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BHSWG- concepts #6
BHSWG- Physical geography (part 2)
Question | Answer |
---|---|
large waterfall | CATARACT |
alluvial deposit at a river's mouth that looks like the Greek letter delta | DELTA |
rich soil made up of sand and mud deposited by running water | ALLUVIAL SOIL |
Russian term for the vast sub-arcticforest, mostly evergreens that cover much of Russia & Siberia | TAIGA |
Vast treeless plains in cold northern climates, characterized by permafrost and small, low plants such as mosses and shrubs | TUNDRA |
precipitation carrying large amounts of dissolved acids which damages buildings, forests, and crops, and kills wildlife | ACID RAIN |
the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming | DESALINIZATION |
A complex community of interdependent plants and animals in a given environment | ECOSYSTEM |
The specific ecosystem of a region; 5 types found around the world- desert, forest, grassland, tundra, aquatic | BIOME |
another name for desert | ARID |
savanna or steppe | GRASSLANDS IN TROPICAL OR TEMPERATE AREAS |
underground water-bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel | AQUIFER |
Piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers | MORAINE |
fine yellowish-brown topsoil made up of particles of silt and clay, usually carried by the wind | LOESS |
a bend of layers of rock, sometimes caused by plate movement | FOLD |
a crack or break in the earth's crust | FAULT |
the part of the continent that extends underwater | CONTINENTAL SHELF |
Small area in the desert where water and vegetation are found | OASIS |
Plant life that grows in certain areas if people have not changed the natural environment | NATURAL VEGETATION |
The side of the mountain from which the wind is blowing; the side of the mountain that gets the precipitation | WINDWARD |
The side of the mountain toward which the wind is blowing; the dry side that gets no precipitation (rain shadow) | LEEWARD |
The effect of mountains on climate, where the elevated landforms cause precipitation to fall on the windward side of the mountain and a dry climate (rain shadow) on the leeward side of the mountain | OROGRAPHIC EFFECT |
Bending of the prevaling winds due to the rotation of the earth | CORIOLOS EFFECT |
The orbit of the arth around the sun; along with the earth's tilt, this gives us our seasons | REVOLUTION |
The spinning of the earth on its axis, which gives us day and night | ROTATION |
The tilt of the earth on its axis is _____ | 23.5 DEGREES |
The sources of of river waters | HEADWATERS |
Smaller river or stream that feeds into a larger river | TRIBUTARY |
A boundary in the eastern US where the higher land of the Piedmont drops to the lower Atlantic coastal plain | FALL LINE |
Elevation above which which it is too cold for trees to grow | TIMBER LINE |
Steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface | ESCARPMENT |
An area where the tide meets a river current | ESTUARY |
Electrical energy generated by falling water | HYDROELECTRIC POWER |
Cutting down whole forests when removing timber | CLEAR CUTTING |
Process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen | EUTROPHICATION |
The top layer of the rain forest, where the tops of tall trees form a continuous layer of leaves | CANOPY |
Technological and economic growth that does not deplete the human and natural resources of a given area for future generations | SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT |
To wash nutrients out of the soil | LEACH |
An area with conditions suitable for certain plants and animals to live | HABITAT |
Large landmass that is part of a continent but still distinct from it, like India | SUBCONTINENT |
Japanese term for an earthquake under the ocean that causes large waves | TSUNAMI |
Seasonal winds in Asia that bring warm, moist air from the ocean in summer and cold, dry air from inland areas in the winter | MONSOON |
Large group of islands | ARCHIPELAGO |
Process in which arable land is turned into desert (ex. the Sahel in Africa) | DESERTIFICATION |
Native plant or animal species | ENDEMIC |