Unit 4 -Earth Systems and Resources

Plate tectonics high speed animation 6 mins

Every earthquake in last 15 years 5 mins

Eli Nino Notes from Kristi - worksheet is on her site

El nino what is it

Understanding ENSO

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NASA the ocean a driving force for weather and climate - 6 mins

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• Earth ~4.6 billion years old
• formed from cosmic dust in the solar system.

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• Heavy elements like iron sank toward the center while lighter elements like silica floated toward its surface.
• Explains why we have limited resources that are not evenly distributed.

Geologic Time Scale

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Slicing a wedge from Earth would cover the width of the U.S.

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The Earth’s Layers

• Lithosphere- the brittle outermost layer of the planet that is approximately 100 km thick. The lithosphere is the tectonic plate we talk about in plate tectonics.
• Lower part of the lithosphere (physical layer) is the upper portion of the mantle (chemical layer).

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• Asthenosphere (“plastic”stheno:strength)- the outer part of the mantle, composed of semi-molten rock. It is weak and easily deformed layer of the Earth that acts as a “lubricant” for the tectonic plates to slide over.

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• Mesosphere- Meso means middle. Rock in this layer flows more slowly than in the asthenosphere.
• Outer core-liquid layer composed of nickel and iron
• Inner core-dense solid layer made of nickel and iron.

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Earth’s Geologic Cycle

• Three major processes:
• Tectonic cycle
• The build up and break down in the lithosphere.

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• Rock cycle
• Constant formation and breakdown of rock.
• Slowest of all Earth’s cycles.

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• Soil formation
• Mix of geologic and organic components.

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Convection and Hot Spots

• The Earth is very hot at the center.
• This heat causes plumes of hot magma to well upward from the mantle.
• Hotspots- places where molten material from the mantle reach the lithosphere.

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4.1 Plate Tectonics

Describe the geological changes and events that occur at convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries.

• Convergent boundaries can result in the creation of mountains, island arcs, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
• Divergent boundaries can result in seafloor spreading, rift valleys, volcanoes, and earthquakes
• Transform boundaries can result in earthquakes.
• Maps that show the global distribution of plate boundaries can be used to determine the location of volcanoes, island arcs, earthquakes, hot spots, and faults.
• An earthquake occurs when stress overcomes a locked fault, releasing stored energy.

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Continental Drift

• 1912, German meteorologist Alfred Wegner proposed the movement of the plates and named Pangaea leading to this theory.

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Theory of Plate Tectonics

• Plate tectonics- the theory that states that Earth’s lithosphere is divided into plates, most of which are in constant motion.

Oceanic plates vs. Continental

• Oceanic- more dense
• Lie primarily below the ocean.
• Crust is more dense and rich with iron.
• Igneous rock - Basaltic -dark colored rock rich with Fe,Mg,Ca

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• Continental-less dense
• Lie beneath land masses.
• Made of lighter materials like silicon dioxide.
• Igneous roc- granitic rock-lighter color, feldspar,mica,quartz- Si,Al,K,Ca

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• In a subduction zone (Oceanic-continental boundary) which will sink under then other?

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Types of Plate Contact

• Divergent plate boundaries- when plates move apart from one another.
• *Sea floor spreading, rift valleys, and volcanos

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• Convergent plate boundaries- when plates move toward one another and collide.
• Continental continental→ Collision zone - Mountain formation.
• Ocean-continental → Subduction zone - volcanoes
• Ocean- ocean→ Subduction zone - volcanoes in middle of ocean makes island arc

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• Transform fault boundaries- the plates move sideways past each other.
• Earthquakes- san andreas fault

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Collision zone

Subduction zones

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Consequences of Plate Movement

• Volcanoes- as a plate moves over a hot spot, rising magma forms a volcano.
• 85% occur along Plate boundaries
• Others occur near hotspots.
• May eject cinders - ash, dust, rock, or lava into the air.

