All Flashcards
What is the importance of soil?
Foundation of terrestrial life; supports plant growth.
What is the ozone layer?
A region in the stratosphere that absorbs UV radiation.
What are greenhouse gases?
Gases in the troposphere that trap heat.
What causes Earth's seasons?
Earth's tilt on its axis.
What is a rain shadow?
A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain.
Describe convergent plate boundaries.
Plates collide, forming mountains, volcanoes, and causing earthquakes.
Describe divergent plate boundaries.
Plates move apart, causing seafloor spreading, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
Describe transform plate boundaries.
Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.
List the soil horizons.
O, A, B, C, R
What is the significance of latitude?
Distance from the equator, influencing solar radiation and temperature.
What is the effect of CFCs on the stratosphere?
Depletion of the ozone layer, increased UV radiation.
What is the effect of increased greenhouse gases in the troposphere?
Global warming and climate change.
What is the effect of El Niño on global weather?
Floods in some areas, droughts in others.
What is the effect of La Niña on global weather?
Can lead to increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
What is the effect of agriculture on soil?
Can lead to soil erosion and nutrient depletion.
What is the effect of mountains on precipitation?
Rain shadows, creating dry regions on the leeward side.
What are the steps of soil formation?
Weathering, erosion, deposition, and decomposition.
Describe the process of mountain formation at convergent boundaries.
Plates collide, causing the crust to buckle and fold, forming mountain ranges.
What happens during seafloor spreading?
Plates move apart at divergent boundaries, allowing magma to rise and create new oceanic crust.
Describe the process of ozone depletion.
CFCs are released into the atmosphere, break down in the stratosphere, and release chlorine atoms that destroy ozone molecules.