Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
68 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Number of organisms that a specific environment can support
|
carrying capacity
|
|
|
where a mining company restores land used during mining operations to its original contours and replants vegetation
|
reclamation
|
|
|
small particles in the atmostphere around which cloud droplets can form
|
condensation nuclei
|
|
|
when cloud droplets collide to form larger droplets
|
coalescence
|
|
|
continual movement of water between Earth's surface and the atmosphere through evaporation, condesation, and precipitation
|
water cycle
|
|
|
caused byu earths rotation and combines with the heat to create winds, polar esterlies, and prevailing westerlies
|
coriolis effect
|
|
|
weather forecast that compares curren weather patterns to patterns that occured in the past
|
analog forecast
|
|
|
used to measure wind speed
|
anemometer
|
|
|
balloon borne weather instrument whose sensors measure air pressure, humidity, temp, wind speed, and direction
|
radiosonde
|
|
|
change in the wave frequency that occurs in energy when that energy moves toard or away from observor
|
doppler effect
|
|
|
line drawn on a weather map that connects points of equal or constant values
|
isopleths
|
|
|
occurs when forceful winds drive a mound of ocean water toward shore, where it washes over land
|
storm surge
|
|
|
extended period of low rainfall
|
drought
|
|
|
estimates heat loss from human skin caused by combonation of wind and cold air
|
wind chill factor
|
|
|
divides climate into 5 types, based on mean monthly values of temp. and precipitation
|
koeppen system
|
|
|
fault that does things the other way
|
reverse fault
|
|
|
biological diversity of an ecosystem, determined by variety of species of plants and animals
|
biodiversity
|
|
|
a gas, absorbs UV raylights from the sun
|
ozone
|
|
|
planting of a single plant species
|
monoculture
|
|
|
haze that occurs when solar radiation air polluted from automobiles exhausts
|
smog
|
|
|
removale of trees from forest area
|
deforestation
|
|
|
use of organisms to clean up toxic waste
|
bioremediation
|
|
|
air sinks, wamrs, and returns to the equator in westerly directins, flows and 30 degrees North and South
|
trade winds
|
|
|
global wind system that lies between 60 degrees lat. and the poles and is characterized by cold air
|
polar esterlies
|
|
|
wind system lies between 30 degrees and 60 degrees N. and S. latitude where surface air moves to poles in easterly direction
|
prevailing westerlies
|
|
|
wind band above large temp. contrast and can flow as fast as 185 km/h.
|
jet streams
|
|
|
lower than normal temp caused by high pressure systems of continental polar or arctic origin
|
cold wave
|
|
|
higher than normal temperature by high pressure systems that warm by compression and block cooler air masses
|
heat wave
|
|
|
time it takes for a radioactive isotope, to deca to 1/2 its original amount
|
half line
|
|
|
adaption of life forms to changing environment conditions
|
evolution
|
|
|
describes a fossil with soft and hard parts that havent undergone any change since the organism death
|
original preservation
|
|
|
gap in rock caused by erosion
|
unconfomity
|
|
|
determines age of rock
|
radio metric dating
|
|
|
where volcanoes vent water, carbon dioxide, ext.
|
outgassing
|
|
|
where pore spaces in fossil are filled with mineral subsatnces
|
perminerilzation
|
|
|
What happens when a population reaches its carrying capacity?
|
the number of deaths will increase and births will decrease
|
|
|
What problem can result from an increase in land being covered by cement and asphalt?
|
flooding
|
|
|
What is the composition of the Earth's atmosphere?
|
mostly nitrogen and oxygen
|
|
|
What type of weather are low pressure systems usually associated with?
|
cold, precipitation, and cloudy
|
|
|
What causes lightning?
|
friction between updrafts and downdrafts in a cumlionimbus cloud
|
|
|
What weather threat is usually associated with supercells?
|
tornadoes
|
|
|
explain climatological normals.
|
Normals represent standard values for a location, average on a monthly or annually basis and information applies anywhere the data is collected
|
|
|
How does that latitude of an area determine it's climate?
|
based on the distance from the poles
|
|
|
Describe the 5 climates. dry, polar, continental, mild, and tropical
|
dry- precip. is low, vegetation is scarce
polar-constant low temp. and little precep. continental-summer and winter can be extreme mild- humid or dry summers |
|
|
Why was wegeners theory not accepted at first?
|
he couldnt explain how or why
|
|
|
How does the ocean crust near ocean ridges compare to the crust near deep sea trenches?
|
crust near ocean ridge is younger
|
|
|
Explain the process of sea floor spreading.
|
crust seperates at ocean ridge, magma comes up, NEW OCEAN CRUST FORMS, crust subducts at deep sea trench and is destroyed
|
|
|
What results in the process of subduction?
|
causes deep sea trenches
|
|
|
What results from continental-continental plate collisions?
|
process moutain ranges
|
|
|
What is the driving force of plate movements?
|
convection currents that occur in the mantle
|
|
|
What three things affect the formation of magma?
|
comparing source material, water content, and pressure
|
|
|
At what type of boundary do most volcanoes occur?
|
convergent boundaries
|
|
|
Describe the 6 layers of the atmosphere; exosphere, ionosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thrmosphere, and troposphere.
|
exopshere-outermost layer
ionoshpere-filled with electrically charged particles mesosphere-between stratosphere and thermosphere stratosphere-contains ozone layer thermosphere-temp can reach more than 1000 degrees C troposhpere-most pollution |
|
|
Describe four types of air masses: maritime polar, maritime tropical, continental tropical, and continental polar
|
maritime polar- cool and humid
maritime tropical- warm and humid continental tropical-warm and dry continental polar- cold and dry |
|
|
What are the latitudes of the 3 climate regions; temperate, tropical, polar.
|
temperate- 23.5-66.5
tropical- equator-23.5 polar-66.5 and above |
|
|
Describe the 3 types of magma; basaltic, andesitic, rhyolitic.
|
basaltic-lowest viscosity, forms in upper mantle
andesidic- 60% silica, continental margins rhyolitic-most explosive, continental crust |
|
|
What is the law of superposition?
|
oldest rock layer is at the bottom of sequence
|
|
|
What is the most recent period?
|
quarternary
|
|
|
List the units of geological time in order from shortest to longest.
|
epoch, period, era, ieon
|
|
|
What time period is marked by the appearance of organisms with hard parts?
|
late proteozic
|
|
|
How do scientists believe the ozone layer was formed?
|
oxygen produced by stromatollets
|
|
|
What significant substance was discovered at hydrothermal vents and how was it significant?
|
ameno acids
|
|
|
Describe how radioactice decay is used to determine the age of rocks and fossils.
|
decay into a mere stable elementary scientist compare the original material (parent) to subte material (daughter)
|
|
|
How old is the earth estimated to be?
|
4.6 billion years old
|
|
|
What is an index fossil?
|
common place while acive, geography wide spread, easily recognizable
|
|
|
What are the three early sources of heat on earth?
|
metrobombardment
radio activity gravitational contraction |
|
|
What kind of fault is the sanandrea fault?
|
a strike slip fault
|
|
|
Describe the 3 types of seismic wave; surface, primary, secondary. (surface p and s)
|
surface- highest amplitude
P wave- detected first, squeezes and pulls rocks same direction S wave- makes rock move at right angle as waves travel |