Faults and Earthquakes

• Faults-a fracture in rock across which there is movement.
• Earthquakes-occur when the rocks move unexpectedly along a fault, Releases pressure

Faults and Earthquakes

• Fault zone- large expanses of rock where movement has occurred.
• Epicenter- the exact point on the surface of Earth directly above the location where the rock ruptures.

2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes

• Richter scale- a measure of the largest ground movement that occurs during an earthquake.
• The scale is logarithmic 10, so an earthquake of 7 is 10 times greater than an earthquake of 6.

4.2 Soil Formation and Erosion

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Describe the characteristics and formation of soil.

• Soils are formed when parent material is weathered, transported, and deposited.
• Soils are generally categorized by horizons based on their composition and organic material.
• Soils can be eroded by winds or water. Protecting soils can protect water quality as soils effectively filter and clean water that moves through them.

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Rock Cycle

• Rock cycle- the constant formation and destruction of rock.

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What is soil?

• Mix of geological (rock) and organic (living) components
• Sand, silt, clay
• Humus- main organic part of soil- broken down biomass- leaves, dead animals, waste
• Nutrients- ammonium, phosphates, nitrates
• water and air - fill the pores in the soil
• Living organisms - worms, fungi, etc.
• Roles soil plays in ecosystems
• Supports plant group- anchor roots,provides water, nutrients (N,P,K,Mg)
• Water- filters rainwater and runoff by trapping pollutants in pore spaces and plant roots, clean water enters groundwater and aquifers
• Nutrient recycling
• Habitat for organisms

Soil Formation

• Weathering - breakdown of rocks
• Physical- wind, rain, freezing/thawing
• Chemical- acid rain, acids from moss/lichen
• Biological -roots of trees, break down from
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• Weathering
• Broken into smaller and smaller pieces
• Carried away and deposited by erosion
• Erosion
• Transport of weathered rock fragments carried by wind and rain
• Deposition- Carried to a new location

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Soil Formation

• Soil formation from below
• Weathering of parent material produces smaller and smaller fragments that make up geological/inorganic part of soil
• sand , silt, clay
• Minerals
• Soil formation from above
• Breakdown of organic material - adds humus
• Erosion deposit soil particles from other areas, adding to soil
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• Factors affect rate of soil formation
• Type of parent material - (ie limestone parent material- have lots of Ca, buffers pH)
• Topography -steep slope too much erosion, more level ground- deposition
• Climate- warmer- faster breakdown of organic matter, more rain- more weathering, erosion/deposition
• Organisms -higher activity-faster soil formation

Soil Horizons

• O horizon- (organic layer) composed of the leaves, needles, twigs and animal bodies on the surface.

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• A horizon- (topsoil) layer of humus and minerals from parent material
• Most bio activity, breaking down organic matter to release nutrients

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• B horizon- (subsoil) lighter layer composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter

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• C horizon- (parent material) the least weathered horizon and is similar to the parent material. (bedrock)

Link to sketch notes file

Soil degradation

• Loss of top soil - tilling, loss of vegetation disturb soil and make it more easily eroded by wind and rain
• Loss of top soil dries out solid, removes nutrients and soil organisms that recycle nutrients
• Compaction - compression of soil by machines, grazing livestock, and humans - reduces ability to hold moisture
• Dry soil erodes more easily
• Dry soil supports less plant growth, less root structure, leading to more erosion
• Nutrient depletion - repeatedly growing crops on the saim soil removes key nutrients (N,P,K, Na,Mg)
• Reduces ability to grow future crops

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4.3 Soil Composition and Properties

Describe similarities and differences between properties of different soil types.

• Water holding capacity—the total amount of water soil can hold—varies with different soil types. Water retention contributes to land productivity and fertility of soils.
• The particle size and composition of each soil horizon can affect the porosity, permeability, and fertility of the soil.
• There are a variety of methods to test the chemical, physical, and biological properties of soil that can aid in a variety of decisions, such as irrigation and fertilizer requirements.
• A soil texture triangle is a diagram that allows for the identification and comparison of soil types based on their percentage of clay, silt, and sand.

