unit 3

Question 1

top surface litter layer, decomposed leaves and organic matter, normally brown or black, rich in bacteria, fungi, insects and earthworms

Answer 1

o horizon

Question 2

topsoil layer, humus and minerals. roots are in this area, also rich in living organisms, if dark brown or black: rich in nitrogen and organic materials, ***if gray/yellow/red: low in organic material, bad for crops

Answer 2

a horizon

Question 3

subsoil layer, mostly inorganic materials, clay particles, receives material from A horizon through illuviation, may be colored by iron oxides (red), aluminum oxides (yellow), or white due to calcium carbonate, leaching, lots of humus

Answer 3

b horizon

Question 4

weathered parent material, consists of broken fragments of parent rock, caco3 and mgco3 accumulates here forming a hard impenetrable layer

Answer 4

c horizon

Question 5

breaks rocks into smaller pieces (water, machinery, wind, etc)

Answer 5

mechanical weathering

Question 6

change mineral makeup of a rock, chemical reactions between minerals in the rock and the environment

Answer 6

chemical weathering

Question 7

both mechanical/chemical in some ways, but always involves living organisms (ex: lichen secrete acids into rocks that break down its minerals)

Answer 7

biological weathering

Question 8

diameter greater than 0.05 mm, high permeability, poor water capacity, poor nutrient capacity, good aeration, good workability, low porosity (cannot hold water)

Answer 8

sand

Question 9

between 0.002 and 0.05 mm, medium levels of all characteristics

Answer 9

silt

Question 10

less than 0.002 mm, low permeability, good h20 capacity, good nutrient capacity, poor aeration, poor workability, high porosity

Answer 10

clay

Question 11

relatively equal portions of sand, silt, clay (ideal soil for farming)

Answer 11

loam

Question 12

the degree to which soil resists pressure; important when considering how land should be managed

Answer 12

soil consistence

Question 13

mass/volume, expresses how much soil weights per unit volume depending on amount of pore space and density of soil particles

Answer 13

bulk density

Question 14

reduces permeability of soil to water and air, if soil is subjected to pressure, pore spaces can collapse, decreasing pore space

Answer 14

compaction

Question 15

can help determine whether a piece of land should be planted w/ grass, trees, etc., or if it can be used for homes, lots, landfills, septic tanks, etc.

Answer 15

slope of the land

Question 16

presence of gullies, examination of surfaces of soil

Answer 16

signs of erosion

Question 17

character and chem. composition directly impacts soil chemistry and properties (ex: coarse grained parent material=coarse grained texture soil)

Answer 17

parent material

Question 18

content of soil (clay, silt, sand)

Answer 18

soil texture

Question 19

how particles are organized/clumped

Answer 19

soil structure

Question 20

water holding capacity, very porous soil has more spaces, and can hold more water

Answer 20

porosity

Question 21

rate of percolation, related to porosity

Answer 21

permebility

Question 22

ability of air to move through soil

Answer 22

aeration

Question 23

magma cools and solidifies, bulk of crust (ex: granite)

Answer 23

igneous rock

Question 24

sediments “cement” under pressure, weathering forms sediment (ex: contains fossils)

Answer 24

sedimentary rock

Question 25

preexisting rock transformed-heat and pressure

Answer 25

metamorphic rock

Question 26

rocks turn into soil by weathering formation and change in soil over time

Answer 26

soil development

Question 27

- weather is experienced - 0-15 km up in the air - temperature drops as you go up

Answer 27

troposphere

Question 28

cool air on top, warm air on bottom

Answer 28

normal air conditions

Question 29

cold air is heavier, trapping pollutants

Answer 29

temperature inversion

Question 30

- 25% or less cloud cover - light and variable winds (especially below 3mph) - dry soil surface - low elevation areas such as valleys and basins where cool air can sink and collect- inversions will begin sooner, last longer, and be more intense in these areas

Answer 30

conditions that favor temperature inversions

Question 31

- above troposphere - 10-50 km up - increase in temperature (ozone layer!) - contains stratospheric zone

Answer 31

stratosphere

Question 32

main function being to absorb UV rays produced from the sun (shield effect) purple = low 03 green= high 03

Answer 32

the ozone layer

Question 33

- above stratosphere - COLDEST LAYER - 50-80 km up - temperatures fall as you go up

Answer 33

mesosphere

Question 34

- 80-480 km up - as you go up, temperatures rise

Answer 34

thermosphere

Question 35

Found in b/t layers; temps are constant

Answer 35

pauses

Question 36

b/t troposphere and stratosphere (jet stream)

Answer 36

tropopause

Question 37

More direct radiation at equator 🡪 heats up air. Heated air travels north and cools 🡪 descends (density differences). Hadley Cell Creates wind currents.

