hazardous earth

• atmospheric circulation = general movement of air around the earth due to pressure and temperature
• climate change = distinct change in global or regional patterns of climate e.g. changes in temperature or precipitation patters
• conservative plate boundary = plate boundary where 2 plates are moving alongside each other
• continental crust = thicker, less dense crust that makes up the continent
• convergent plate boundary 


  a plate boundary where two plates are moving towards each other
• convection current 


  movement of fluid caused by different temperature of density
• asthenosphere


  semi-molten layer at the top of the mantle which flows due to convection currents, moving the solid lithosphere
• Coriolis effect


  effect of earth's rotation on wind movements
• cyclone 


  very powerful low-pressure weather system which results in strong winds (over 120 km/h) and heavy rainfall (up to 250 mm in one day)
• divergent plate boundary 


  plate boundary where two plated are moving away from eachother
• eccentricity


  changing of the orbit of the earth around the sun from a circular shape to an ellipse
• eye (storm)


  central area of tropical cyclone with extremely low pressure and calm conditions
• eyewall (storm)


  area of tropical cyclone with most intense, powerful winds and torrential rain. (15-30km away from the eye)
• ferrel cell - located around 60° either side of equator, moist air rises and travels to lower latitudes at around 30° where it sinks along with the air travelling from the equator
• Hadley cells = at equator, hot moist air rises and sinks to higher latitudes, 30° 
• polar cell = located 60° north or south of the equator, moist air rises ad travels to the poles (90°) where it sinks
• fossil fuels 


  made up of remains of organic remains e.g. oil, coal and gas. (non-renewable)
• greenhouse gases


  gases in earth's atmosphere that trap energy in the earth's system and contribute to the greenhouse effect (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour and nitrous oxides)
• hotspot


  area where unusually hot magma breaks through middle of plate and travels up surface, creating volcano
• lithosphere


  solid rock that lies on top of asthenosphere. Top of lithosphere is the crust, which is broken up into tectonic plates
• magma


  molten rock found beneath the earth's surface
• mantle 


  area underneath crust which contains magma
• quartenary period


  geological time period that started 2.6 million years ago and extends into present
• tree rings


  rings in tree trunk which grow annually (get more of the rings every year) indicating the conditions it grew in
• tsunami


  large wave caused by large amount of water being displaces when plates move