All Flashcards
What is the effect of CFCs on the stratosphere?
Depletion of the ozone layer, increased UV radiation.
What is the effect of increased greenhouse gases in the troposphere?
Global warming and climate change.
What is the effect of El Niño on global weather?
Floods in some areas, droughts in others.
What is the effect of La Niña on global weather?
Can lead to increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
What is the effect of agriculture on soil?
Can lead to soil erosion and nutrient depletion.
What is the effect of mountains on precipitation?
Rain shadows, creating dry regions on the leeward side.
What is the importance of soil?
Foundation of terrestrial life; supports plant growth.
What is the ozone layer?
A region in the stratosphere that absorbs UV radiation.
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases in the troposphere that trap heat.
What causes Earth's seasons?
Earth's tilt on its axis.
What is a rain shadow?
A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain.
Describe convergent plate boundaries.
Plates collide, forming mountains, volcanoes, and causing earthquakes.
Describe divergent plate boundaries.
Plates move apart, causing seafloor spreading, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
Describe transform plate boundaries.
Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.
List the soil horizons.
O, A, B, C, R
What is the significance of latitude?
Distance from the equator, influencing solar radiation and temperature.
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.