Extra AT2

Question 1

4 different zones in the world (equator to poles)

Answer 1

1. Tropical Zone (Tropics)
2. Subtropical Zone (Subtropical belt)
3. Temperate Zone
4. Polar Zone

Question 2

What are the 4 main kinds of erosion

Answer 2

1. Hydraulic Action
2. Abrasion
3. Corrosion
4. Attrition

Question 3

5 Types of Mechanical Weathering

Answer 3

1. Exfoliation
2. Frost Wedging
3. Salt Wedging
4. Thermal Stress (Temp changes on slides)
5. Abrasion

Question 4

Tropical Zone (Tropics)
Degree:
Characteristics:
Common Environments:
Examples:

Answer 4

Degree: between 0° and 23.5° north and south (23.5° N and S of Equator)
Characteristics: Hot all year (lot of sunlight), High Rainfall,
Common Environments: Rainforests, Monsoon regions
Examples: Congo and SE Asia

Question 5

Subtropical Zone (Subtropical belt)
Degree:
Characteristics:
Examples:

Answer 5

Degree: Between 23.5° and around 35° N and S
Characteristics: Still warm/hot, drier than tropics, most of the worlds desert
Examples: Sahara Desert, South USA, some parts of Aus

Question 6

Temperate Zone
Degree:
Characteristics:
Common Environments:
Examples:

Answer 6

Degree: From about 35° to 60° N & S
Characteristics: Experiences the 4 seasons, moderate temp/rainfall,
Common Environments: Forests, Grassland, Farmland
Examples: Most of Europe and USA, China, southern Australia,

Question 7

Polar Zone
Degree:
Characteristics:
Examples:

Answer 7

Degree: From 60° to 90° north and south
Characteristics: Very cold, long and freezing winters, short and cold summers
Examples: Antarctica, Arctic, northern Canada and Russia

Question 8

3 Kinds of Fluvial Erosion

Answer 8

1. Rain Splash Erosion
2. Sheet Erosion
3. Rill/Gully Erosion

Question 9

2 Kinds of Aeolian Erosion

Answer 9

1. Deflation
2. Abrasion

Question 10

6 Features of Glacial Erosion

Answer 10

1. U or V Shaped Valley
2. Hanging Valley
3. Truncated Spur
4. Corrie or Cirque
5. Pyramidal Peak
6. Arête

Question 11

Valley vs River Valley

Answer 11

Valley
- Low area between hills or mountains.
- Formed by rivers, glaciers, maybe tectonic movement.
- General term, not specific

River Valley
- A specific type of valley thats formed by a river cutting through land.
- Has a V-shape in its early stages.
- Created by river erosion over time.
Just a valley carved by a river.

All river valleys are valleys, but not all valleys are river valleys

Question 12

Glacial vs Periglacial

Answer 12

Glacial Erosion
1. Happens under or by moving glaciers (ice).
2. The glacier carves, scrapes, and plucks rocks as it moves.
3. Creates features like U-shaped valleys, fjords, and striations

Periglacial
1. Happens in cold areas near glaciers, but not covered by ice.
2. Caused by freeze-thaw, frost action, and permafrost processes.
3. Creates features like patterned ground, ice wedges, and blockfields.

Glacial = erosion by moving ice.
Periglacial = erosion + shaping by freezing and thawing near ice zones.

Question 13

Coherent vs Incoherent w/ Erosion + Mass Wasting

Answer 13

Coherent refers to erosion of
a consolidated mass of materials that erode or move as a single unit
Incoherent refers to the erosion or movement of a mass of unconsolidated individual fragments of materials.

Coherent = Together, Inco. = Apart.

Question 14

Random Talus stuff to know

Answer 14

Large volumes of talus may form a talus slope, talus apron, or talus cone depending on its shape.
Talus tends to stabilize near an angle of 35° before changes in energy lead to gravitational erosion. Balance is easily disrupted by changes in environmental conditions, addition of weathered materials, or other factors that lead to mass wasting.

Question 15

Biotic vs Abiotic

Answer 15

Biotic factors are the living parts of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms. Abiotic factors are the non-living parts, including sunlight, temperature, water, and soil. Both work together to shape how ecosystems function.

Question 16

Physical vs Chem Linkages

Answer 16

Physical linkages involve direct interactions or movements (like animals migrating and spreading seeds between ecosystems) Chemical linkages refer to nutrient cycles, which connect systems and transfer energy and materials.

Question 17

Food chain vs web

Answer 17

The chain is simple and linear, and it shows how energy moves from producers to consumers. A food web is more complex and realistic, showing how different organisms are interconnected through multiple feeding relationships. Food webs give a better picture of how ecosystems actually work.

