APES Topics, Questions and answers, 100% Accurate, graded A+

APES Topics, Questions and answers, 100% Accurate, graded A+ geologic time scale - ✔✔-A record of the geologic events and life forms in Earth's history. - Cenozoic (age of mammals, quaternary 1.6-present, tertiary 6. ...

APES Topics, Questions and answers, 100% Accurate, graded A+ geologic time scale - ✔✔-A record of the geologic events and life forms in Earth's history. - Cenozoic (age of mammals, quaternary 1.6-present, tertiary 6.5-1.6 million yrs ago) - Mesozoic (age of reptiles, cretaceous 146-6.5, jurassic 208-146, triassic 245-208 million yrs ago) - Paleozoic (age of fishes, Permian 290-245, Pennsylvanian 322-290, Mississippian 362-322, Devonian 408-362, Silurian 439-408, Ordovician 510-439, Cambrian 545-510 million yrs ago) - Precambrian (Proterozoic 2500-545, archean 4600-2500 million yrs ago) plate tectonics - ✔✔-The theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle's flowing asthenosphere. Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur around the boundaries of these plates. Earth's Layers - ✔✔-crust/soil, lithosphere, asthenosphere, mantle, core Convection - ✔✔-The transfer of thermal energy by the circulation or movement of a liquid or gas earthquakes - ✔✔-a sudden and violent shaking of the ground or along the fault as a result of fracturing and displacement of subsurface rock, produces a fault divergent boundary - ✔✔-A plate boundary where two plates move away from each other. convergent boundary - ✔✔-A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other. transform boundary - ✔✔-A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions Volcanism - ✔✔-Any activity that includes the movement of magma and gases toward or onto Earth's surface, lava surfaces through a vent or fissure Seasons - ✔✔-caused by the tilt of earth's axis of 23.5 degrees off and rotation on its axis, it results general climate changes (spring, summer, fall, winter) Factors of regional climate - ✔✔-cyclical movement of air driven by solar energy, uneven heating of earth's surface by the sun, tilt of earth's axis, rotation of earth on its axis, ocean currents Solar intensity - ✔✔-the amount of solar energy striking a location in an hour. Regions that are located closer to the equator have a greater solar radiation exposure. As the latitude moves up or down from the equator, the sun's radiation exposure lessens. Latitude - ✔✔-distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees Atmosphere composition - ✔✔-[estimates] Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), Argon (.93%), Carbon Dioxide (.035%), and other gases Atmosphere structure - ✔✔-(top) thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, ozone layer, troposphere, sea level (bottom) weather - ✔✔-Short-term changes in the temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover, wind direction and speed, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time. climate - ✔✔-physical properties of the troposphere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period of time (at least 30 yrs). Two main factors: average temperature, with seasonal variations, and average amount of distribution of precipitation atmospheric circulation - ✔✔-hot air rises, moves, cools and sinks to earth's surface, and is heated again Coriolis effect - ✔✔-The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents. atmosphere-ocean interactions - ✔✔-Constant exchange of heat, moisture, and momentum. Helps maintain Global air flow. Small changes in ocean temperature can modify atmospheric conditions such as surface winds control ocean currents ENSO - ✔✔-El Nino Southern Oscillation, trade winds weaken & warm surface water moves toward South America. Diminished fisheries off South America, drought in western Pacific, increased precipitation in southwestern North America, fewer Atlantic hurricanes. occurs as a 1-2 yr natural weather event. El Nino - ✔✔-normal trade winds blowing east to west cause shore upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich bottom water in tropical pacific ocean near coast of Peru Thermocline - ✔✔-In water, a distinctive temperature transition zone that separates an upper warm and bottom cold water, sinks in the eastern pacific rock cycle - ✔✔-Largest and slowest of the earth's cycles, consisting of geologic, physical, and chemical processes that form and modify rocks and soil in the earth's crust over millions of years. (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock) soil formation - ✔✔-forms as rock is broken down by weathering and mixes with other materials on the surface soil composition - ✔✔-rock particles, minerals, decayed organic material, water, and air soil chemical properties - ✔✔-pH scale (H+ and OH-), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon Soil Physical Properties - ✔✔-color, texture, structure, porosity, permeability main soil types - ✔✔-clay, sand, silt erosion - ✔✔-Processes by which loose or consolidated earth materials, especially topsoil, are dissolved, loosened, or worn away and removed from one place and deposited in another. In relation to weathering Weathering - ✔✔-Physical and chemical processes in which solid rock exposed at earth's surface is changed to separate solid particles and dissolved material, which can then be moved to another place as sediment. Other Soil Problems - ✔✔-overgrazing, fertilizer, industrial farming practices, pesticides, acid runoff, less nutrients for plants soil conservation - ✔✔-Methods used to reduce soil erosion, prevent depletion of soil nutrients, and restore nutrients previously lost by erosion, leaching, and excessive crop harvesting. soil horizon - ✔✔-the horizontal layers into which many soils are organized (texture+composition or soil profile), from the surface to the underlying parent material (biological) population - ✔✔-a group of individuals of the same species living in the same particular geographic area (biological) communities - ✔✔-populations of different species that occupy a particular place, and potentially interacting with each other Ecosystem - ✔✔-Community of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up its nonliving environment. ecological niche - ✔✔-Total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem. It includes all physical, chemical, and biological conditions that a species needs to live and reproduce in an ecosystem. generalist species - ✔✔-Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Examples are flies, cockroaches, mice, rats, and human beings. Compare specialist species. specialist species - ✔✔-Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food. competition - ✔✔-Two or more individual organisms of a single species (intraspecific contest) or two or more individuals of different species (interspecific contest) attempting to use the same scarce resources in the same ecosystem. Predation - ✔✔-An interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism Parasitism - ✔✔-Interaction between species in which one organism, called the parasite, preys on another organism, called the host, by living on or in the host. Mutualism - ✔✔-Type of species interaction in which both participating species generally benefit. (winwin result, principles of sustainability) principles of sustainability - ✔✔-solar energy biodiversity chemical/nutrient cycling full-cost pricing win-win solutions responsibility to future generations keystone species - ✔✔-species that play important roles in helping to sustain many other species in an ecosystem species diversity - ✔✔-Number of different species (species richness) combined with the relative abundance of individuals within each of those species (species evenness) in a given area. species richness - ✔✔-Variety of species, measured by the number of different species contained in a community. species evenness - ✔✔-Degree to which comparative numbers of individuals of each of the species present in a community are similar. edge effect - ✔✔-the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats Major terrestrial biomes - ✔✔-arctic tundra, evergreen coniferous forest, cold desert, temperate deciduous forest, chaparral, temperate grassland, temperate desert, tropical rain forest, tropical grassland (savanna), tropical desert Major Aquatic Biomes - ✔✔--Streams and rivers -Intertidal zones -Oceanic pelagic biome -Marine benthic zone -Ponds and lakes -Streams and rivers -Wetlands -Oceans -Coral reefs -Estuaries Photosynthesis - ✔✔-the complex process by which carbon dioxide, water, and certain inorganic salts are converted into carbohydrates by green plants, algae, and certain bacteria, using energy from the sun and chlorophyll. celluar respiration - ✔✔-the process by which cells use oxygen to produce energy from food food web - ✔✔-complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships Tropic level - ✔✔-all organisms that are the same number of energy transfers away from the original source of energy that enters an ecosystem (each transfer loses 90% of usable heat energy) ecological pyramid - ✔✔-diagram that shows the relative amoun