APES UNIT 1 VOCAB TEST

Convergent boundaries

one plate slides under another (subduction); causes earthquakes, volcanoes, Mariana Trench, island arcs (Ring Of Fire)

Divergent boundaries

two plates move apart; causes sea spreading (ocean/ocean), ocean ridges, rifts (continental/continental)

Transform boundaries

two plates sliding against each other; earthquakes, no volcanic activity

Island Arcs

long chains of active volcanoes with intense seismic activity

Hot Spots

volcanoes located at the interior of tectonic plates

Parent Material

rock material from which soil derived

Soil Horizons

a layer parallel to the soil surface whose physical, chemical and biological characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath

Soil Erosion

movement of sediment

Greenhouse effect

the absorption of infared radiation by atmospheric gases and reradiation back towards the Earth

Greenhouse Gases

gases that trap heat in the atmosphere; water vapor, carbon dioxide (most abundant), methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbon

Porosity

soil or rocks ability to hold water

Permeability

water ability to move through rock or soil

Soil Texture Triangle

how you figure out the materials for soil, contains sand, silt, and clay

Watershed

an area of land that feeds all the water running under it and draining off of it into a body of water

Insolation

measuring of incoming solar radiation

Gyre

large scale pattern of surface water circulation

Upwelling

upward movement of ocean water towards the surface, replineshes nutrients

Thermohaline

when surface and deep ocean water mix

Convection

less dense material rises and more dense material sinks

GWP (globally warming potential)

an estimate of how much a molecule of any compound can contribute to global warming over a period of 100 years

Weathering

physical breaking down of rock

Deposition

dropping of new sediment in a new place

Albedo

percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface

Weather

state of the atmosphere at a specific time

Climate

long-term average of temperature, precipitation and other weather conditions

Rain Shadow Effect

region w/ dry condition found on the leeward side of a mountain range

El Nino (ENSO)

La Nina

Coriolis Effect

the apparent defletion caused to a moving object caused by the Earth's rotation.

O Horizon

surface litter; fallen leaves, organic detritus, humus

A Horizon

topsoil; where plants grow; zone of biological activity, holds water and nutrients

E Horizon

zone of leaching; dissolved materials moving downwards; not always present

B Horizon

subsoil; larger rock particles mixed with inorganic and organic materials; accumulation of leached materials; almost no organic material

C Horizon

rock that underwent weathering

R Horizon

bedrock; solid rock layer; usually sandstand, limestone, or granite