Physical Geography Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is a constructive plate boundary?
Where two plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and form new land.
What is a destructive plate boundary?
Where an oceanic plate is forced under a continental plate, causing earthquakes and volcanoes.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term atmospheric conditions; climate is long-term patterns over decades.
What is the difference between oceanic and continental plates?
Oceanic plates are thinner and denser; continental plates are thicker and less dense.
What is the focus and epicenter of an earthquake?
Focus: The point underground where the earthquake starts.
Epicenter: The point on the surface directly above the focus.
What is the global atmospheric circulation model?
A system of air movement that creates different climate zones.
What is liquefaction?
When saturated soil loses strength due to shaking, causing buildings to sink.
What are the main forces shaping Earth’s surface?
Wind, water, ice, and tectonic activity constantly reshape landscapes through erosion, deposition, and movement.
What is the difference between high pressure and low pressure?
High pressure brings dry, calm weather; low pressure brings storms and rain.
What is the jet stream?
Fast-moving air currents that influence weather patterns.
What is a food chain?
A sequence showing how energy is transferred between organisms.
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life in an ecosystem.
What is hydraulic action?
Erosion caused by water forcing air into cracks in rocks.
What is a meander?
A bend in a river formed by erosion and deposition.
What is a spit?
A narrow landform created by longshore drift depositing sediment.
What is a floodplain?
A flat area next to a river that floods during heavy rainfall.
What is a levee?
A raised riverbank formed by repeated flooding and deposition.
What is a waterfall?
A sudden drop in a river’s course caused by erosion of soft rock.
What is an oxbow lake?
A curved lake formed when a meander is cut off from the main river.
What is river discharge?
The volume of water flowing in a river at a given time.
