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Environmental Bio Exam 1 > Chapter 2 > Flashcards

Chapter 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the sections of the earth?

A

Inner core
-Solid, mostly iron and nickel

Outer core
-Liquid, mostly iron

Mantle
-Semi solid layer of rock that helps transports portions of the overlying crust

Crust
-Solid outer layer of Earth

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2
Q

Is continental crust lighter than oceanic crust?

A

Yes

Continental crust typically contains a greater amount of lighter elements than oceanic crust of similar volume

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3
Q

Does subtle difference in density influence how continental and oceanic crust of different plates interact?

A

Yes

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4
Q

What are the probable composition of Ocean and Continental crusts?

A

Oceanic crust probable composition is basalt
Continental Crust probable composition is granite

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5
Q

What are Plate tectonics?

A

the large scale motion plates of the Earth’s lithosphere

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6
Q

What is seafloor spreading?

A

occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge

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7
Q

What is subduction?

A

takes place at convergent boundaries plates where on plate moves under another and is forced or sinks because of gravity into the mantle

Ocean crust sinks
Continental crust floats

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8
Q

Are tectonic regions complex?

A

Yes

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9
Q

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

A

Diverging Boundaries
Converging boundaries
Transform boundaries

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10
Q

What is Diverging Boundaries?

A

Where the plates move apart
From rift zones

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11
Q

What are converging boundaries?

A

Where plates collide
From subduction zones, where trenches are produced, or thrusts zones, where mountains are formed

Pressure and friction from subduction melt rock which emerges as volcanoes in cracks along the edge of the oceanic crust

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12
Q

What is transform boundaires?

A

Where one plate slides past each other in opposite directions

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13
Q

Where is oceanic islands commonly formed?

A

Along subduction zones

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14
Q

Where are hot spot volcanoes formed?

A

where plumes of superheated mantle melt through overlying plate

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15
Q

How are series of islands formed?

A

A series of islands may form as the plate migrates over the hot spot

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16
Q

How are mountains and islands made?

A

Plate movements can result in vulcanisms, leading to mountain formation on continental crust and island formation on oceanic crust

Hot spot volcanism is another way island can form

As oceanic crust subducts, series of islands or mountains are formed

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17
Q

What is the estimated time the Earth was formed?

A

~4.5 BY(Billion Years) ago

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18
Q

What is the estimated time Guam was made?

A

44 MY(Million Years) ago

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19
Q

Is Guam’s Geological History Complex?

A

Yes

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20
Q

What is Limestone made out of?

A

Calcium carbonate, it dissolves in water

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21
Q

Explain the Geo Map of Guam

A

Volcanic formations primarily in S Guam

Limestone formations primarily in N Guam

Formations become exposed through tectonic uplift

Geology influences the regional soils, hydrology, and biology of Guam

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22
Q

Did northern Guam use to have an atoll?

A

Yes

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23
Q

What reduced carbonate sediment?

A

Erosion and dissolution

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24
Q

How is an Atoll island formed?

