Exam 2 Study Flashcards
(115 cards)
1
Q
What law relates the temperature of an object to the amount of radiation it emits
A
Stefan-Boltzmann Law
2
Q
What kind of heat is released when clouds form
A
Latent heat
3
Q
What does it mean for an air parcel to be saturated
A
It’s relative humidity is 100%, its mixing ratio is equal to its saturation mixing ratio, and its vapor pressure is equal to its saturation vapor pressure.
4
Q
Longwave radiation is emitted by
A
The Earth
5
Q
What is found at 0 degrees longitude
A
Prime meridian
6
Q
Which direction does the Coriolis Effect pull wind in the northern hemisphere
A
To the right
7
Q
What is the relationship between friction, wind, and Coriolis
A
Friction weakens wind, wearing Coriolis
8
Q
At Earth’s surface in the northern hemisphere, what direction does the wind blow relative to the isobars
A
About 30 degrees to the right of the perpendicular across isobars
9
Q
In the upper levels of the atmosphere, wind blows parallel to isobars. What is the term for this
A
Geostrophic wind
10
Q
When is sea breeze a common weather pattern in Florida
A
Daytime in the summer
11
Q
What is the temperature at which water vapor in a parcel will condense
A
Dew point
12
Q
What is a lapse rate, and what are its common values
A
The rate at which temperature decreases as a parcel rises, either 6 or 10 deg/km
13
Q
What factors does the koppen climate classification take in account
A
Temperature, precipitation, and seasonality
14
Q
Which of the following is evidence supporting continental drift theory
A
Continental coastlines that fit like a puzzle, similar fossils at now-far away locations, and new rock at divergent undersea plate boundaries
15
Q
Thunderstorm cloud
A
Cumulonimbus cloud
16
Q
How are igneous rocks formed
A
Lava/magma cools and hardens
17
Q
What is the first koppen climate classification letter for Daytona beach and much of the southeast US
A
C
18
Q
What is regolith
A
Bedrock that has been broken down into small bites
19
Q
What does organic mean
A
Is or was once alive
20
Q
Where in the US would pedzolization be the dominant pedogenic regime
A
The pine forests of the Pacific Northwest
21
Q
What are the three main rock types
A
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
22
Q
Florida’s bedrock type is
A
Limestone, a type of sedimentary rock
23
Q
Types of tectonic plates
A
Convergent, divergent, and transform
24
Q
The Himalayas, the tallest mountain range on earth, were formed by this kind of boundary
A
Convergent boundary, continental crust on both sides
25
Exfoliation is this type of weathering
Physical/mechanical
26
What are the two types of volcanoes discussed in class
Shield and composite/stratovolcanoes
27
Pedogenesis is affected by climate
True
28
The correct order of this process;
Weathering, erosions, mass wasting
Weathering, mass wasting, erosion
Erosion, mass wasting, weathering
Mass wasting, weathering, erosion
Weathering, mass wasting, erosion
29
What are the two ways we can categorize mass wasting events
Time(speed) and moisture
30
What are the weaknesses in bedrock formed by weathering called
Joints
31
Cirriform clouds
Thin and whispy, and exist at high altitudes (cirrus)
32
Stratiform
Wider than they are tall and usually closer to the ground. (Gray cloudy day, stratus)
33
Cumuliform
Puffy, taller than they are wide. (Cumulus, cumulonimbus)
34
Nimbo- or -nimbus
Means rain or precipitation
35
A Climates
Exist near the Equator, hot year around
36
Af climates
Tropical rain forest, rainy all year, trees have thick canopies and buttress roots because there is lots of competition with other trees for sunlight and nutrients
37
Deforestation
Big environmental problem affecting tropical rainforests. When forests are cut down for logging and livestock grazing, plants and animals lose their habitats and the local climate is affected.
38
A decrease in trees causes a _______ in evapotranspiration and precipitation, and an ________ in mean _________.
Decrease, increase, temperatures
39
Am climates
Tropical monsoon (seasonal forest), have very distinct wet seasons and dry seasons.
40
Aw climates
Tropical savanna, affected by the intertropical convergence zone (making it rainy) for only part of the year.