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Soil particles

• Geologic (rock) portion of soil is made up of 3 particles
• Sand > silt > clay

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• Soil Texture: is the % of sand, silt, and clay in a soil
• Always adds up to 100% ex: 40-40-20

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Soil Texture Chart

• Soil texture is determined by clay, sand, silt %
• Ex: Loam = 40-40-20, sand, silt, clay
• 45% sand 35% silt, 20% clay

• Tips for using Soil Texture Chart
• Always start on bottom with sand %
• Move out to point where sand + silt meet
• Then go straight over to clay
• Make sure it adds up to 100%
• Practice: Find % sand, silt, clay of the blue circle

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Answer: 30% sand, 20% silt, 50% clay

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Porosity, permeability, and H₂O Holding Capacity

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• Porosity: the pore space within a soil
• more sand in a soil = more porous = more permeable
• more clay in a soil = less porous =less permeable
• Permeability: how easily water drains through a soil

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• Water holding Capacity: how well water is retained, or held by a soil
• More porous = lower H₂O holding capacity

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• Effect on soil fertility
• Soil that is too sandy drains water too quickly for roots + dries out (Mrs. Christopher’s garden this summer)
• Clay-heavy soil doesn’t let H₂O drain to roots, or waterlogs (suffocating them)
• Ideal soil for most plant growth is loam, which balances porosity or drainage, with H₂O holding ca

Ground cover- 2.34 min

▣ Ground Cover: Protecting the soil surface with mulch helps reduce soil erosion and increase water infiltration. In this video, four soil boxes with increasing amounts of surface cover from plant material illustrate how ground cover reduces sediment and water loss from the soil surface when water is applied as rain or irrigation.

▣https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=137&v=Pf2a9k9JxHM

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Runoff & Infiltration (5:54 min)

▣ Runoff and Infiltration: Using a rainfall simulator, this video illustrates differences in how water runs off the soil and infiltrates into the soil as a function of soil cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVyxRFb80k

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVyxRFb80khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVyxRFb80k

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Soil Fertility: ability of soil to support plant growth

Nutrients N, P, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca⁺, Na⁺

• Factors that increase soil nutrients
• Organic matter (releases nutrients)
• Humus (holds and releases nutrients)
• Decomposer activity (recycles nut.)
• Clay (neg. charge binds pos. nutrients)
• Basic soil (Calcium carbonate - limestone)
• Factors that decrease soil nutrients
• Acids leach pos. charge nutrients
• Excessive rain/irr. leeches nutrients
• Excessive farming depletes nutrients.
• Topsoil erosion

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Water - soil needs to hold water, but not too much

• Factors that increase H₂O holding cap.
• Aerated soil (biological activity)
• Compost/humus/organic matter
• Clay content
• Root structure, especially natives

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• Factors that decrease H₂O holding cap.
• Compacted soil (machines, cows)
• Topsoil erosion
• Sand
• Root loss

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• Clay particles are negatively charged, able to attract positively charged (cation) ions
• Cation exchange capacity-the ability of a soil to adsorb and release cations
• Dependant on amount of clay particles
• the cations remain within the soil root zone and are not easily lost through leaching
• High CEC can provide more cations to plants but too much clay (more than 20%) then holds too much water, roots don’t get enough O2.
• Trade off between CEC and permeability
• The CEC of soil organic matter and some clay minerals varies with pH.
• Base saturation- the proportion of soil bases to soil acid
• %BS = [(Ca2+ + Mg2+ + K+)/CEC] × 100
• Soils with a high percent base saturation are generally more fertile because:
• They have little or no acid cation Al3+ that is toxic to plant growth.
• Soils with high percent base saturation have a higher pH; therefore, they are more buffered against acid cations from plant roots and soil processes that acidify the soil (nitrification, acid rain, etc.).
• They contain greater amounts of the essential plant nutrient cations K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ for use by plants.
• High CEC and High Base saturation is good for high productivity

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Characteristics and Tests of Soil Quality

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Soil Texture Chart

Many landfills are lined with clay

Best agricultural soil: Mixture of sand/silt/clay (loam)

Balanced water drainage and retention

4.4 Earth’s Atmosphere

4.4 Earth's atmosphere

Describe the structure and composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.

