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Questions and Answers
What process primarily leads to the formation of deep, narrow features such as the Mariana Trench?
What process primarily leads to the formation of deep, narrow features such as the Mariana Trench?
Which type of sediment is derived from organic material such as shells and skeletons?
Which type of sediment is derived from organic material such as shells and skeletons?
What is the primary driver of surface currents in the ocean?
What is the primary driver of surface currents in the ocean?
What phenomenon is characterized by weak trade winds and warmer waters in the Eastern Pacific?
What phenomenon is characterized by weak trade winds and warmer waters in the Eastern Pacific?
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What is the main biological consequence of upwelling in ocean environments?
What is the main biological consequence of upwelling in ocean environments?
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What is the primary difference between confined and unconfined aquifers?
What is the primary difference between confined and unconfined aquifers?
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Which of the following is an example of a feature created through meltwater deposition?
Which of the following is an example of a feature created through meltwater deposition?
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What process is primarily responsible for the movement of glaciers?
What process is primarily responsible for the movement of glaciers?
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Which of the following types of glaciers can contribute significantly to sea level rise if melted?
Which of the following types of glaciers can contribute significantly to sea level rise if melted?
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Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
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Which of the following factors affects the flow of a stream?
Which of the following factors affects the flow of a stream?
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What effect does the Coriolis effect have on wind movement?
What effect does the Coriolis effect have on wind movement?
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What is the main component of the carbon dioxide cycle that removes CO₂ from the atmosphere?
What is the main component of the carbon dioxide cycle that removes CO₂ from the atmosphere?
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Study Notes
Glaciers
- Glaciers are permanent ice masses formed from recrystallized snow.
- Ice sheets, the largest glaciers (e.g., Greenland, Antarctica), have the potential to raise global sea levels significantly (66 meters if completely melted)
- Types include alpine, cirque, valley, fjord, piedmont, and ice caps.
- Accumulation (growth) and ablation (loss) zones are key to glacier dynamics.
- Internal flow (creep) and basal sliding (lubricated by meltwater) drive glacial movement; common in temperate glaciers.
- Crevasses form at the surface due to internal stress within the ice.
- Moraines (lateral, terminal, medial) are till deposits marking glacial movement.
- Meltwater deposition forms features like outwash plains and eskers.
- Kettle lakes form from depressions in the landscape left after glacier retreat.
- Erratics are large, transported rocks distinct from surrounding geology.
Hydrologic Cycle
- Water distribution: 97% in oceans, 3% freshwater (ice, groundwater, surface water).
- Stream load types: dissolved (ions), suspended (silt/clay), and bed load (gravel).
- Stream flow patterns: ephemeral (intermittent) and perennial (constant).
- Meandering streams show erosion (cut banks) and deposition (point bars); oxbow lakes can form.
Groundwater
- Aquifers: confined (trapped by impermeable layers; artesian wells), and unconfined (connected to surface water).
- Porosity is the percentage of rock volume that's pore space.
- Permeable rocks allow water to flow easily.
- Wells include dug wells (shallow and prone to contamination) and drilled wells (deep and more protected).
Atmosphere
- Atmospheric layers: troposphere (weather, decreasing temperature), and stratosphere (ozone layer, increasing temperature due to UV absorption).
- Albedo is reflectivity (ice has a high albedo, absorbs less solar heat).
- Solar radiation (shortwave) vs. Earth's emitted longwave radiation.
- Heat transfer methods: conduction, convection (warm air rising), and radiation.
- Pressure and winds: The Coriolis effect deflects winds to the right (Northern Hemisphere) or left (Southern Hemisphere).
- Jet streams (polar and subtropical) are high-speed air currents affecting weather systems.
Carbon Cycle
- Short-term carbon cycle involves photosynthesis (CO₂ removal) and respiration/decay (CO₂ release).
- Long-term carbon cycle includes carbonate-silicate weathering, storing CO₂ in rocks.
- Fossil fuels release vast quantities of stored carbon over millennia.
Oceans
- Continental margins: passive (broad shelf, e.g., East Coast USA; little tectonic activity) vs. active (narrow shelf, e.g., Pacific Coast; near tectonic boundaries)
- Abyssal plains are flat seafloor regions formed by sediment accumulation.
- Trenches are deep, elongated features associated with subduction zones (e.g., Mariana Trench).
- Mid-ocean ridges are divergent boundaries creating new crust through seafloor spreading.
- Ocean sediments: lithogenous (eroded from land), biogenous (organic material, shells), and hydrogenous (precipitation).
- Ocean circulation: surface currents (wind-driven, affected by Coriolis), and thermohaline circulation (density-driven).
- Upwelling brings nutrient-rich water to the surface, supporting marine life.
- El Niño (weak trade winds, warmer waters, reduced upwelling, lower productivity) and La Niña (stronger trade winds, cooler waters, increased upwelling, higher productivity).
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Description
Test your knowledge on glaciers and the hydrologic cycle with this engaging quiz. Learn about different types of glaciers, their impact on sea levels, and the processes involved in water distribution. Challenge yourself with questions that explore glacier dynamics and water movement in nature.
