APES | THE LAND

• What elements make up 98.5% of the Earth’s crust?

  8 elements
• What is plate tectonics?

  Movement of lithospheric plates
• What drives convection currents in the Earth?

  Heat from Earth’s inner layers
• How does the mantle's soft rock behave due to heat?

  It moves up as it warms and down as it cools
• What happens to the lithosphere as the mantle moves?

  The lithosphere is dragged along with the mantle
• What has happened to continents over millions of years?

  They have combined, separated, and recombined
• What are the three types of plate boundaries?

  Divergent, transform, and convergent boundaries

  
• What occurs at divergent plate boundaries?

  Plates are pushed apart and magma rises to create new crust

  
• What is created by sea floor spreading?

  New crust
• What geological features can form at divergent boundaries?

  Volcanoes and hydrothermal vents
• What happens at transform plate boundaries?

  Two plates meet, causing slipping and grinding

  
• What natural disaster is commonly associated with transform boundaries?

  Earthquakes
• What do divergent plate boundaries influence in terms of ocean currents?

  They shift continents and influence ocean currents
• What environmental impacts can result from all types of plate boundaries?

  Earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides
• What is a tsunami?

  A surge of seawater caused by displacement of water
• What can tsunamis damage?

  Coral reefs, coastal forests, and wetlands
• How does saltwater contamination affect land restoration?

  It makes it hard to restore the land
• What gases do volcanoes emit at divergent plate boundaries?

  CO2 and SO2
• What is primary and secondary succession in relation to volcanic eruptions?

  It occurs from lava and ash
• How do volcanic eruptions affect aquatic environments?

  They can increase turbidity, acidity, and temperature
• What occurs during subduction at convergent plate boundaries?

  The oceanic plate slides beneath continental crust
• What mountain ranges were built by continental collision?

  The Himalaya and Appalachian Mountains
• How do mountains influence water availability?

  They collect snow that melts and provides water
• What environmental impacts do volcanic eruptions have?

  Ash can block sunlight and cool the atmosphere
• What is the significance of Mount Tambora's eruption?

  It caused the 1816 "year without a summer"
• Where is Yellowstone National Park located?

  Inside the caldera of a supervolcano
• How do tectonic plates affect evolution?

  They influence the location of life on Earth
• What happens during earthquakes in relation to species?

  They can separate and isolate populations of species
• What is soil composed of?

  Disintegrated rock, organic matter, water, gases, nutrients, and microorganisms
• Why is soil considered a renewable resource?

  It can be replenished through biological and physical processes
• What factors influence soil formation?

  Climate, organisms, topography, parent material, and time
• What is humus?

  A spongy material formed by partial decomposition of organic matter
• What is leaching in soil profiles?

  The process where dissolved particles move down through horizons
• What is topsoil vital for?

  It is the most nutritive layer for plants
• What does soil color indicate?

  Its composition and fertility
• What does soil texture depend on?

  The size of soil particles
• What is loam?

  A soil with an even mixture of clay, silt, and sand
• How does soil pH affect plant growth?

  It influences the availability of nutrients for plants
• What is water holding capacity in soil?

  The total amount of water soil can hold
• How do soil characteristics vary in rainforests?

  Nutrients are in plants, not the soil