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GEO Final
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Glacier | a thick ice mass that originates on land from the accumulation, compaction, and recrystallization of snow.. Glacial ice flows. |
| Mountain (Alpine/Valley) glacier | • Form at high altitudes • Smaller than ice sheets • Lengths greater than widths. Shaped a bit like rivers • Only cover a small region |
| Continental (ice sheet) glacier | • Large scale – cover 10% of Earth’s land • Form at high latitudes, close to the poles. |
| Glacier internal movement | – flowing solid 200 m/yr • rotation of grains (firn) • slipping along weak surfaces • melting and refreezing |
| glacier external movement | basal slip –slipping on a layer of water between the ice and bedrock 200 m/yr |
| glacial budget (in) | zone of accumulation - snow |
| glacial budget - out | ablation, general term for loss of ice or snow from a glacier 1. melting 2. calving- icebergs |
| valley glaciers | tend to accentuate the landscape (make it sharper) |
| Hanging valley | a tributary that enters a glacial trough high above the floor of the trough. |
| Arête | a narrow , knifelike ridge separating two adjacent glaciated valleys. |
| horn | a pyramid-like peak formed by glacial action in three or more cirques surrounding a mountain summit |
| tarn | a small lake in a cirque |
| cirque | an amphitheater- shaped basin at the head of a glaciated valley |
| truncated spurs | eroded triangular shaped cliffs in glaciated valleys |
| glacial trough | U shaped glacial valley |
| ice sheets | tend to subdue the landscape (knock down high areas and fill in low areas, flattening the land) |
| outwash | sand and gravels deposited by glacial melt water |
| kettle lake | a water filled depression left by a glacial ice block |
| esker | ridge of sorted sand and gravel deposited in sub-glacial melt water tunnels |
| drumlin | elongate hills formed when a glacier overrides glacial till |
| glacial deposits-drift | sediment deposited on land or in water as a result of glaciation |
| till | material deposited directly by glacier |
| sorted sediments | material laid down by glacial melt water |
| till (deposit) | unsorted debris transported by glaciers and deposited on land. mixture of unsorted mud, sand, pebbles, and large deposited by glaciers |
| moraines | a pile of debris that has been transported and deposited by a glacier |
| terminal moraine | debris pushed along in front of the glacier |
| ground moraine | debris accumulated under the glacer |
| name 3 factors influencing climate change | •The Milankovitch Theory 1.Changes in Earth’s tilt – 41,000 years 2.Precession of the Equinoxes – 22,000 years 3.Eccentricity – 100,000 years • Decrease in Carbon Dioxide • Continental Positions |
| the ancient atmosphere consisted primarily of (4 things) | • Methane • Ammonia • Water vapor • Hydrogen |
| history of ancient atomosphere | primary components were reducing environment- no oxygen changing conditions - 3.5 bya complex molecules form amino acids, protiens photosynthesis begins- oxygen is produced |
| driving forces behind changes | ultraviolet radiation lightening radioactive decay |
| atmospheric composition | • Nitrogen 78% • Oxygen 21% • Argon 1% • Carbon Dioxide 0.035% |
| water vapor | - Amount of water vapor is highly variable in space and time. |
| water's importance to climate | water vapor transfers heat from warmer to colder regions |
| latent heat | heat released or absorbed when matter changes state |
| layers of the atmosphere by function | Ionosphere ozonosphere troposphere (bottom) |
| Troposphere | 1. Lowest layer – 0 to 15 km 2. Contains 80% of the mass of the atmosphere. 3. Layer where weather occurs. 4. Temperature decreases with height. |
| stratosphere | 1. Occurs between 15 and 50 km above the surface. 2. Contains 18% of the mass of the atmosphere. 3. Temperature increases with height. 4. Contains ozone (O3) that shields the surface from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. |
| layers of earth in order from lowest to top | troposphere-closest to eart stratosphere mesosphere thermosphere- top layer |
| global atmospheric circulation | transfer moisture to higher latitudes |
| name 3 cells and their degrees | Hadley call 0-30o Ferrel cell 30o-60o Polar cell 60o –90o |
| the green house effect | incoming solar radiation consists of short,high energy waves.The waves pass thought the atmosphere&are absorbed by the Earth.Some energy is then released back into the atmosphere as long,low energy waves which are absorbed by the particles in the atmosph |
| name 4 common greenhouse gases | 1. Water vapor 2. Carbon dioxide 3. methane 4. Chlo-floro-carbons (CFCs) |
| acid rain | results from the chemical reaction between water and certain compounds in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide Sulfur oxides (SOx) Nitrogen oxides (NOx) |
| ocean-atmosphere links | exchange of water, carbon dioxide and heat. surface currents are driven by atmospheric circulation |
| surface currents | Transfer heat from one place to another. Keep the upper 100 meters of the ocean well mixed. The Ocean is Stratified |
| oceans and climate | heat transferred from the equator towards the poles |
| thermohaline circulation | Driven by difference in temperature and salinity. Completes cycle in 6 yrs. |
| waves | waves move energy not water |
| crest | top of wave |
| trough | bottom of wave |
| when does a wave break | when a wave reaches 1/2 wave length |
| name three landforms created by lakes | barrier lakes, sea arches and sea stacks |
| tides | Driven by the gravitational influence of the Moon and Sun. Occur twice daily. |
| Deserts | • Less than 250 mm (10 inches) of precipitation. • Generally lacking in vegetation. • Cannot support a large population |
| subtropical deserts | • Centered around 30o N and S latitude • Controlled by air circulation • Geographically extensive |
| Continental Interior | • Far from sources of moisture (ocean) |
| Polar Desert | • Cold air holds very little moisture. • What little precipitation falls remains as ice for 1000’s of years. |
| Sediment Transport by Wind | • Surface creep • Saltation • Suspension |
| barchans sand dune | Sand supply is limited, steady wind from one direction |
| star | Wind direction varies |
| Transverse | Abundant sand, wind from one direction, form perpendicular to wind direction |
| Parabolic | develop along shorelines from off shore winds |
| linear dunes | limited sand supply, from parallel to convergence of wind |
| the type of dune that develops is dependent on | •Sand supply •Wind velocity and variability of wind direction •Surface over which the dune moves |
| Deflation | fine sands removed leaving gravel deposits. |
| ventifacts | rocks shaped and polished by wind |
| creep | particles too large to be lifted, move by impacts with saltating sediments |
| saltation | bounce along surface |
| suspension | small grains are carried by turbulent winds |
| loess | wind blown silts and clays, derived from nearby deserts or from glacial rock flour |
Created by:
amiegallagher29
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