Unit 4 Padlet: Earth Systems and Resources by SAKURA LANA CAITLYN DE GUZMAN https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy en-us 2021-05-24 04:46:18 UTC 2025-11-15 14:12:19 UTC hello@padlet.com El Niño and La Niña 1090185 https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552616580 An El Niño is a warming of the Pacific Ocean between South America and Papua New Guinea. This occurs when the trade winds in that region weaken causing warm water to move closer to the west coast of South America and the thermocline to move deeper. The thermocline is the boundary between warmer surface water and colder deep water. When a La Niña occurs, it is a cooling of the Pacific Ocean between Papua New Guinea and South America. This is the opposite of an el niño. The formation of a la niña begins when the trade winds strengthen causing warm surface water to be pushed further away from the west coast of South America. This allows for cool deeper water to rise through upwelling. This causes the thermocline to move up. Instead of generally rising temperatures, we see cooler temperatures as well as wet conditions.


]]> 2021-05-24 04:47:13 UTC https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552616580 Earth's Geography and Climate 1090185 https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552618153 There are many factors that influence climate, but there are some geologic and geographic factors that can play a big role. These factors include mountains, altitudes, bodies of water, and volcanoes. Mountains lead to a rain shadow effect. Altitude mainly impacts temperature (higher = cooler). Bodies of water greatly impact weather in nearby regions. Volcanic Activity can also impact the areas climate. Other factors that affect climate are human interaction, pollution, albedo effect, humidity.]]> 2021-05-24 04:48:03 UTC https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552618153 Global Wind Patterns 1090185 https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552618725 There are different kinds of convection cells found in the atmosphere that move air from the equator to the poles. Hadley cells occur between 0° and 30° latitudes. At the equator, these cells start with warm, rising air. Then, as the air moves away from the equator, the air falls as cooler air. Ferrel cells occur between 30° and 60° latitudes. Around the 30° latitude line, the cold, dry air of a Hadley cell falls pushing warm air up. Polar cells occur at latitudes greater than 60°. Polar cells start around the 60° latitude line where warm air from the Ferrel cells is pushed up. At higher latitudes, this air cools and falls as dry air on the poles.
Atmospheric pressure plays a big role in wind direction. Wind travels from high pressure to low pressure. The Coriolis effect is the reason why winds don’t move in a straight line but rather curve. This is caused by the earth's rotation

]]> 2021-05-24 04:48:19 UTC https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552618725 Earth's Atmosphere 1090185 https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552619034 The major gases of the atmosphere include oxygen and nitrogen. Nitrogen (N2) is released into the atmosphere through denitrification. Oxygen (O2) is released through photosynthesis. Water vapor (H2O) can also be a major gas in the atmosphere. There are also many other gases that play important roles in the atmosphere including methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3). Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitric oxide are all greenhouse gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere. All of these gases are released when fossil fuels are burned. Ozone (O3) is a big component of the atmosphere. This layer of ozone absorbs UV radiation given off by the sun. This layer reduces the amount of UV radiation that reaches the troposphere which is beneath the ozone layer. The first layer of the atmosphere (closest to the earth) is the troposphere. The troposphere starts at ground level and goes up to around 10 kilometers in altitude. Within this layer, our weather occurs and most of the living organisms live here. Above the troposphere is the stratosphere that goes from 10 kilometers in altitude to 50 kilometers in altitude. The important thing about this layer is that it houses the ozone layer. As mentioned above, the ozone layer absorbs UV rays from the sun. Next is the mesosphere that goes from 50 kilometers to 80 kilometers in altitude. In this layer, the temperature decreases as you increase in altitude. This layer is very cold. Finally, the thermosphere goes from about 80 kilometers to 100 kilometers in altitude. This layer is the thinnest layer of the atmosphere. Another name for the thermosphere is the ionosphere because this layer often traps protons, electrons, and other ions given off by the sun.


]]> 2021-05-24 04:48:28 UTC https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552619034 Soil Formation and Erosion 1090185 https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552619403 Soil formation is an important process in the environment that creates the ability of plants to grow. Through the formation of soil, different soil horizons are created that have different properties and nutrients. The soil itself is one of the most critical pieces of an environment so protecting it is crucial. Soil formation starts with parent material. Over time, weathering occurs and the parent material is broken down into smaller and smaller particles. Also, particles from other places might be introduced through the deposition. 
Once a small layer of soil has been formed, moss and other small vegetation begin to grow. With the presence of small vegetation and organisms, more soil horizons form and nutrients are added to the soil. From here, the soil continues to develop as more plants and organisms interact with it. Topsoil, Eluviated, Subsoil, Parent Material, Bedrock.Often, soil can be washed away or eroded away by wind and water. This happens when no plants or vegetation are available to hold the soil in place. Erosion can negatively impact water quality. One thing that soil does is filter water with the help of vegetation. No soil or vegetation means that water won’t be filtered which might result in unclean water with higher amounts of pollutants.


]]> 2021-05-24 04:48:39 UTC https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552619403 Tectonic Plates 1090185 https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552619786 At a convergent boundary, two tectonic plates are moving towards each other. Typically, at these boundaries, subduction takes place as the tectonic plate that is more dense moves under the plate that is less dense. At a divergent boundary, two tectonic plates are moving apart from each other. This can create visible fault lines, rift valleys, seafloor spreading, volcanoes, and earthquakes. Seafloor spreading is a process that takes place at divergent boundaries on the ocean floor. As the two tectonic plates move apart from each other, magma is able to go up through the space between the plates. t a transform boundary, two tectonic plates slide past each other. This often causes earthquakes. As the plates slide past each other, friction and energy build up. When this energy is released quickly, an earthquake results.]]> 2021-05-24 04:48:51 UTC https://padlet.com/1090185/5b8nzk6uapbqqjdy/wish/1552619786