The Physical Environment Exam 4

Front 1

Isostasy

Back 1

Crustal movement up an down to to weight.

Front 2

Tectonic Plate

Back 2

Section of Earth's crust. Can be continental or oceanic.

Front 3

Plate tectonics

Back 3

Study of the movement of seven large plates (tectonic plates) of the Earth's lithosphere.

Front 4

Lava

Back 4

Molten part of Asthenosphere which breaches above the Earth's surface.

Front 5

Magma

Back 5

Molten part of Asthenosphere which is contained beneath the Earth's surface.

Front 6

Igneous rock

Back 6

Cooled volcanic rock.

E.g. Granite, basalt

Front 7

Sedimentary rock

Back 7

Hardened sediments.

E.g. Sandstone, limestone

Front 8

Metamorphic rock

Back 8

Sedimentary or igneous rocks that are subjected to high temperatures and pressures.

E.g. Gneiss (from granite)

Quartzite (from sandstone)

Front 9

Pangaea

Back 9

Super-continent made of all the continents over 220 million years ago.

Front 10

Gondwanaland

Back 10

Supercontinent comprising of South America, Africa, India, Oceania, and Antarctica. Over 150 million years ago.

Front 11

Rifting

Back 11

Splitting apart of a continental plate.

e.g. East African rift zone

Front 12

Graben

Back 12

Block of Earth's crust sinks with normal faults on both sides.

Hint 12

It's graben cause it's slippin

Front 13

Horst

Back 13

Raised block of Earth's crust between two faults.

Hint 13

Horst saddle?

Front 14

Continental Shield (Craton)

Back 14

Interior stable portion of crust composed of ancient crystalline rock.

Front 15

Anticline

Back 15

When a flat section of rock is compressed into a ridge.

Hint 15

Front 16

Syncline

Back 16

When a flat section of rock is compressed into a through.

Hint 16

Help, I'm syncing

Front 17

Richter scale

Back 17

Logarothmic scale used to measure amplitude of seismic waves. Invented in 1935.

Front 18

Earthquake epicenter

Back 18

Point on the surface of Earth above the earthquake Focus.

Front 19

Earthquake focus

Back 19

Point where the earthquake actually occurs.

Front 20

Seismic gap theory

Back 20

A seismic gap is a segment if an active fault which has not slipped in a while compared to other segments in the structure.

Over long periods of time, the segments on the same structure should experience equal displacement (slip).

A seismic gap is considered to be more likely to suffer future earthquakes.

Front 21

Tsunami

Back 21

Series of waves in large lake or ocea caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.

Front 22

Cinder cone

Back 22

Hill of loose pyroclastic fragments (volcanic clinkers, cinders, volcanic ash, or scoria).

Front 23

Hot Spot

Back 23

Volcanic regions that are away from plate boundaries.

E.g. Hawaiian islands

Front 24

Super Volcano

Back 24

A Volcano whose eruptions are thousands of times more explosive than an ordinary volcanic eruption.

E.g. Yellowstone Super volcano (Wyoming)

Front 25

Greenhouse Effect

Back 25

Greenhouse gases absorb long wavelength radiation (resinance) radiated by Earth.

This is re-radiated in all directions, as opposed to escaping to space if no greenhouses present.

Front 26

Primary Greenhouse Gases

Back 26

Water vapor

Carbon dioxide

Methane

Ozone (absorbs short wave radiation)

Hint 26

MeCOW

Front 27

Global Warming Problems

Back 27

Rising sea levels

Desertification

Sensitive ecosystems unable to adapt

Front 28

Nome, Alaska

Back 28

Polar Climate

Hint 28

TDHMMMPH

Front 29

Seattle, Washington

Back 29

Marine West Coast

Hint 29

TDHMMMPH

Front 30

Los Angeles, California

Back 30

Mediterranean climate

Hint 30

TDHMMMPH

Front 31

Mexico City, Mexico

Back 31

Highland climate

Hint 31

TDHMMMPH

Front 32

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Back 32

Microthermal climate

Hint 32

TDHMMMPH

Front 33

Boston, Massachusetts

Back 33

Microthermal climate

Hint 33

TDHMMMPH

Front 34

Miami, Florida

Back 34

Tropical climate

Hint 34

TDHMMMPH

Front 35

Atlanta, Georgia

Back 35

Humid subtropical climate

Hint 35

TDHMMMPH

Front 36

Denver, Colorado

Back 36

Dry climate

Hint 36

TDHMMMPH

Front 37

El Paso, Texas

Back 37

Dry climate

Hint 37

TDHMMMPH

Front 38

Houston, Texas

Back 38

Humid subtropical climate

Hint 38

TDHMMMPH

Front 39

3 Differences between Oceanic Crust and Continental Crust

Back 39

Oceanic Crust: Denser, made of Basalt, forced downwards during plate convergence.

Continental Crust: Less dense, made of Granite, forced upwards during plate convergence.

Front 40

Convergent Plate Boundaries, subduction and orogeny

Back 40

When two plates collide with each other.

Subduction: Oceanic collides with Continental crust, called subduction zone. Forms oceanic trench.

Orogeny: Two continental plates collide, form mountains. This mountain formation process is called Orogenesis

Front 41

Types of Convergence Boundaries (with examples)

Back 41

Oceanic-Continental: Subduction. Oceanic plate magma rises to surface causing volcanic eruption. e.g. Andes mountain range (South America)

Oceanic-Oceanic: Older, denser oceanic plate subducts newer plate. Magma from lower plate rise, causing volcanic eruption

As plates move a chain of island is produced. e.g. Japan.

Continental-Continental: No subduction, compression causes extensive folding and faulting of rocks. e.g. Himalaya Mountain Range

Front 42

Divergent Plate Processes/Boundaries

Back 42

Rifting: Continental plate splits apart. e.g. East African Rift Zone

Seafloor Spreading: When two oceanic plates move away from each other, magma rises to fill void, creating new oceanic crust.

e.g. East pacific rise

Front 43

Transform Plate Boundaries

Back 43

When two plates slide past one another, usually without volcanic activity.

e.g. San Andreas Fault

Front 44

Composite (Strata) vs. Shield Volcanos

Back 44

Composite (strata): Cone shaped, very violent, not much lava.

e.g. Mt. Fiji

Shield: Dome shaped, gentle, lots of lava.

e.g. Mauna Loa (Hawaii)

Front 45

3 Active Volcanos in Pacific NW

Back 45

Glacier Peak

Mt. Adams

Mt. Baker

Mt. Rainer

Front 46

How many extictions?

Back 46

6. The sixth extinction is unique because it is the only one caused by a living organs (humans).

Front 47

How did humans contribute present great extinctios?

Back 47

Habitat destruction

Introduction of non-native species

Pollution

Over exploitation

Disease

Hint 47

get HIPOD

Front 48

Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Back 48

Polynesians came over, it was a lush island with diverse populations of fish, vegetation, trees, birds.

Over exploitation, deforestation, introduction of chickens, rodents, and overpopulation caused depletion of natural resources of the island.

Population of the island peaked, and resources depleted, causing internal tensions and tribal wars. Population decreased to 1000, and stabilized.

No more trees remained, exposing land to intense heat, further destroying vegetation. Population survived on snails and some chickens. No trees = no canoes = no escape from island

Front 49

Minnesota future climate

Back 49

Winters like Chicago

Summers like Kansas

Front 50

Most destructive earthquake recorded

Back 50

Chile