Earth
These are areas of especially hot magma plumes rising to the surface
Hotspots
The second most abundant gas in the atmosphere.
Oxygen (~21%)
A weather phenomenon that occurs over the Pacific Ocean, where trade winds reverse direction.
El Niño
The amount of direct sunlight that hits an area.
Insolation
The type of climate zone around 30° N/S
desert/arid
The chemical layers of the Earth, from innermost to outermost.
Core --> Mantle --> Crust
The deflection of objects traveling through the atmosphere due to Earth’s rotation
The Coriolis Effect
The worldwide current system in which warmer, lower-salinity water moves along the surface and colder, saltier water moves horizontally deep below the surface
Thermohaline Circulation
This is the outermost layer of the atmosphere that merges with space
Exosphere
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Climate is long-term, predictable, and slow to change.
Weather is short-term, hard to predict, and rapidly changing.
The three types of plate boundaries
- Transform
- Convergent
- Divergent
This is the hottest layer of the atmosphere due to the absorption of x-rays and UV radiation, which causes the Northern Lights
Thermosphere
Melting glaciers and high precipitation causes salinity to increase or decrease?
Decrease
The spinning of Earth on it's own axis, which takes 24 hours.
Rotation
When a mountain range blocks incoming moisture, resulting in disproportionate precipitation on either side.
Rain Shadow Effect
This is what powers plate tectonics
Convection cycles of magma
What two things happen to air as it rises?
It cools and expands.
The two main effects for biomes located near large bodies of water.
Greater precipitation levels
More moderate temperatures
How much the Earth is tilted on it's axis, in degrees.
23.5°
The two most significant abiotic factors that influence climate.
Average temperature and precipitation.
The layer of the Earth that is broken up into the Tectonic Plates
Lithosphere
The circulation cells that are between 30° N/S and 60° N/S
Ferrel (Mid-Latitude) Cells
About how often does La Niña occur?
every 3-5 years
The time of year when the Northern Hemisphere is maximally tilted away from the sun, so summer begins in the Southern Hemisphere and winter begins in the North
December Solstice
The side of a mountain that is facing the incoming air currents, resulting in wet conditions and lush environment.
Windward side