Plate Tectonics and Seasons
What is the layer of the atmosphere that all life forms exists in and all weather takes place in?
Troposphere
This is the known parental material where the soil is built by weathered rock fragments and can be bedrock
C Horizon
What is the Insolation - incoming solar radiation formula?
Insolation = Solar radiation / Area
What is any area where two crustal plates collide and one plate is forced under another into the mantle?
Subduction Zone
*Double Jeopardy*
Name two parts of a watershed and their functions?
Divide, Tributary, Delta or river
Divide - Highest point surrounded by water
Tributary - Smaller streams that flow into another body of water
River - Large flowing/moving body of water
Delta - Where rivers empty into oceans
What are the three major rock classifications?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock
The effects of larger bodies of water with winds coming inland have what kind of density, climate and pressure on LAND?
-Less dense
- Warmer
- Low pressure
This type of boundary has movement towards each other?
And this is where the plate is being subducted where the less dense plate will form a what?
Convergent boundary
Volcanic Island Arc
Soil is a unique resourceful ecosystem. Name the following in proper order:
- Mineral particles from bedrock
- Smallest mineral particle layer that holds water extremely well
- living organisms, including soil, bacteria, worms, fungi, plant roots and insects
1. Gravel/Sand
2. Clay
3. Soil fauna or flora
Horizon A/ Horizon B/ Horizon C:
Which Soil Horizon contains the highest amount of organic matter and which horizon has the least amount?
Horizon A (The most)
Horizon C (The least)
* Double Jeopardy*
Describe how the presence of warm and cold currents in the ocean will impact the climate of the adjacent land masses.
Warm currents – water currents will not only warm the land masses, but will also increase the humidity since warm air holds more moisture than cold air.
Cold cuurents – water currents will cool the land mass, and make the air relatively less humid.
This structure is caused by the upward movement of magma through cracks that form new oceanic crust that piles up underwater creating a divergent boundary?
Mid-Ocean Ridges
Describe the 3 steps of the oxygen - ozone cycle?
1. Oxygen molecules are photolyzed yielding (2) slow O2 atoms.
2. O3 and O2 atoms are constantly being interconverted as solar UV breaks ozone and O2 and O3 react FAST with another O2 molecule.
3. Ozone gets lost by O2 atom and O3 molecule reaction or another trace of gas slowly.
Name the five zones of Earth and provide the main reason why there are "seasons" on Earth?
Arctic circle, tropic of cancer, equator, tropic of capricorn and antarctic circle
There are seasons because of the Earths tilted axis.
Health of the soil depends on a number of factors.
Describe 3 factors on how soil is affected?
Slope - steep topography can wash away soils
Aspects - North or south facing shade vs. sun
Rainfall - Too little or too much can negatively impact nutrients and microbial growth
Disturbance - Cuts or reduces air pockets/aeration
Temperature - Extreme cold or heat changes microbes or depletion of organic materials
Explain rain shadows from coastal mountain ranges
Coastal effect can cause WINDWARD side to get lots of rain vs. LEEWARD side over mountain range gets little rain due to sinking air warming and drying dessert type terrain.
* Double Jeopardy*
Earth's cross sections are made of 3 layers. What are they and provide an example of each?
Core - Dense, Hot metal mostly iron, magnetic field
Mantle - Pliable, surrounds core, less dense than core
Crust - Cool, lightweight, outer most layer of Earth
AWAY/ TOWARDS: Generally speaking, planetary winds flow away from the equator or towards the equator? And explain your answer.
Towards-- The equator features warm air. Warm air is usually lower pressure, because the molecules are spread out more. Wind flows from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.
What are the two primary causes of groundwater depletion worldwide?
Human consumption and Agriculture
Explain the differences between mechanical weathering and chemical weathering?
And provide an example to each one.
Mechanical - physical break-up of rocks into smaller particles without a change in chemical composition.
Chemical - selective removal or alteration of specific components that leads to weakening and disintegration of rock
Mechanical eg.: Freeze/Thaw cycle
Chemical eg.: Iron rocks rusting, carbonic acid, hydration compound hydrates forms, or hydrolysis aqueous solution made
What are the four climatic effects of El' Nino and La' Nina in the U.S.?
Effects in the U. S.
ENSO effects the location of the
jet stream in winter. El Niño pushes the jet stream
into Southern California, bringing lots of rain and flooding. La Niña pushes the jet stream further north bring the moisture to the Pacific Northwest
La Niña dries out Southern California