GEO-SCI 103: Final Exam
63 Cards in this Set
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Scientific Process
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observation
question
hypothesis
prediction
experiment
conclusion
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Divergent Plate Boundary
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a place where neighboring plates move away from each other; new lithosphere is created
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convergent plate boundary
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forms where two plates collide
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Transform Plate Boundary:
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When two plate slide past each other.
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Ocean-ocean plate boundary
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a.Two Oceans plates converge, one
subducted
b.Volcanic island arcs are the result
ex: Japanese Island Arc
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Ocean-continent convergent plate boundary
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Oceanic plate goes under continental creating mountain ranges (because oceanic is more dense)
Volcanoes are formed along the edge of the continental plate and earthquakes are present
ex andes
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Continent continent convergent plate boundary
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- Mountains
- Shallow and intermediate earthquakes
- Very powerful earthquake potential
- No volcanism
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isostasy
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the upward or downward movement that keeps the crust in equilibrium as if floats on the mantle (seen in mountains and illustrated by the wood blocks)
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lithosphere
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refers to the solid Earth portions
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Asthenosphere
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The soft layer
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mantle
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The layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core.
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Continental lithosphere:
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is thinker than oceanic lithosphere but less dense
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Oceanic lithosphere
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crust, thin and more dense than continental lithosphere
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volcanism
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describes all the processes associated with the discharge of magma, hot fluids, and gases
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Earthquake Distribution
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• Majority of earthquake occur along plate boundaries
• Greatest concentration along Circum-Pacific belt
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plate boundaries
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where plates interact with each other
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latent heat of vaporization
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the amount of energy required to change a unit of mass of a substance from liquid to gas (and vice versa)
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Fusion of water
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Melting
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Hydrologic cycle
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· precipitation- rain on land and ocean
· evaporation- largest amount from ocean
· infiltration- water that soaks into ground
· runoff - waterinto streams and into lakes
· transpiration- water absorbed by plants
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hydrogen bonds
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attraction between hydrogen and another molecule
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Thermocline
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Change in temperature with depth
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Pycnocline
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A layer of water in which there is a rapid change of density with depth. In freshwater environments
such as lakes this density change is primarily caused by water temperature, while in
seawater environments such as oceans the density change may be caused by changes in
water temperature…
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Thermocline and Latitudinal Regions
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Temperate: mild productivity
Tropical: low productivity
Polar: nutrient rich
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Global Atmospheric Circulation Cells
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3 types - hadley, ferril and polar.
Responsible for subtropical deserts.
Redistribute energy.
Hadley is the most important
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Coriolis Effect
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The curving of wind due to the rotation of the Earth.
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subtropical gyres
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large, circular moving water masses
clockwise in N. hemisphere
counterclockwise in S. hemisphere
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Coastal Upwelling
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Wind blowing parallel to shore or offshore can cause coastal upwelling
Nutrient rich bottom water increases biological productivity
Cold temperature water cools climate
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Equatorial Upwelling
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water currents that well up toward the equator surface that are rich in nutrients (aka water from within and below the pycnocline)
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El Nino
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cycles every 7-10yrs, anonymously warm event in Pacific
shift in atmospheric pressure prohibits upwelling because cold water is no longer able to rise, less rain in west
rainfall follows low pressure water movement
has global effects, interconnected
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Ocean circulation
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because cooler water is more dense than warmer water, the cooling water at the poles tends to sink and the warmer surface water from the equator moves to take its place
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deep-water wave
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occurs in water that is deeper than one half of the wave's length
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shallow-water waves
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waves in which depth (d) is less than 1/20 of the wavelength
L/20
AKA: long waves
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Spring tides
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Occur with Full and New Moons
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Neap Tides
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Occurs during First-Quarter and Third-Quarter Moons
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primary productivity
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-production of organic compounds from inorganic substances such as photosynthesis and chemosynthesis
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photosynthesis
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the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria transform light energy to chemical energy stored in the bonds of sugars made from carbon dioxide and water
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chemosynthesis
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The synthesis of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using energy derived from reactions involving inorganic chemicals, typically in the absence of sunlight (think deep-ocean vent systems).
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food web
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composed of many interlocking food chains that determine flow of energy through different trophic levels
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Dolphin Safe Tuna
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Tuna banned without the killing of dolphins as a bycatch. passed by congress, passed a law that standardized the use of the "dolphin safe" label and, even more significantly, banned the importation of non-dolphin safe tuna.
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territorial waters
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12 miles from the shoreline
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exclusive economic zone (EEZ)
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as established in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, a zone of exploitation extending 200 nautical miles seaward from a coastal state that has exclusive mineral and fishing rights over it
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pollution
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Anything that make a natural resource such as air, soil or water dirty or unsafe to use.
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Agricultural runoff
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includes sediments, inorganic fertilizers, manure, salts from irrigation water, & pesticides
responsible for most water pollution in US
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Eutophication
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A process in which nutrients build up in a lake or pod over time.
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Biomagnification
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The cumulative increase in the concentration of a persistent substance in successively higher levels of the food chain.
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longshore drift
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sand moving sideway along beach
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Longshore Current
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The movement of water parallel to a shoreline
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wave refraction
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wave bending; caused by the irregular shape of the shore compared to the incoming wave or by areas of shallow water offshore
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hard stabilization
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structures built to protect a coast from erosion
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Groins
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rigid structures perpendicular to shoreline/longshore o reduce erosion
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Jetties
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built perpendicular to coastline, to prevent erosion of beach sand
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Seawalls
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Built parallel to coastline, against shore to lessen impact of waves
it helps...but only where you put it
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Soft stabilization
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beach filling and renourishment
dune building
wetland and mangrove creation
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beach replenishment
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sand is added artificially to combat beach starvation (very expensive, only temporarily effective).
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A barrier island system is made up of?
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Beach sands, Dunes, and Tidal Flats
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Deltas
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where stream enters ocean or lake
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saltmarsh
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marsh that is flooded by ocean at high tide
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Estuary
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ocean meets river
brackish water
high nutrients
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Salt Wedge Estuary
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An estuary in which the seawater moves in and out along an angled boundary known as the salt wedge
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Well Mixed Estuary
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river flow is low allowing the tides to mix the salnity. Uniform salinity at all depths... all water going the same direction.
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Partially mixed estuary
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Strong tide and strong river flow
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Halocline
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Where the biggest increase in salinity occurs
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Estuary salinity profile
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Salt-wedge estuary-mostly freshwater with little mixing
Well mixed- even dispersal of salinity from mouth to ocean
partially mixed estuary- salt travels further to the opening
Reverse estuary- fresh goes up river
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GEO-SCI 103: Final Exam