APES Unit 4

core

Dense mass of solid nickel, iron, and radioactive elements that release massive amount of heat

mantle

Includes liquid layer of magma surrounding core, asthenosphere, and lower part of lithosphere

asthenosphere

Solid, flexible layer of magma surrounding core, asthenosphere, and lower part of lithosphere

lithosphere 

Thin, brittle layer of rock floating on top of mantle (broken up into tectonic plates)

crust

Very outer layer of the lithosphere, earth's surface

mantle

Includes liquid layer of magma surrounding core, asthenosphere, and lower part of lithosphere

asthenosphere 

Solid, flexible layer of magma surrounding core, asthenosphere, and lower part of lithosphere

lithosphere

Thin, brittle layer of rock floating on top of mantle (broken up into tectonic plates)

crust

Very outer layer of the lithosphere, earth's surface

divergent plate boundaries 

plates move away from each other as magma plume from the mantle forces plates apart; forms mid oceanic ridges, volcanoes, seafloor spreading, and rift valleys 

convergent

plates move towards each other, leading to subduction (one plate being forced beneath another). forms mountains, island arcs, earthquakes, and volcanoes

transform

plates slide past each other in opposite directions, forms earthquakes

ring of fire 

pattern of volcanoes all around pacific plate; offshore island arcs (japan) 

transform faults

likely location of earthquakes

hotspots

areas of especially hot magma rising up to lithosphere; mid-ocean islands (iceland, hawaii)

soil

mix of geologic rock (sand silt and clay) and organic components (humus, nutrients, water and air, living organisms)

humus

main organic part of soil (broken down biomass like leaves, dead animals, waste, etc)

weathering is break-down and erosion is the movement 

difference between weathering and erosion with rocks and soil 

soil formation from below

weathering of parent material produces smaller and smaller fragments that make up geological/inorganic part of soil; sand, silt, clay, minerals

soil formation from above

breakdown of organic matter adds humus to soil, erosion deposits soil particles from other areas, adding to soil

Organic, topsoil, subsoil, weathered rock

horizons of soil from top to bottom

Organic soil horizon 

Layer of organic matter on top of soil that provides nutrients and limits water loss to evaporation

Topsoil soil horizon

Layer of humus (decomposed organic matter) and minerals from parent material; has most biological activity

subsoil soil horizon

Lighter layer below topsoil, mostly made of minerals w/little to no organic matter

Weathered rock soil horizon

Least weathered soil that is closest to the parent material, sometimes called bedrock

loss of topsoil, compaction, nutrient depletion

3 types of soil degradation

loss of topsoil

type of soil degradation with Tilling (turning soil for agriculture) + loss of vegetation disturb soil and make it more easily eroded by wind and rain, drying out soil and removing nutrients

compaction

type of soil degradation with Compression of soil by agricultural machines, grazing, livestock, and humans reduces ability to hold moisture

nutrient depletion 

type of soil degradation with Repeatedly growing crops on the same soil removes key nutrients over time

sand, silt, clay

almost all soils are mixtures of varying amounts of these three soil particles:

soil texture

the % of sand, silt, and clay in a soil, always adds up to 100%

Porosity 

How much volume of water that a soil sample can hold 

Permeability

Is the opposite of porosity; is how easily water drains through the soil

too permeable

when soil is too sandy, impact on plant growth is:

suffocation from lack of permeability

when soil is too much clay, impact on plant growth is:

loam

ideal soil for most plant growth is ____, as it balances drainage with water holding capability

nitrogen

Unusable to plants without being fixed, 78% of atmosphere

ETMSOT, exosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, peak ozone layer, troposphere

layers of earth’s atmosphere from outer to inner

exosphere 

outermost layer where atmosphere merges with space 

Thermosphere 

hottest temp, absorbs harmful x rays and uv radiation, produces northern lights 

troposphere

most atmospheric gas molecules found here, responsible for weather

stratosphere

ozone layer found here

hotter 

going from inner to outer atmosphere layers, temperature decreases then increases (except peak ozone layer) and so on until exosphere which gets ____ than thermosphere 

moisture

warm air holds more ____ than cold

water vapor

cool air can’t hold as much ____

expands, cools, sinks 

rising air ____ and ___, and after this the air ____

Coriolis effect

deflection of objects traveling through atmosphere due to spin of earth

watershed

all of the land that drains into a specific body of water, determined by slope 

vegetation, soil composition, and slope

the three things which play a large role in how watersheds drain

water quality

human activities impact watershed’s ____, such as nutrient pollution leading to eutrophication

insolation 

incoming solar radiation measured in solar intensity 

latitude 

insolation varies by ___

insolation

for solar intensity & latitude, the equator has higher ____ than higher latitudes

albedo

the proportion of light that is reflected by a surface

high, low

surfaces with ___ albedo reflect more light and absorb less water, while surfaces with ___ albedo reflect less light and absorb more water

less, intense 

higher latitudes receive _ insolation which causes cooler climates and less precipitation, while the equator receives the most __ insolation causing higher temp and precipitation 

mountains, oceans

__ disrupt wind and produce rain shadow effect, and _ moderate temperature and add moisture to the air

windward side

warm moist air from ocean hits this side of the mountain, rises, cools → lush green vegetation

leeward side 

dry air descends down this side of the mountain, warming it as it sinks, leading to arid (dry) desert conditions 

gyres

large ocean circle patterns due to global wind; clockwise in northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in southern hemisphere

upwelling zones

areas of ocean where winds blow warm surface water away from a land mass, drawing up colder, deeper water to replace it. brings oxygen and nutrients to the surface, resulting in productive fishing

El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) 

Pattern of shifting atmospheric pressure & ocean currents in the pacific ocean between south america and australia/southeast asia 

thermohaline circulation

connects all of the world’s oceans, mixing salt, nutrients, and temperature throughout

neutral has cool water on coast of SA and warm water on SE Asia, el nino has warm water in SA and cool water in SE Asia, la nina has lots of cool water in SA and warm water with rain in SE Asia

enso summary conditions from neutral, el nino, to la nina