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Geography
Geography Final Exam
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Tectonic Plates | Large Moving Pieces of the Earth's crust |
Ring of Fire | a zone of tectonic activity (volcanos, earthquakes) around the pacific Rim |
Earthquake | Violent movement of the earth cause when tectonic plates grind or slip past each other |
Tsunami | a giant wave usually caused by an undersea earthquake |
Volcano | an opening, or rupture, in he planet's surface of crust, which allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to escape from hot spots below the earth's surface. |
Convergent Boundary | Boundary where tectonic plates come together causing subduction zones and folding (Which can create mountain ranges) |
Weathering | the chemical or physical process that breaks down rock |
Erosion | the process in which the Earth's surface is worn down by the power of wind, water, or ice and the weathered material is carried away. |
Silt | fine sand, clay or other material carried by running water and deposited. |
Artic | the polar region located north of the Arctic circle (66 North Latitude) where for a time in the summer the sun never sets and in the winter it never rises. |
Temperate Zone | is the zone around the equator (between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn) which receives the most direct rays of sunlight. |
Mid Latitude | Anyone of the climate zones in the Mid latitude with a mild climate. |
High Latitude | A place that is extreme north or south, near the poles |
Low Latitude | A place that is in the middle of the Northern or Southern hemisphere, between the tropics and the artic. |
Equinox | A place that is in the center of the geographic grid near the equator. |
Monsoon | the transfer of heat in the atmosphere, this circulation causes winds that help distribute the sun's heat across the globe. |
Tropics | a current of warm water from the tropics that creates mild conditions in Europe. |
Prevailing Winds | global wind that blow in fairly constant patterns |
North Atlantic Draft | Seasonal Winds in the tropics that can cause either wet or dry conditions. |
Convection | A reversal of the ocean currents and water temperatures off the coast of South America that naturally every 3-7 years for reasons that are not fully understood. Fish stocks are greatly reduced as a result. |
a dry area with little precipitation and sparse vegetation and sparse vegetation | |
Semiarid | Longest and shortest days of the year (occurs in the winter and summer) June and December 21st twice a year |
El Nino | the days and nights all over the world are equal in length. The equinox mark the beginning of spring and autumn. September and March 21st |
Biome | A regional ecosystem that contains plants an animals that are specially adapted to the regional climate. |
Savannah | A flat, treeless arctic region in which only mosses and lichen adapted to the cold dry weather can survive. |
Tundra | Permanently frozen subsoil |
Permafrost | refers to a coniferous forest found in cold climates, for example the Taiga in Russia |
Steppe | Broadleaf trees that lose their leaves |
Rainforest | a tropical grassland that can support large herds of animals, found in Tropical Wet/Dry Climate. |
Deciduous | Scrub vegetation (short trees and shrubs) growing in Mediterranean climate zones that is drought resistant |
Boreal Forest | a forest with an abundance of rainfall year round resulting in a great quantity/ variety of plat life. |
Canal | an artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of ships. |
Polder | a section of a waterway with closed gates where water levels are raised and lowered , through which ships can pass. |
Drip Irrigation | to supply land with water by artificial means, as by diverting streams, flooding , or spraying. |
Terraced Farming | an ancient technique for growing crops on a mountain side |
Domestic | to adapt plants and animals from the wild to make them useful for People |
conservation | the protection or carefully planned use of a resource, for example the protection of an endangered species or planned usage of fossil fuels. |
Suitable Development | technological and economic growth that does not deplete the resources of an area |
Drip Irrigation | the practice of using small pipes that slowly drip just above the ground to conserve water. |
Desalinization | the removal salt from ocean water |
Desertification | the creation of desert like conditions, usually caused by a combination of overgrazing, soil erosion, drought, and climate change. |
Cyclone | a tropical storm with fierce winds and heavy rains that forms in the Indian Ocean |
Typhoon | a tropical storm with fierce winds and heave rains that forms in the Pacific Ocean |
Storm surge | a high water level brought by a tropical storms that floods low lying area. |
Runoff | rainfall that is not absorbed by the soil which can carry pesticides ad fertilizers from fields into rivers and the water supply. |
Global warming | a build-up of Carbon Dioxides in the atmosphere, preventing heat from escaping into space and causing rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns. |
Polder | Land that has been reclaimed from the sea |
Dam | a barrier constructed typically along a river to hold back water, the resulting reservoir can be used as a water supply or to produce hydroelectric power. |
Birth rate | the number of live births per 1000 people in the population |
Death rate | the number of deaths per 1000 people in the population |