Unit 1 vocab words

Question 1

Plate Boundaries

Answer 1

Border between two plates of the Earth’s Crust

Question 2

Convergent Boundary

Answer 2

When two plates come together; can cause mountains or sea trenches

Question 3

Divergent Boundary

Answer 3

When two plates pull apart, causing magma to rise and fill the gap

Question 4

Transform Boundary

Answer 4

Two plates sliding past each other, can cause earthquakes or faults

Question 5

Island Arc

Answer 5

Long chains of volcanic islands along convergent boundaries

Question 6

Seafloor Spreading

Answer 6

Occurs when divergent plates pull apart, new less-dense material rises and forms new crust

Question 7

Rift Valley

Answer 7

A lowland region that forms when the Earth’s plates pull apart. Can be created by seafloor spreading. Like a ravine

Question 8

Hot-Spot

Answer 8

An area of the Earth’s crust is associated with unusually high heat flow. Molten mantle material rises up through the Earth’s Crust

Question 9

Fault

Answer 9

A crack in the Earth’s lithosphere that is formed by breaking of rock on Earth’s surface. Usually formed by tectonic plate movement.

Question 10

Insolation

Answer 10

The amount of solar radiance in any area

Question 11

Weathering

Answer 11

The breaking down of rock by chemical or physical forces, resulting in smaller pieces

Question 12

Erosion

Answer 12

The transportation of soil by water, wind, gravity, or ice

Question 13

Soil Horizons

Answer 13

Different layers of soil that are parallel to each other that differ in chemical and physical characteristics. O-A-E-B-C-R

Question 14

Horizon O

Answer 14

Humus layer of soil

Question 15

Horizon A

Answer 15

Topsoil layer of soil

Question 16

Horizon E

Answer 16

Light colored leached horizon, contains minerals

Question 17

Horizon B

Answer 17

Subsoil layer, contains deposited minerals

Question 18

Horizon C

Answer 18

Contains parent material from weathered rock

Question 19

Horizon R

Answer 19

Contains bedrock, or not weathered parent material

Question 20

Humus

Answer 20

Organic matter layer of soil

Question 21

Water Holding Capacity

Answer 21

The amount of water a soil can hold for crops to use

Question 22

Porosity

Answer 22

A measure of the amount of pores or air spaces in a soil

Question 23

Permeability

Answer 23

A measure of how easily water can pass through soil

Question 24

Soil Fertility

Answer 24

A measure of how rich in nutrients a soil is

Question 25

Fertilizer

Answer 25

A material used to supply plants of more nutrients

Question 26

Loam

Answer 26

A soil that is a combination of Silt, Sand, and Clay. Good for crops

Question 27

Montreal Protocol

Answer 27

Regulates the production of substances that can deplete the ozone layer

Question 28

Atmosphere

Answer 28

Layers of gasses that envelop the planet

Question 29

Troposphere

Answer 29

Lowest layer of the atmosphere, where most weather phenomena occur

Question 30

Stratosphere

Answer 30

Layer made up of many layers, including the ozone layer

Question 31

Mesosphere

Answer 31

3rd layer of the atmosphere, in this layer temperature begins to decrease rapidly as altitude increases

Question 32

Thermosphere

Answer 32

Layer of atmosphere where ultraviolet radiation charges molecules creating ions. Responsible for the northern lights

Question 33

Exosphere

Answer 33

The edge of the atmosphere that separates us from space. Almost as wide as the Earth.

Question 34

Ozone

Answer 34

Region of the stratosphere that reduces most of the radiation from the UV rays

Question 35

Global Wind Patterns

Answer 35

The 3 major global wind belts, Polar Easterlies/westerlies, and trade winds

Question 36

Polar Easterlies

Answer 36

Dry and cold prevailing winds that blow from the east. They come from the polar regions

Question 37

Polar Westerlies

Answer 37

Dry and cold prevailing winds that blow from the west. They come from the polar regions

Question 38

Trade Winds

Answer 38

Winds blowing steadily east to west just north and south of the equator

Question 39

Coriolis Effect

Answer 39

The deflection of winds due to the rotation of the Earth

Question 40

Tropic of Cancer

Answer 40

23.5 degrees north of the equator

Question 41

Tropic of Capricorn

Answer 41

23.5 degrees south of the equator

Question 42

Equator

Answer 42

Located at 0 degrees latitude. Area of most direct concentrated sunlight on the Earth

Question 43

Rain Shadow

Answer 43

Area of land that has been forced to become a desert due to a mountain blocking all of the vegetation growing rain.

Question 44

Windward side

Answer 44

Side of mountain that receives all of the water and rain and blocks the wind

Question 45

Leeward Side

Answer 45

Dry side of the mountain that has arid climate

Question 46

El Nino Southern Oscillation

Answer 46

A periodic fluctuation in sea surface temperature and the air pressure of the overlying atmosphere. Leads to wetter conditions in the south of the US and warmer and drier conditions in the North

Question 47

La Nina

Answer 47

The periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific. Causes the north to be wetter and colder and the south to be drier and hotter

Question 48

Upwelling

Answer 48

The rising of cold deep sea nutrient rich waters. Caused by trade winds moving surface water

Question 49

Thermocline

Answer 49

The transition or middle layer between the colder deeper waters and warmer surface waters in a body of water. Exists because of sudden change in temperature.