All Flashcards
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.
What drives plate movement?
The molten core of the Earth.
Why is soil important?
It's the foundation of terrestrial life, providing nutrients and support for plants.
What is the role of the ozone layer?
It absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun.
How does latitude affect climate?
Closer to the equator = more direct sunlight = warmer temperatures.
What causes Earth's seasons?
The tilt of Earth's axis.
What is a rain shadow?
A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range.
Why are greenhouse gases important?
They trap heat in the atmosphere, regulating Earth's temperature. However, too much can cause global warming.
What is the significance of the A horizon?
It is the topsoil layer, rich in nutrients and essential for plant growth.
What is the impact of CFCs on the stratosphere?
CFCs deplete the ozone layer, leading to increased UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface.
How do El Niño and La Niña affect global weather?
They cause shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns, leading to floods in some areas and droughts in others.
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.