APES Chapter 4 Test Review
Where is the Ogallala Aquifer located?
Great Plains
During a La Niña event, what environmental changes would the tropical Pacific Ocean and its surrounding landmasses most likely experience?
Increased upwelling off the coast of South America resulting in increased productivity of fisheries
Why does it rain at the equator?
winds from two directions meet at the equator. when converged at the ITCZ it gets heated and becomes light so it rises in the atmosphere
Thermosphere
The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere; temp increases
stratosphere
The second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. has the ozone in it; temperature increases
Windward
The side of a mountain range that faces the oncoming wind.
rain shadow
a region having little rainfall because it is sheltered from prevailing rain-bearing winds by a range of hills.
ferrell cell
air flows poleward and eastward near the surface and to the equator and westward at higher altitude. revered in the hadley cells
hadley cell
air rising at the equator at 30 degrees latitude. responsible for trade winds in the tropics. air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes
Why are there clouds at the equator?
as warm moist air converges at lower altitudes near the equator, it rises and cools and therefore can hold less moisture . This causes water vapor to condense into cloud particles and produces a dependable band of thunderstorms in an area known as the Inter tropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
What is the Coriolis effect? How does it affect wind?
objects in the northern hemisphere go clockwise and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. winds are subject to the coriolis effect and makes them flow in circles.
Explain why seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres are opposite?
one part of the planet is more directly exposed to the sun the others. exposure alternates as earth revolves around its orbit. the earth is tilted
la nina
pacific ocean, winds blow warm water at the surface
what is the best type of soil for plants?
sandy loam
Leeward
sheltered from the wind
Which abiotic factor, when graphed on the x-axis, leads to the curved line in the graph due to variation in the different layers of the atmosphere?
temperature gradients
why does the density and atmosphere pressure change as we move out into space?
the gas particles spread out and makes it become less dense. also, there are less elements which causes the density to decrease
What is latent heat?
the heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapor, or a liquid into a vapor, without change of temperature.
el nino
unusually warm, nutrient poor water off Peru/Ecuador in December
mesosphere
3rd layer of the atmosphere; temp decreases
divergent boundary
A plate boundary where two plates move away from each other.
transform boundary
A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions
convergent boundary
A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other.
permeability
Ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it
soil profile
All the vertical layers or horizons that make up a soil in a particular place; organic, subsoil, substratum, bedrock
Why does the summer solstice occur in December and not June in Australia?
At this time of year, the tilt of Earth causes Australia to receive highly concentrated solar radiation.
Peru's commercial anchovy industry would most likely be harmed during an El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the decline in anchovy during an El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event?
Less nutrient-rich water reaches surface waters, disrupting the food web.
The vast majority of ozone (O3) is found in a thin layer due to a lack of circulation in which of the following atmospheric layers?
Stratosphere
Troposphere
The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere; temperature decreases
What is the best explanation for the deflection of trade winds in both hemispheres?
The wind is deflected west because of Earth's rotation.
Which of the layer of the atmosphere contains charged gas molecules that glow and produce light when hit by solar energy, leading to glowing gases such as the northern lights, found over 90 kilometers above Earth's surface?
Thermosphere
During an El Niño event, farmers in the southwestern United States often benefit from which of the following climatic changes?
Wetter and warmer weather that increases soil moisture
soil particles from smallest to largest
clay, silt, sand
polar cells
convection currents that are formed by air that rises at 60 degrees north and south and sinks at the poles
Why is the melting of the arctic leading to the greater global warming?
ice creates a reflective surface, so if the ice melts there are less reflective surfaces which in turn causes more light to be let into the earth and makes it hotter
subduction zone
in tectonic plates, the site at which an oceanic plate is sliding under a continental plate.
What source of energy drives the circulation pattern for the hadley cells?
latent heat
