Volcanics
Define lava flow.
Define plate tectonics.
The process of movement of the crustal "plates" through convection and slab drag.
What are the three factors that influence climate?
Sun, oceans, atmosphere
What is landscape evolution?
How Earth's crust shape changes with time due to tectonics, climate, and more.
What is a PFDF?
Post-fire debris flow.
What does MORB stand for?
Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt
The way crust lifts after removing a weight from it (buoyancy). When a glacier melts the crust responds by rising higher.
List at least 3 primary greenhouse gases.
CO2, methane, nitrous oxides, ozone, water vapour, halocarbons, etc.
What is a steady-state landscape?
Areas where erosion and uplift equal out, leading to the maintaining of a landscape with very little overall change through time.
What is fusion? Where does it occur?
The bonding of lighter elements which releases energy. Happens in the Sun.
What is a hot spot and how does it form?
A spot where convective currents in the mantle create a super hot plume up towards the crust. It allows magma to erupt despite not being on a plate boundary.
At what type of plate boundary does a deep ocean trench typically form? Be specific
Convergent subduction zone
Explain how Milankovitch Cycles influence climate.
Changes relation of Earth to the sun. When we have more oblong orbit, more til, and more wobble, we have bigger seasonal changes.
Discuss why timescale is important when discussing which of the 3 landscape types we are observing
Everything changes on a short time scale, longer term can be more steady state. But too long of a timescale also changes a bunch.
Discuss how climate change is influencing the frequency and scale of wildfires and how this may impact erosion rates.
Not more frequent, but more severe and large scale fires. Leads to increased erosion in the region.
What is the difference in source material between MORB and hot spots.
Hot spots form from deeper mantle material rising up in a plume while MORB is shallower mantle material.
Compare and contrast basin and range provinces with valley and ridge provinces. Specify differences in how they form and what they look like.
Explain what factors lead to glaciation and ice ages versus what factors end them.
Start - high albedo, Milankovitch cycles, uplift of new mountains.
Ends - Volcanism, low albedo, less plants,
Explain how the rates of erosion vary between natural causes and anthropogenic ones.
Natural rates are much slower (steeper slopes have faster erosion). Humans cause faster erosion due to impermeable surfaces, removing plants, and changing climates.
Explain how a fire impacts the permeability of soil. Why does soil become hydrophobic?
Decreases the permeability. Air pockets form creating surface tension. Microbes die off leaving a waxy residue.
At what type of plate boundary to rift valleys form?
Divergent
Why does uplift change trends in weathering and erosion?
Increases the gradient of surface water flow causing more incision. Can also change weather patterns.
Explain how uplift leads to a decrease in atmospheric CO2. Be sure to explain each step and how they connect to one another to ultimately lead to decreased atmospheric CO2
Rain dissolves atmospheric CO2 to form carbonic acid, which then reacts with silicate rocks to form bicarbonate ions. These bicarbonate ions enter the ocean and eventually form rocks like limestone.
What is the difference between a transient and relict landscape?
Relict reflects past climates (old glacial valleys) while transient landscapes are actively changing and being shaped by current events.
Explain the current hypotheses for the formation of the planets in our solar system.
Space dust started spinning, fusion made sun, other stuff gathered into planets, naturally arranged because of Sun and available materials.