Ap Environmental-Climate, Atmosphere, Plate Tectonics

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Plate Tectonics

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theory that describes the movement of the earth's crust-outgrowth of continental drift- not accepted till 1960s

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Continental Drift

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Alfred Wegener (1915) - all present day continents were orginally jioned as Pangea

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Pangea

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super continent, existed over 200 million years ago, much scientific evidence

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Evidence of Pangea

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fossils, glaciated landscapes/paleoclimactic, continent shapes, rocks

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Fossils

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fossils of same ancient plants/animals found on widely seperated continents

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Shape of Continents

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Continents fit together like a puzzle...esp. south america and africa

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Rocks

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rocks of similar type and age found on widely seperated regions
-appalachian mountains connected to others in british isles

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Paleoclimatic

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glaciated areas left marks in places near the equator...could not have happened if those continents were near the equator during the ice age

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Basics of Plate Tectonics

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-7 major plates plus some additional smaller ones
-lithosphere (100km) floats on asthensosphere
-plates move 2-15 cm each year

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Plate Boundaries

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-divergent
-convergent
-transform

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Divergent Boundaries

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-seafloor spreading
-new crust (lithosphere) formed
-oceanic ridges

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Convergent Boundaries

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-two oceanic=trenches, earthquakes, volcano island, eg. marianas trench
-1 oceanic, 1 continental=volcanoes, oceanic subducts b/c more dense
-2 continental=mountains, eg. Himalayas from Asia and India

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Weather

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daily temp and moisture conditions in a location

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Climate

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long-term weather patterns

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Energy and the Atmosphere

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-half incoming solar radiation reaches the Earth's surface
-some energy is relfected depending on albedo (reflectivity)

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Atmospheric Pressure

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-much of incoming solar energy evaporates water which releases latent heat energy
-uneven heating of the earth's surace creates different weather
-warm air becomes less dense and rises over denser cool air

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Precipitation

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-water condenses as it cools and air cools as it rises
-if rising air is moist, precipitation will result

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Coriolis Effect

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-winds tend to right in northern hemi and left in south b/c of earth spinning on its' axis
-produces jet streams

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Ocean Currents

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-currents greaty influence climate conditions on land
-gulf stream brings warm water from near mexico to Europe, keeping it milder than parts of Canada that are at the same latitude

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Seasonal Winds/Monsoon

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-warm, humid air blown from ocean over land rises resulting in heavy rain
-dry and rainy seasons
-rain shadows

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Fronts

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-boundary between air masses
-cold air displaces warm air: cold front, precipitation
-warm front: warm air displaces cold, less precipitation

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Cyclonic storms

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-hurricanes or tornadoes
-large low-pressure cells of rising warm air turn counter clockwise
-when this air is moist, releases latent energy resulting in more water vapor and warm air, making positive feedback

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Major Climatic Changes

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-abrupt change can result in mass extinction
-only takes a few average degrees

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Milankovith Cycles

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-periodic shifts in earths orbit and tilt
-change sun energy reaching surface can result in climate change

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Composition of the Atmosphere

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nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (.9%), and carbon dioxide (.03%)