41
ITCZ
An area of low pressure and convergence at the surface that “wobbles” a few degrees north or south of the Equator depending on the time of year
42
B Climates
Are dry climates, commonly found near subtropical high pressure systems, cold ocean currents, rain shadows, and/or continental interiors. Organisms have adapted to the lack of water and high temperatures
43
BW climates
Desert, are the driest of the dry; BWh: hot desert, BWk: cold desert
44
BS climates
steppes, have slightly rainy seasons; BSh: hot steppe, BSk: cold steppe
45
C Climates
Mid-latitude climates. There is A LOT of variation amongst C climate subtypes
46
Cf
Humid subtropical, have hot summers and cool winters, and are rainy year around: Cfa temperate monsoon
47
Cs climate
Mediterranean climates are hot and dry during the summer, and have mild and rainy winters (Mediterranean shrublands (Csa)
48
Cw climates
Temperate monsoon, have cooler winters but have seasonal precipitation pattern with a very rainy season and a very dry season; Cwa/Cwb temperate forest
49
D Climates
A lot like C climates but just a bit cooler
50
Df climates
Humid continental, have warm summers and cold winters, get precip year round, but more during the summer because warmer air holds more moisture than cold air
51
Dw climates
Continental/subarctic monsoon, have rainy and dry seasons but are colder
52
E climates
Near the Poles
53
ET climates
Tundra, have a very short growing season, mosses, shrubs, and maybe few scraggly trees can grow there
54
EF climate
Ice cap, are the coldest of the cold, they are cold year round and dominated by a thermal high pressure system. Not a lot of precip, snow melts very slowly after it falls, no significant vegetable growth, life that does exist are dependent on marine life
55
Plants are very ________ to temperature and precipitation patterns that they are exposed to throughout the year. Trees that live in a monsoon climate need to be able to go several months without _______ during the dry seasons. Cacti that live in the desert are very _______ of the ______ they absorb.
Sensitive, precipitation, protective, water
56
What is soil
A thin layer of mineral matter containing organic material, capable of supporting both plant and animal life
57
How does soil form
Underlying bedrock breaks down into progressively smaller pieces of rock (regolith) and is intermixed with organic material from above
58
Factors that affect soil formation
The parent material the underlying bedrock is made up of
The climate of the area; warmer temps, greater precip accelerate the pedogenic process
Soil is deepest in tropical areas, and shallow in cold dry locations
Bc gravity, erosion and other processes, soil is usually deeper at lower elevations
Plants and animals can accelerate the pedogenic process
59
Pedogenic regimes
Laterization, Salinization, Calcification, Podzolization, and Gleization
60
Salinization
Occurs in hot, dry areas. Evaporative processes, which draw water up toward the surface from underground, also draw up salt. Salt left at surface which is bad for plants there for salinized areas are pretty empty (salt flats Utah)
61
Laterization
Occurs in tropical areas, Soils are deep, but nutrients are washed away quickly or absorbed by abundant plant life. Soil tends to be nutrient poor except for iron (gives soil red rusty color)
62
Calcification
Like Salinization but less extreme, still some precip, especially in the summer that keeps salt from the surface. Smaller plants with shallower root systems can thrive above the saltier layers. (Great Plains US)
63
Podzolization
Happens in cool and rainy environments, like the Pacific Northwest. Podzol is acidic and nutrient poor, but conifers an other needle leaf trees don’t mind
64
Gleization
The formation of gley, a very thin type of soil that occurs when evaporation and runoff are virtually nonexistent. Happens near permafrost, in very cold locations (Canadian Tundra)
65
Igneous rock
Formed from volcanic activity or when lava cools.
66
Granite/categorization of igneous rock
A type of igneous rock, categorize by their granularity (how quickly cooled off)
If cooled quickly—> very fine grained to smoother appearance
If cooled slowly —-> coarse-grained, speckled appearance
67
Felsic rock
Relatively high silica content and less iron lighter color
68
Mafic rock
Relatively low silica content but lots of minerals (like iron) darker color
69
Sedimentary Rocks/characteristics
Formed from many layers of sediment moved to a single location by wind or water and compacted over time.
Tend to be soft, preserve fossils well, and can be a hint that their location used to be underwater
70
Metamorphic Rock
Used to be sedimentary or igneous rocks but were exposed to extreme pressure or chemical reactions that changed their characteristics so much that we can’t really classify them in the same way.