• The atmosphere is made up of major gases, each with its own relative abundance.
• The layers of the atmosphere are based on temperature gradients and include the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.

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Go to Java lab atmosphere to explore

Gases of earth's atmosphere

Nitrogen 78% - mostly in form N2 (has to be “fixed”to be used by plants)

Oxygen 21% - produced by photosynthesis and needed for respiration

Argon-0.93% noble gas

Water vapor- 0-4% - varies by region, temporary GHG, but cycles through atm quickly.

CO2- 0.04% most important GHG, removed by photosynthesis

Exosphere: Outermost layer where atm. merges with space

Thermosphere: Therm = hottest temp;

• absorbs harmful X-rays & UV radiation
• charged gas molecules glow under intense solar radiation producing northern lights (aurora borealis)

Mesosphere: Meso = for middle; 60-80 km, even less dense

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Stratosphere: “S” for second - 16-60 km; less dense due to less pressure from layers above

• Thickest ozone (good ozone) O₃ layer is found here; absorbs UV-B & UV-C rays which can mutate DNA of animals (cancer)

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Troposphere: Tropo = change (weather occurs here) - 0-16 km, most dense due to pressure of other layers above it

• Most of atmosphere’s gas molecules are found here
• Bad Ozone (O₃) in the troposphere is harmful to humans (respiratory irritant) & damages plant stomata, and forms smog
• Java Lab simulation

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Temperature Gradient

Layers of earth’s atm. are based on where temp. gradients change with distance from earth’s surface

Thermosphere: temp. Increases due to absorption of highly energetic solar radiation

• Hottest place on earth (3,100^oF)

Mesosphere: temp. decreases because density decreases, leaving fewer molecules to absorb sun

• Coldest place on earth (-150^oF)

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Stratosphere: temp. increases because top layer of stratosphere is warmed by UV rays (like pool surface)

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Troposphere: temp. decreases as air gets further from warmth of earth’s surface

The Layers of the Atmosphere are arranged according to

Temperature

JAva Lab simulation

4.5 Global Wind Patterns

Explain how environmental factors can result in atmospheric circulation

• Global wind patterns primarily result from the most intense solar radiation arriving at the equator, resulting in density differences and the Coriolis effect.

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Air Properties

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• Warm air rises (less dense)
• Warm air holds more moisture than cold
• Rising air expands (increase volume) decreased pressure
• As it cools, Cool air can’t hold as much H₂O vapor, volume decreases, condenses to rain)
• After cooling, volume decreases, density increases, pressure increases, air sinks

(5) cool, dry air sinks back down to earth @ 30^o N & S

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Deserts form here due to lack of moisture in air

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(4) Cooling, expanding air spreads out

(1) More direct sunlight @ equator warms air

(2) Warm air rises, cools, and expands

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H₂O vapor condenses into rain

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(3) Air continues to rise, cool, and expand

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30^o = H Pressure

0^o = L Pressure

Water vapor capacity

• Warm air is not only less dense than cold air, it also has a higher capacity to contain water vapor
• Hot & moist…. Cold & dry

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Adiabatic heating or cooling

• Adiabatic cooling - the cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises in the atmosphere and expands
• As air rises higher in the atmosphere, the pressure on it decreases
• Lower pressure → increase volume
• Increased volume → Decreased temperature
• Adiabatic heating-the heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of Earth and decreases in volume
• As air sinks toward Earth’s surface, the pressure on it increases
• Higher pressure → decreased volume
• Decreased volume → increased temperature

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• Video Mtn Range examples

Video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH_M4jItiKw

Latent heat release

Latent heat release is the release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into a liquid

• Whenever water vapor in the atmosphere condenses, the air will become warmer and rise in the atmosphere.