Answer 37

solar radiation

Question 38

force exerted on a unit of area Movement of air from high (warm air) to low pressure areas (cold air) 🡪 wind. Winds move water and air!

Answer 38

air pressure

Question 39

- coriolis effect (earth's rotation) - objects are deflected - North Hemisphere= right of the equator - South Hemisphere= left of the equator

Answer 39

wind and ocean current direction is affected by...

Question 40

Trade winds relax 🡪 doesn’t move H2O West Pacific 🡪 Warm H2O accumulates in So. America 3-8 yrs. during winter

Answer 40

el nino

Question 41

Decline of upwelling which brings nutrients to surface 🡪 Death/movement of orgs in ocean. - in california, migration/death of orgs due to warmer water, storms in east pacific, lots of rain (hotter water) - in south america, Massive floods, mud slides, Fisheries collapse (little upwelling) 🡪 lack of nutrients, Typhoons, Coral Bleaching (Sensitive to Heat) - in australia, EXTREME drought, dust storms, fires

Answer 41

effects of el nino

Question 42

Opposite of El Niño: Cold air oscillations Usually happen after an El Niño year; water is really cold in east Pacific and needs to be reheated. Unusually cold ocean temps in Eastern Eq. Pacific

Answer 42

effects of la nina

Question 43

climate is largely determined by...

Answer 43

insolation (latitude → angle of insolation & atmosphere)

Question 44

Higher latitudes receive less insolation: cooler, less precipitation (especially at 30 degrees latitude) Equator receives most intense insolation: higher temp, air rises, higher precipitation

Question 45

Mountains– disrupt wind and produce the rain shadow effect Ocean–moderate temperature and add moisture to the air

Answer 45

geography's role

Question 46

Dry air descends down “leeward” side of mtn, warming as it sinks Leads to arid (dry) desert conditions

Answer 46

rain shadows windward--> way wind is coming from leeward--> way wind is going

Question 47

hadley cells

Answer 47

low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude. They are responsible for the trade winds in the Tropics and control low-latitude weather patterns

Question 48

Will have many nutrients Takes 100-1000 yrs to form.

Answer 48

fertile soil

Question 49

Measure of spaces per volume of soil 🡪 holds more H2O/air

Answer 49

porosity

Question 50

how fast H2O/air move down in soil.

Answer 50

permeability

Question 51

Prod. a lot of food! Lots of fossil fuels, water, commercial inorganic fertilizers and pesticides used. Makes 1 type of food (monoculture).

Answer 51

high input farming/tillage (but it destroys the soil!!)

Question 52

Reduces irrigation & pesticide use Uses organic fertilizers. Soil conservation techs. Less food

Answer 52

sustainable and low input agriculture

Question 53

Low Input Farm No inorganic fertilizers or chem. pesticides used No GMOs

Answer 53

organi

Question 54

slope converted into broad terraces to retain H2O and soi

Answer 54

terracing (soil conservation techs)

Question 55

# c f plowing and planting in rows across slope of land (slow water and soil runoff)

Answer 55

contour farming

Question 56

Plant a row of 1 type of plant, then plant a row of another type of plant.

Answer 56

strip cropping

Question 57

slows wind down before it hits farm soil.

Answer 57

wind breaks

Question 58

High amounts of NO3, NH4, and PO4. Easily transported, stored, and applied. Do not add humus, release NOx (greenhouse gas) when applied, eutrophication in streams.

Answer 58

inorganic fertilizers

Question 59

1) Animal manure: dung/urine of animals 2) Green manure: plants plowed into soil 3) Compost: semi-broken down org. matter

Answer 59

organic fertilizers

Question 60

Lower fuel emissions of greenhouse gases Less gas used Less transport of pests Less packaging Lower costs of produce Revenues remain local

Answer 60

perks of farmers' markets