| A | B |
|---|
| layers of atmosphere | troposphere (temp decreases), stratospere (temp increases due to ozone layer absorbing UV), mesophere (temp decreases), thermosphere (temp increases) |
| albedo | reflectivity of a surface. ice, snow, clouds, and water have high albedo. land, pavement have low. |
| hadley cell | a convection current in atmosphere between the equator and 30 degress N/S. Warm air rises @ equator creating a low pressure, wet weather system. Air sinks at 30 degrees creating dry, desert conditions. |
| ferrell cell | atmospheric convection cell between 30 and 60 degrees |
| polar cell | atmospheric convection cell between 60 and 90 degrees. Cold air sinks at poles creating high pressure system with dry weather. |
| ITCZ | intertropical convergence zone. An area of earth that receives the most intense sunlight; where the ascending branches of the two Hadley Cells converge. |
| Coriolis Effect | the deflection of an objects path due to the rotation of Earth. Bends ocean and wind currents clockwise in norhtern hemisphere, counterclockwise in southern hemisphere. |
| gyres | a large scale pattern of wate circulation that moves clockwise in northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, due to Coriolis effect. See map of ocean currents! |
| Thermohaline circulation | Thermo=temperature/Haline=salt. This is an oceanic circulation pattern where salty cold water sinks in northere oceans and circulates until it is warmer and less dense, rising in southern oceans. Thermohaline circulation drives the mixing of surface and deep ocean water. |
| ENSO (El nino southern oscillation) | The periodic slow down in trade winds over equatorial Pacific Ocean, which normally blow from west to east. (See Map!!) This causes a large mass of warmer ocean water. The changes prevent upwelling along coast of South America (bad!), wet weather in South America, dry weather in Australia and Indonesia (See Map!). Global weather changes include wetter conditions in SE U.S. and dry weather in S Africa, S.E. Asia. |
| Rain shadow | A region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountian range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side of a mountain |
| Latent heat release | the release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses |
| terrestrial biomes | tundra, taiga (boreal), temperate rain forest, temperate deciduous forest, grassland, chapparel, desert, savanna, tropical rainforest |
| fire adapted biomes | grassland, chapparel |
| lake zones | littoral, limnetic, profundal, benthic (be able to label or describe) |
| ocean zones | intertidal, photic, aphotic, benthic |
| chemosynthesis | a process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy using chemicals instead of light, such as methane and hydrogen sulfide |
| types of wetlands | swamps, marshes, bogs, estuaries, mangroves. (know characteristics of each!) |
| wetland identification | soil saturated with water all or part of year, special hydric soil, special plants adapted to wet conditions |
| wetland services | spongy soil absorbs water preventing flooding, water filtered and cleaned by soil and bacteria, has high biodiversity and several endangered species, carbon sequestation due to high primary productivity |
| coral reef | the most diverse marine biome on earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline |
| coral bleaching | a phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing corals to turn white |
| upwelling | the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents. Brings up nutrient rich water that food chains depend on. |
| specific heat | a measure of the ability of a substance to change temperature. Water has a high specific heat compared to land because it takes greater energy to change temp. Causes land and sea breezes. |