Question 18

Primary vs Secondary vs Tertiary consumer (could go higher but not always)

Answer 18

Primary consumers are animals that eat plants (herbivores), e.g rabbits. Secondary consumers eat those herbivores (like snakes), and tertiary consumers are hunters that eat other carnivores, such as hawks. It could possibly go to quaternary and quinary, but shits too extensive so not usually

Question 19

Explain how Overgrazing can affect water quality

Answer 19

It removes vegetation that normally protects soil and riverbanks, and without that plant cover, soil erodes more easily and sediments are washed into rivers. Sometimes animals get too close to water, so the soil theyre stepping on gets pushed into the river. This reduces the water quality and harms fish and other aquatic life.

Question 20

Plankton vs Phytoplankton vs Zooplankton

Answer 20

Plankton are tiny organisms that drift in water, and they include both plant-like and animal-like species. Phytoplankton (the plant species) are a specific type of plankton that perform photosynthesis, acting like underwater plants. Zooplankton (the animal species) are plankton that eat other plankton (like tiny crustaceans or larvae).

They are essential as the base of most ocean food chains.

Question 21

High and Low Biomass Areas

Answer 21

High biomass areas, like tropical rainforests, have a large amount of living matter and support many species. Low biomass areas, such as deserts or deep ocean zones, support fewer organisms due to limited resources. Biomass reflects the productivity and energy availability in an ecosystem.

Question 22

Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus Cycle

Answer 22

These cycles describe how key elements move through the environment and living organisms. The carbon cycle includes photosynthesis and respiration, the nitrogen cycle includes processes like nitrogen fixation, and the phosphorus cycle involves movement through soil, water, and plants. They are essential for life and ecosystem balance.

Question 23

Eastern Australian Current

Answer 23

The Eastern Australian Current is a warm ocean current that flows southward along Australia’s east coast. It influences marine ecosystems by bringing warm, nutrient-poor water from the tropics. This current also affects weather patterns and species distribution in the region.

Question 24

Grazers vs Browsing

Answer 24

Grazers feed mostly on grasses and low-growing vegetation found on the ground. Browsers eat leaves, shoots, and branches from shrubs and trees. Some animals, like elk, can act as both grazers and browsers depending on the season and food availability.

Question 25

Upland vs Riparian Areas

Answer 25

Upland areas are elevated and usually drier, located away from bodies of water. Riparian areas are the strips of land directly next to rivers or streams, which are typically wetter and more fertile. These different environments support different types of vegetation and animal life.

Question 26

Dynamic Equilibrium

Answer 26

When the parts of a system are constantly changing but the system stays balanced over time; It’s a steady state with continuous activity or flow, but not stillness. For example, in an ecosystem, animals may be born and die every day, but the total population size stays relatively stable.

Question 27

Conservation vs Preservation

Answer 27

Conservation involves managing and using natural resources in a sustainable way to prevent depletion. It aims to balance human needs with environmental protection. Preservation, on the other hand, focuses on protecting natural areas from any human disturbance, leaving them intact and undisturbed.

Question 28

Habitat vs Niche

Answer 28

A habitat is the physical environment where an organism lives, like a forest or river. A niche refers to the role an organism plays in its ecosystem, such as its diet, behavior, and how it interacts with other species. While habitat is where the organism lives, a niche is how it lives there.

Question 29

Ridge vs Arêtes

Answer 29

A ridge is a long, elevated strip of land that often forms from tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanic activity. An arête is a sharp, narrow ridge formed specifically by glacial erosion between two glacial valleys. arêtes are usually steeper and more jagged due to the carving action of glaciers on both sides. All arêtes are ridges, but not all ridges are arêtes.

Question 30

With succession, how do pioneer species come about in the barren landscape?

Answer 30

You're absolutely right! The moss doesn't just appear out of nowhere — it actually comes from spores. These spores can be carried by wind, water, or animals from nearby areas. In fact, moss and lichen are very resilient and can travel long distances, even across vast stretches of barren land. When a volcanic eruption creates new land, these spores land on the bare surface and start growing. In the case of volcanic eruptions, mosses and lichens are typically among the first to colonize because they're hardy and can survive in the harsh conditions of newly exposed rock. It's all about natural dispersal mechanisms that help these early colonizers find even the most remote areas. After a volcanic eruption, pioneer species like lichens and mosses are the first to grow on bare rock. These organisms don’t need soil — they survive by breaking down rock with weak acids, slowly creating thin layers of soil. Wind, water, and animals (like birds) can also bring in seeds and spores from other areas. Over time, as organic material builds up from dead pioneers, grasses and small plants can grow in the new soil.

Question 31

What is a countries snow line if a country doesn't have perma. snow

Answer 31

The snowline is the lowest elevation where snow lasts all year, however if no elevation in a country holds snow all year, then the permanent snowline must be higher than that country's highest point. E.g. For Aus, no perma snow, meaning the snowline would be somewhere above the highest peak (Kosciuszko) ie. snowline > 2228m

Question 32

Human Driven vs Nature Driven