APES Vocab Unit 6

Epicenter

the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake

focus

The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an earthquake

magnitude

Measure of the energy released during an earthquake

divergent plates

plate boundary where two plates separate, causes mid-ocean ridge

convergent plates

Plates moving together. One descends below the other.

transform plates

Plates that are moving past each other (rubbing next to each other) in opposite directions

subduction

One plate going under another plate

lithosphere

the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

hydrosphere

all the waters on the earth's surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth's surface, such as clouds.

asthenosphere

the upper layer of the earth's mantle, below the lithosphere, in which there is relatively low resistance to plastic flow and convection is thought to occur.

relative dating

any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects

convection

The transfer of thermal energy by the circulation or movement of a liquid or gas

conduction

Form of heat transfer where heat energy is directly transferred between molecules through molecular collisions or direct contact.

air pressure

The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface

air temperature

a measure of how hot or cold the air is

humidity

a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air

weather

the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.

climate

The average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

pressure gradient

a physical quantity that describes which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location.

ENSO

El Niño Southern Oscillation, see-sawing of air pressure over the S. Pacific

coriolis effect

The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents.

hadley cells

convection cells north and south of the equator

ferrel cells

convection cells in the middle of the hemisphere; in between hadley cells and polar cells

polar cells

convection cells are the north and south pole

rainshadow effect

A location of little rain on the leeward side of a mountain range due to descending air

troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere; temp decreases with altitude increase

stratosphere

2nd layer of atmosphere; extends from 10 to 30 miles up; location of ozone layer; absorbs 95% of Ultraviolet radiation; temperature increases with altitude increase.

ozone layer

Layer of the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone; absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation

exosphere

The outer layer of the thermosphere, extending outward into space.

mesosphere

The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere

thermosphere

The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases

hot spots

areas of volcanic activities that result from plumes of hot solid material that have risen from deep inside earths mantle