Plate Tectonics
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
Convergent, Divergent, Transform
What is the top layer of soil called?
O horizon (Organic layer)
What layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
What is the primary source of energy for Earth?
The Sun
What is rainshadow?
A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range.
What geological features are formed at convergent boundaries?
Mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes
What process breaks down rocks into smaller particles?
Weathering
Which layer of the atmosphere is closest to Earth’s surface?
Troposphere
What causes the seasons on Earth?
The tilt of Earth’s axis as it orbits the Sun.
How do mountains affect climate?
They can block precipitation, create rain shadows, and influence wind patterns.
What is the term for the area where two tectonic plates meet?
Fault line
Name the horizons of soil in order from top to bottom
O horizon, A horizon, B horizon, C horizon
What are the main greenhouse gases found in the troposphere?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and water vapor (H₂O)
How does solar radiation influence climate patterns?
It affects temperature, weather patterns, and the distribution of biomes.
What is El Niño?
A climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-normal surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Describe the movement at a transform boundary.
Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.
What is the main component of the A horizon?
Topsoil, rich in organic material
How do CFCs affect the ozone layer?
They break down ozone molecules, creating holes in the ozone layer.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The trapping of heat in Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gases.
What is La Niña?
A climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-normal surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
What is seafloor spreading and where does it occur?
The process of new oceanic crust forming at mid-ocean ridges and moving outward.
How does human activity accelerate soil erosion?
Through large-scale farming, deforestation, and construction.
Name the layers of the atmosphere from the outermost to the innermost
Exosphere, Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposphere
How does latitude affect solar radiation?
Areas closer to the equator receive more direct sunlight and are warmer, while areas farther from the equator receive less direct sunlight and are cooler.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate is long-term patterns