Videos

Video: “Global Atmospheric Circulation” (2:24) animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye45DGkqUkE

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Coriolis Effect: http://video.pbs.org/video/2365036901

Global Winds video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHrapzHPCSA

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To remember the order: as you move down to the equator, it gets Pretty Frigging Hot. (Polar, Ferrel, Hadley)

Coriolis Effect

• Deflection of objects traveling through atm. due to spin of earth
• Air @ 30^o moves back to L pressure of equator
• Wind between 0-30^o moves from E→ W
• b/c earth is spinning W→ E
• Wind between 30^o-60^o moves W→ E
• b/c earth spins faster @ 30^o than 60^o
• Javalab Coriolis effect

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W

E

Global Wind Patterns

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Trade Winds: Ground-level winds that flow toward the equator and are deflected by the rotation of the Earth.

• Air moves out from 30^o to 0^o and 60^o due to H pressure @ 30⁰ & L pressure @ O & 60
• Air rising @ equator = low pressure, air sinking down @ 30⁰ = high pressure
• 0^o - 30 winds blow E → W (Eastern trade)
• Drives ocean current clockwise in N hemisphere, counterclockwise in S hem.
• 30^o - 60^o: winds blow W→ E (Westerlies)
• Drives weather patterns of N America

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30^o = H Pressure

30^o = H Pressure

0^o = L Pressure

60^o = L Pressure

60^o = L Pressure

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ITCZ

• Intertropical convergence zone (doldrums)
• the latitude that receives the most intense sunlight
• Causes the ascending branches of the 2 Hadley cells to converge

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/06/03/videos-synced-up-across-the-globe-prove-once-and-for-all-which-way-water-swirls/

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4.6 Watersheds

Describe the characteristics of a watershed.

• Characteristics of a given watershed include its area, length, slope, soil, vegetation types, and divides with adjoining watersheds.

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Water sheds

• Watershed animation
• What is a watershed video
• Where is our watershed
• Water users
• https://caringforourwatersheds.com/usa/california/watershed-information/
• Drop a raindrop anywhere in the world and watch where it ends up simulation
• “Google river runner global”
• Sac river watershed program

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Watersheds

⛰️ All of the land that drains into a specific body of water (river, lake, bay, etc.)

• Determined by slope; ridges of land divide watersheds (diff. runoff directions)

• Vegetation, soil composition, slope play a large role in how watersheds drain
• More vegetation = more infiltration & groundwater recharge
• Greater slope = faster velocity of runoff & more soil erosion
• Soil permeability determines runoff vs. infiltration rates

⛰️ Human activities of a watershed impact H₂O quality

Ex: ag, clearcutting, urbanization, dams, mining

Chesapeake Bay Watershed

6 state region that drains into a series of streams/rivers & eventually into Chesapeake Bay

• Mix of fresh & salt water + nutrients in sediment make estuary habitats like the salt marshes in the bay highly productive

💰 Estuaries & wetlands provide ecosystem services:

• Tourism revenue - hotels, restaurants, permits
• Water filtration (grass roots trap pollutants)
• Habitats for food sources (fish & crabs)
• Storm protection (absorbing & buffering floods)

Human Impacts on Chesapeake Bay

⛰️ Nutrient pollution (N & P) leads to eutrophication in the Bay

• Algae bloom due to increase of N/P → decreased sunlight → plants below surface die → bacteria use up O₂ for decomp. → hypoxia (low O₂) & dead zones

⛰️ Major N/P sources:

• Discharge from sewage treatment plants (N/P levels from human waste)
• Animal waste from CAFOS
• Synthetic fertilizer from ag. fields & lawns

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Other major pollutants:

• Endocrine disruptors (from sewage treatment)
• Sediment pollution (deforestation, urbanization, tilling ag. fields)
• Increases turbidity (reduced photosynth) & covers over rocky streambed habitats

Effects of Clearcutting on Watersheds

Soil Erosion

Increased soil & stream temp.