71
Tectonic plates
Constantly moving
72
Plate boundaries
Continent sized pieces of crust meet, are regions of seismic activity and landform creation
73
Fault
Form along plate boundaries, locations where the crust breaks and moves
74
Divergent boundaries
Form when two plates are moving apart, molten material moves from the asthenosphere to the surface. This subjects the plates to tension stress
75
What does tension stress do
Produces landforms such as mid-ocean ridges and continental rift valleys
76
Fault types
Normal faults (the hanging wall slips down along the foot wall)
77
Convergent Boundaries
Form when two plates move toward one another, plates are subjected to compression stress
78
Ocean-Continent Convergence
Denser basaltic ocean plate sink beneath less dense continental plate (subduction). Volcanic mountain ranges form inland. Ocean trenches form along subduction line
79
Ocean-Ocean Convergence
Ocean subduction zones form Island Arcs
80
Continent-Continent Convergence
Mountain ranges typically form. Comprised of reverse faults (the hanging wall is forced upward along the foot wall)
81
Transform Boundaries
Form when plates move past each other laterally, plates are subjected to shear stress. Common landforms include offset mountain ranges or river basins. Strike-slip faults typically form along these boundaries
82
Faults
Form in response to tension, compression, and shear stresses from plate movement. Sometimes the crust doesn’t break but instead bends slowly overtime.
83
The deformation of the crust in response to stress is called
Folding
84
Anticlines
Are upfolds that produce ridges
85
Synclines
Are downfolds that produce valleys
86
Volcanoes most often form along subduction zones but some volcanoes form over ___________
Hot spots
87
Hot spots
Are locations where plumes of magma rise to the surface
88
Felsic magma
Magma that is high silicates, very viscous (resistant to flow; thick) often associated with explosive eruptions
89
Mafic magma
Is basaltic lava that is low in silicates; very hot with a low viscosity (it flows) often associated with effusive (weak) eruptions
90
Shield Volcanoes
Gently sloped volcanoes typically eject Mafic magma and are not associated with explosive eruptions.
Hawaiian Islands are Sheila volcanoes
91
Composite volcanoes (stratovolcanoes)
Are large, symmetric volcanoes that typically eject Felsic magma in explosive eruptions.
Mount Fuji, and the volcanoes in Washington and Oregon
92
Denudation
Refers to the external geologic processes that wear away at landscapes. There are three steps;
Weathering, mass wasting, and erosion
93
Weathering
Is the breaking down of rock into smaller components via atmospheric or biotic agents
94
Physical weathering
Is the disintegration of rocks without any associated change in the rocks chemical composition. This can be done by water, salt, or exfoliation.
95
Chemical weathering
Decomposition of rock via chemical alteration of its mineral components. Oxidation; where oxygen reacts with metallic elements in minerals to form oxides. Rust is the most common example. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere reacts with water to form carbonic acid which then reacts with carbonic rock (limestone) to form calcium bicarbonate
96
Biological Weathering
When living things weaken the integrity of rock. Trees take root in rock joints causing additional jointing to disintegration of rock, lichens growing on rock surfaces leach minerals from rocks making them weaker
97
Mass wasting
Once rocks have been broken into smaller fragments by weathering, that weathered material is transported downhill over relatively short distances
98
Categorization of mass wasting events
The speed, how much water and moisture is involved in the process
99
Rockfalls
Falling of rocks downslope
100
Landslides
Instant collapse of a slope that moves along a flat sliding plane
101
Slumps
The collapse of a slope with rotation along a curved sliding plane (sometimes instantly, some drawn out)
102
Mudflow
Is when water-logged material flows rapidly through drainage basins after heavy rains typically in arid regions where the soil does not drain rainwater
103
Earth Flow
Is when water-saturated slope shifts downhill a short distance some time after a heavy rain
104
Soil Creeps
Are the gradual downhill movement of soil and regolith of an entire slope
105
Porosity
Is the amount of pore space in soil
106
Permeability
Describes how easily water can move through the soil
107
What do climographs depict
Average temp and precip values for a given area
108
Primary factors that control climate (6)
Latitude, global circulation/temp range, ocean currents, distribution of land and water, altitude, and topographic barriers
109
Respiration
Reverse process which plants convert oxygen and the sugars generated during into carbon dioxide, water, and energy
110
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
The difference between photosynthesis and respiration over the course of a year
111
Biome
A broad group of plants and animals living in some kind of functional relationship with their environment
112
Vertical zonation
Refers to the patterns of plan types on a mountain side
113
Earths interior structure
Crust, mantle, core
114
Lithosphere
Crust plus rigid upper mantle
115
Asthenosphere
Middle mantle (hot)
