All Flashcards
Define: Plate tectonics
Theory that Earth's crust is divided into plates that move.
Define: Fault
A fracture in Earth's crust where plates meet.
Define: Weathering
Breaking down rocks into smaller pieces.
Define: Erosion
Moving broken rock pieces from one place to another.
Define: Deposition
Dropping eroded material in a new location.
Define: Decomposition
Adding organic matter to the soil.
Define: Climate
Long-term weather patterns (30+ years).
Define: Weather
Short-term atmospheric conditions.
Define: El Niño
Warmer-than-normal Pacific Ocean surface waters.
Define: La Niña
Cooler-than-normal Pacific Ocean surface waters.
What is the effect of increased greenhouse gases?
Global warming and climate change.
What is the effect of ozone depletion?
Increased UV radiation reaching Earth's surface.
What is the effect of deforestation on soil?
Increased soil erosion.
What is the effect of El Niño on global weather?
Floods in some areas, droughts in others, altered jet stream patterns.
What is the effect of La Niña on global weather?
Different weather patterns compared to El Niño, such as increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
What is the effect of mountains on precipitation?
Rain shadows, with dry conditions on the leeward side.
What is the effect of large-scale farming on soil?
Increased soil erosion rates and nutrient depletion.
What is the effect of convergent plate boundaries?
Mountain formation, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
What is the effect of divergent plate boundaries?
Seafloor spreading, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
What is the effect of transform plate boundaries?
Earthquakes.
Define plate tectonics.
The theory that Earth's crust is divided into plates that move.
What is a fault?
A fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock.
Define weathering.
The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces.
What is erosion?
The movement of weathered material from one place to another.
Define deposition.
The process of eroded material being dropped in a new location.
What is decomposition?
The process of adding organic matter to the soil.
Define climate.
Long-term weather patterns in an area (30+ years).
What is weather?
Short-term atmospheric conditions in an area.
Define El Niño.
Warmer-than-normal surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
What is La Niña?
Cooler-than-normal surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.