• Caused by loss of stabilizing root structure
• Removes soil organic matter & nutrients from forest
• Deposits sediments in local streams
• Warms water & makes it more turbid (cloudy)

• Loss of tree shade increases soil temperature
• Soil has lower albedo than leaves of trees
• Loss of tree shade along rivers & streams warms them
• Erosion of sediments into rivers also warms them

Solutions to Watershed Pollutants

• Watershed- area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet
• Outlet: outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel
• “Watershed" is sometimes used interchangeably with drainage basin or catchment.
• Determined by slopes; ridges of land divide watersheds
• Vegetation, soil composition, slope play a large role in how watersheds drain
• More vegetation = more infiltration and groundwater recharge
• Greater slope- faster velocity of runoff and more soil erosion
• Soil permeability determines runoff vs. infiltration rates
• Human activities of a watershed impact water quality
• Ag, clearcutting, urbanization, dams, mining

Sacramento area watershed

Why do watersheds matter?

• Watersheds directly affect water quality, whether it's for drinking or recreation.
• Watersheds directly affect water quality, whether it's for drinking or recreation.
• Unhealthy watersheds affect wildlife

Major Watersheds in USA

4.7 Solar Radiation and The Earth’s Seasons

4.7 Solar Radiation and Earth's seasons

Explain how the sun’s energy affects the Earth’s surface

• Incoming solar radiation (insolation) is the Earth’s main source of energy and is dependent on season and latitude
• The angle of the sun’s rays determines the intensity of the solar radiation. Due to the shape of the Earth, the latitude that is directly horizontal to the solar radiation receives the most intensity.
• The highest solar radiation per unit area is received at the equator and decreases toward the poles.
• The solar radiation received at a location on the Earth’s surface varies seasonally, with the most radiation received during the location’s longest summer day and the least on the shortest winter day.
• The tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation causes the Earth’s seasons and the number of hours of daylight in a particular location on the Earth’s surface.

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Uneven heating of earth's surface

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• Three primary causes for the uneven warming of Earth:
• Angle the rays strike the Earth.
• Variation in the amount of surface area over which the Sun’s ray are distributed.
• Some areas reflect more solar energy.(albedo)

Albedo the proportion of light that is reflected by a surface

• Surface temperature is affected by albedo
• When sunlight is absorbed by a surface, it gives off infrared radiation (heat)
• Areas w/lower albedo, absorb more sunlight light (heat)
• Urban Heat Island: urban areas are hotter than surrounding rural area due to low albedo of blacktop
• Polar regions are colder due to higher albedo

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Basics

• Earth’s rotation – once every 24 hours
• Actually: 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds
• Earth’s revolution- once every year around the sun
• Actually: 365 days and 5 hours
• Tilt of Earth- 23.5 degrees
• Actually: it varies

• The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.5 ˚
• Why do we have seasons?
• When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, and vice versa.
• Summer solstice
• June 21 or 22
• Longest day
• Winter solstice
• Dec 21 or 22
• Shortest day
• Fall equinox- Sept 22
• Spring equinox- March 20

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The tilt of the earth causes seasons

4.8 Earth's Geography and Climate

Describe how the Earth’s geography affects weather and climate.

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• Weather and climate are affected not only by the sun’s energy but by geologic and geographic factors, such as mountains and ocean temperature

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• A rain shadow is a region of land that has become drier because a higher elevation area blocks precipitation from reaching the land.