A

from coral rubble piled up from wave activity

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25
What is climate?
the long term pattern of factors such as temperature, rainfall, day length, and their seasonal changes the long term atmospheric conditions for a particular area
26
What is weather?
the shorter term variations in atmospheric factors (wind, humidity, rainfall, etc.)
27
Is there more rainfall in the north and the east coast?
Yes
28
Is there less rain in the middle and west of Guam?
Yes
29
What influences the vegetation of a particular area?
Temperature, water availability, and sunlight
30
What do regions that have similar climatic conditions have in common?
They have plants with similar growth forms and physiologist (collectively called “physiognomies”)
31
Different ____________ are defined by their particular climate and physiognomies
Biomes
32
What do Tropical islands experience?
experience only modest seasonal variation in temp and sunlight
33
What do islands have within a given year
seasonal variation in rainfall and wind Rainy season Dry season
34
What do many tropical organisms exhibit?
seasonal variation in reproduction, recruitment and migration
35
What are the 2 common perturbations the tropical pacific islands experience?
El nino and the southern oscillation
36
What is ENSO?
El Nino ad Southern Oscillation
37
What is the Southern Oscillation?
Monsoon When air pressure high over s pacific ocean it was low over Indian ocean -> trade winds blow When air pressure low over s pacific ocean, it was high over Indian ocean -> wind stops or reverses direction This seesaw he called the southern oscillation
38
What is an Monsoon?
wind that reverses direction seasonally, bring rain India - rain in summer Some years, monsoons don't happen -> drought and starvation Sir Gilbert walker investigated this
39
What are the Many effects of the ENSO?
Fisheries fail, deserts bloom, typhoons, droughts
40
What happens in the Normal years (la nina)?
Trade winds push warm water across pacific ( e -> w in n pacific) usually cold, dry years Upwelling - cold, nutrient rich water rising from ocean depths in E pacific Feeds phytoplankton and fish! Sea level 2 ft higher
41
What happens in El Nino Years?
Trade winds weaken, may reverse No upwelling -> no fish Sea level on w pacific islands drop -> reef exposed, many die Typhoons form farther east -> Hawaii, tahiti
42
What are Iguanas?
marine herbivores, eat green seaweeds
43
What did El nino do to the iguanas and sea lions in the galapagos?
Warm waters from El nino destroyed food supplies
44
What are Sea Lions?
carnivores, eat fish
45
What is a tropical depression?
a tropical cyclone with Maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less
46
what is a tropical storm?
a Tropical cyclone with maximum 73 mph (63 knots) and a minimum 39 mph (34 knots)
47
What is a typhoon?
a Tropical cyclone with max, sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher
48
what is a major typhoon?
a Tropical cyclone With maximum sustained winds of 111 mph (96 knots) or higher, corresponding to a category 3, 4, or 5
49
What does an average sized typhoon release?
releases 2,400 billion kilowatts (KW) of power every day
50
What is the estimated amounts of tropical storms, typhoons, and super typhoons Guam recieves?
Tropical storm - every 1 - 2 years Typhoon- every 4-5 years Super Typhoon- every 50 - 60 tears 52 Tropical cyclones passed within 69 miles from 1945 - 1993
51
What are the effects of Typhoon on an island's communities?
Typhoons modify terrestrial Communities by increasing leaf litter and opening forest gaps Reefs may experience damage from waves and surge Atolls may become flooded and groundwater from the aquifer may become contaminated with salt
52
Where does the Pacific Plate move to?
Southeast to northwest Subducts under the Mariana Microplate Also includes Uplift Resulted in Guam moving eastward
53
What is Oceanic-Continental Converging Boundaries?
More dense oceanic crust subducts under less dense continental crust when the 2 plates converge
54
What is oceanic-oceanic converging boundaries?
Density of both crust are similar subduction is determined by factors such as plate size and pressure and friction Makes volcanoes Forms trenches
55
What is Continental-continental converging boundaries?
Both plates usually go up and form mountain ranges
56
How many plates are on the Earth's crust?
14 major plates
57
Where was Guam Originally placed/started?
20 degrees south of its current location and possibly farther west along the Philippine plate
58
What are the 3 volcanic formation places that dominate southern Guam?
Facpi Alutom Umatac
59
Does temperature on tropical islands depend mainly on altitude?
Yes
60
What are the 2 sets of factors that shape the Pacific Island environments?
1) Geological nature of the island (High/low; volcanic/continents) 2) Geographic location, rainfall patterns
61
What are the ocean effects during Normal and La Nina years?
West Pacific -Low atmospheric pressure -High sea level -More rainfall East Pacific -High atmospheric pressure -Low sea level -Less rainfall
62
What are the oceans effects during el nino years?
West pacific -Low sea level -drought -high atmospheric pressure Central pacific -rainfall East pacific -high sea level -rainfall -low atmospheric pressure -thermocline shuts off
63
Does winds always blow from high pressure areas to low pressure areas?
Yes
64
When easterly winds/trade winds are strong?
there is little/no rain
65
When easterly winds/trade winds are weaken
heavy rain
66
When the traveling winds are strong, they push water across the tropical pacific, making sea level...
2 feet higher in the W pacific than the E pacific
67
What is the Orographic effect?
Elevation of high islands promotes the condensation of moisture/rainfall

Environmental Bio Exam 1 (4 decks)

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