absorbs UV radiation and contains the ozone layer?
A: Stratosphere.
Q: Why does the thermosphere have high temperatures but feel cold?
A: Solar energy is absorbed, but air density is too low for heat transfer.
Q: What role does ozone play in the stratosphere?
A: It protects life by blocking harmful UV radiation.
Q: What drives Hadley cell circulation?
A: Warm air rising at the equator, cooling, and sinking at 30° latitude.
Q: What is the Coriolis effect?
A: The deflection of wind due to Earth's rotation.
Q: Which winds blow from east to west near the equator?
A: Trade winds.
Q: What weather is found at 0° and 60° latitude?
A: Low pressure, rising air, and high rainfall.
Q: What causes global wind patterns?
A: Uneven solar heating, air density, and the Coriolis effect.
Q: What is a watershed?
A: An area of land where all water drains to a common body of water.
Q: How does vegetation affect water flow in a watershed?
A: It increases infiltration and reduces runoff.
Q: What is a major cause of sediment pollution?
A: Deforestation and agricultural tilling.
Q: What is a riparian buffer?
A: Vegetated areas near rivers that absorb runoff and reduce pollution.
Q: What is insolation?
A: The solar energy received at Earth's surface.
Q: Why is solar intensity higher at the equator?
A: The sun’s rays strike more directly, concentrating energy.
Q: What causes Earth’s seasons?
A: Earth’s 23.5° axial tilt and orbit around the sun.
Q: How does albedo affect temperature?
A: High albedo surfaces reflect more sunlight, staying cooler.
Q: What is insolation?
A: The solar energy received at Earth's surface.
Q: Why is solar intensity higher at the equator?
A: The sun’s rays strike more directly, concentrating energy.
Q: What causes Earth’s seasons?
A: Earth’s 23.5° axial tilt and orbit around the sun.
Q: How does albedo affect temperature?
A: High albedo surfaces reflect more sunlight, staying cooler.
Q: What is the rain shadow effect?
A: Moist air rains on the windward side of a mountain; dry air causes deserts on the leeward side.
Q: How do oceans influence climate?
A: They moderate temperatures and increase humidity in coastal areas.
Q: What happens to trade winds during El Niño?
A: They weaken or reverse direction.
Q: How does El Niño affect South America’s coast?
A: It brings warmer, wetter weather and suppresses upwelling.
Q: What is upwelling?
A: The movement of cold, nutrient-rich water to the ocean surface.
Q: What are La Niña’s effects on the U.S. and Australia?
A: Cooler, drier weather in the U.S.; heavy rains in Australia.
Q: How does ENSO disrupt global climate?
A: It shifts rainfall patterns, ocean temperatures, and storm activity worldwide.
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