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• Weather- the short term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area. These include temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, wind speed and atmospheric pressure.
• Climate- The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period- typically several decades.

Latitude & Altitude

• Latitude, or how far one is from the equator, greatly affects the climate and weather of an area.
• Close to the equator- warmer climate
• Moving north or south from the equator- cooler climate.
• Altitude, or how high one is above sea level, has a similar effect
• Higher the elevation- colder the climate.

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Think about it…. Pick a latitude line…. Why is the weather and climate varied at each? The angle of insolation is the same.

Proximity to Ocean

• Land and water retain different amounts of heat.
• Land heats more quickly than water
• Water holds heat longer
• Proximity to water moderates the climate, while inland climates are harsher.
• Living near the water will experience breezy, moist weather, when the warm air from the land meets the cooler air from the water and rises, making for a windy climate with precipitation.
• The further inland one goes, the drier the climate in most regions.

Think about your local area… how does temperature change as you move toward or away from your closest body of water?

Beach Washington State

Beach Mexico

Beach Alaska

Mountains

• Mountain areas are generally colder than surrounding land due to higher altitudes.
• Mountainous regions block the flow of air masses, which rise to pass over the higher terrain.
• The rising air is cooled, which causes condensation of water vapor, and precipitation.
• Windward side- more precipitation and vegetation
• Leeward side- often drier

Example (very similar latitude):

Big Bear CA temp 8/12 at 6 pm = 75 F

Glendale CA temp 8/12 6 pm = 87 F

Vegetation

• Just as climate determines the types of vegetation in a given region, to a certain extent vegetation can contribute to a region’s weather.
• Hot and wet climates in the tropics, for instance, develop rainforests; the more trees and plants there are, the more water vapor in the atmosphere and the moister and cooler the area.
• Dry climates will often enable the growth of grasslands or savannas with little water vapor to contribute to the atmosphere, maintaining drier weather patterns.

Flagstaff, AZ

Painted desert, AZ

Beaver Creek, AZ

Rain shadow

Summit of Hawaii

Tibetan Plateau

4.9 El Niño y La Niña

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Describe the environmental changes and effects that result from El Niño or La Niña events (El Niño–Southern Oscillation).

• El Niño and La Niña are phenomena associated with changing ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. These phenomena can cause global changes to rainfall, wind, and ocean circulation patterns
• El Niño and La Niña are influenced by geological and geographic factors and can affect different locations in different ways.

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• El Nino & La Nina Animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyPq86yM_Ic

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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovDp1crqdOU

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• Chris Farley- el Nino

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El Niño?

• Every few years in the Pacific Ocean
• normal shore upwellings are affected by changes in weather patterns
• prevailing tropical trade winds (E-->W) weaken or reverse direction
• western Pacific warmer waters move toward S.A.
• suppress the normal upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich water
• reduces primary productivity Causes decline in fish populations

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• Can alter the weather of at least two-thirds of the globe especially in lands along the Pacific and Indian Oceans

La Niña

• cools some coastal surface waters, and brings back upwellings
• more Atlantic hurricanes
• colder winters in Canada and NE U.S.
• Warmer/drier winters in the southeastern and southwestern United States, more wildfires
• wetter winters in the Pacific NW
• torrential rains in SE Asia

El Nino

El Nino and Fishing in Peru/ N. America

El Nino to blame for dead fish on Chile

http://econews.com.au/50417/experts-blame-el-nino-for-piles-of-dead-fish-on-chile-beaches/

La Nina

Gyre: Large-scale water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Southern.

• Upwelling: upward movement of ocean water- surface currents move apart and draw water up from deeper layers
• Along the steep western coasts of some continents: winds blowing along the coasts push surface water away from land and draw water up
• mixes the water, bringing cool and nutrient-rich water from the bottom of the ocean to the surface
• it supports large populations of phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, and fish-eating seabirds.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/el-nino

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