Earth Systems and Resources Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing key AP Environmental Science concepts including soil properties, watershed dynamics, atmospheric layers, and global wind patterns based on lecture notes.

What is weathering and what are its three primary types?

Weathering is the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces. Its three types are physical (wind, rain, freezing/thawing of ice), biological (tree roots cracking rocks), and chemical (natural acid in rain, acids from moss/lichen).

How is soil erosion defined and what happens to the eroded fragments?

Erosion is the transport of weathered rock fragments by wind and water. The fragments are carried to a new location and deposited via deposition.

How do parent material, topography, climate, organisms, and time influence soil formation?

Parent material determines soil pH and nutrient content. Topography causes more erosion on steep slopes and more deposition at ground level. Climate increases organic breakdown when warmer and increases weathering/erosion/deposition with more precipitation. Organisms break down organic matter, tunnel, mix soil, and excrete acids. Soil formation is continuous and soil changes with age over time.

What are three major forms of soil degradation and their consequences?

1. Loss of Topsoil: Caused by tilling or deforestation, leading to wind/rain erosion and turbidity in waterways. 2. Compaction: Compression by machines, livestock, and humans, which reduces moisture retention, supports less plant growth/roots, and accelerates erosion. 3. Nutrient Depletion: Repeated crop growth removes key nutrients ($N$, $P$, $K$, $Na$, $Mg$), reducing future crop yields.

What are the three particle sizes of soil, ordered from smallest to largest?

The smallest particles are clay, intermediate particles are silt, and the largest particles are sand.

What is water-holding capacity, and why is knowing soil texture important?

Water-holding capacity is the amount of water a soil can hold against the draining force of gravity. Knowing soil texture helps farmers determine how much to fertilize and irrigate their fields.

What are Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and base saturation in soil chemistry?

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is the ability of a soil to absorb and release cations (positively charged mineral ions like calcium and potassium). Base saturation is the proportion of soil bases to soil acids expressed as a percentage.

Which organism groups account for the majority of biological activity in soils?

Fungi, bacteria, and protozoans account for $80-90\%$ of biological activity in soils. Rodents and earthworms contribute to soil mixing and breaking down large organic materials into smaller pieces.

What is a watershed and what physical characteristics determine how it drains?

A watershed is all of the land that drains into a specific body of water (including streams and rivers leading to a lake or ocean). It is determined by area, length, slope, soils, and vegetation, with ridges of land dividing watersheds.

How do vegetation, slope, and soil permeability affect watershed drainage and groundwater?

More vegetation increases infiltration and groundwater recharge while reducing runoff. A greater slope causes faster runoff velocity and more soil erosion. Soil permeability determines runoff versus infiltration rates. Water soaking into soil and rock cracks becomes groundwater, and saturated spaces form an aquifer.

What ecosystem services are provided by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed estuaries and wetlands?

They provide tourism revenue (hotels, restaurants, permits), water filtration (grass roots trapping pollutants), habitats for food sources (fish and crabs), and storm protection (absorbing and buffering floods).

What are the key characteristics of the Troposphere and Stratosphere?

The Troposphere ($\sim 0-10\,\text{miles}$) is the most dense layer where weather occurs and contains most atmospheric gas molecules. The Stratosphere ($\sim 10-31\,\text{miles}$) contains the thickest $O_3$ (ozone) layer, which absorbs UV-B and UV-C rays that mutate animal DNA.

What are the key characteristics and temperature extremes of the Mesosphere and Thermosphere?

The Mesosphere ($\sim 31-53\,\text{miles}$) is where meteors burn up and is the coldest place on Earth ($-150^\circ\text{F}$) due to low molecular density. The Thermosphere ($\sim 51-345\,\text{miles}$) absorbs X-rays and UV radiation, creates the Northern Lights (aurora borealis), and is the hottest place ($3,100^\circ\text{F}$) due to absorbing solar radiation.

What is the Exosphere?

The Exosphere ($\sim 375-6,200\,\text{miles}$) is the outermost layer of the atmosphere where it merges with space.

How does temperature change with altitude across the primary layers of the atmosphere?

In the Troposphere, temperature decreases with altitude as air gets further from the Earth's surface. In the Stratosphere, temperature increases because the top is warmed by UV rays. In the Mesosphere, temperature decreases due to low molecular density. In the Thermosphere, temperature increases from absorption of high-energy solar radiation.

How do temperature and density differences create global atmospheric movement?

The Sun heats the Equator more intensely than the poles. Warm air rises (less dense) and holds more moisture; as it rises, it expands and cools, causing water vapor to condense into rain. Cool, dry air is pushed aside, sinks, and moves back toward warmer areas.

What is the Coriolis Effect and how does it influence global wind patterns?

The Coriolis Effect occurs because Earth rotates faster at the Equator than at the poles. Air sinking at mid-latitudes gets deflected by this speed difference. This causes Trade Winds to move east to west between the tropics ($30^\circ\text{South}$ to $20^\circ$) and Westerlies to deflect west to east between the tropics and poles.

What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)?

The ITCZ is the equatorial belt where trade winds meet, air rises, and clouds and storms form. Tied to the Hadley Cell, its rising air expands and cools to cause heavy rainfall. It shifts North and South with seasons, affecting regional rainfall, agriculture, ecosystems, and water supplies.