MATSEC AM Geography flashcards
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31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Divergent plate boundary
- A constructive margin where two plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and new oceanic crust to form, producing mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys and shallow-focus earthquakes.
- Subduction zone
- A convergent boundary where denser oceanic lithosphere descends beneath another plate, generating deep ocean trenches, volcanic arcs and deep-focus earthquakes.
- Igneous rock
- Rock formed when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies; slow cooling underground yields coarse crystals, rapid cooling at the surface yields fine crystals.
- Sedimentary rock
- Rock formed from layers of sediment compacted and cemented over time, often containing fossils and typically softer and more permeable than igneous or metamorphic rock.
- Freeze-thaw weathering
- Mechanical weathering in which water enters cracks in rock, freezes and expands, prising the rock apart; most effective in climates with frequent temperature fluctuations around freezing.
- Ox-bow lake
- A crescent-shaped lake formed when a meander is cut off from the main river channel as deposition seals the neck of the loop.
- Longshore drift
- The movement of sediment along a coastline by waves approaching at an angle, with swash carrying material up the beach and backwash returning it perpendicular to the shore.
- Destructive wave
- A wave with high frequency, short wavelength and strong backwash that removes material from the beach, typically generated by distant storms and steep offshore gradients.
- Cirque
- An armchair-shaped hollow on a mountainside formed by glacial erosion, often containing a tarn lake after the ice retreats.
- Terminal moraine
- A ridge of unsorted glacial till deposited at the furthest point reached by an advancing glacier or ice sheet, marking the maximum extent of ice.
- Soil leaching
- The downward movement of soluble nutrients and minerals through the soil profile by percolating water, often producing a leached, nutrient-poor A horizon.
- Lapse rate
- The rate at which atmospheric temperature falls with increasing altitude in the troposphere, averaging roughly 6.5 degrees Celsius per 1000 metres.
- Rain shadow
- A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range, where descending air warms and holds moisture after relief rainfall has occurred on the windward slopes.
- Nutrient cycle
- The pathways by which nutrients move through an ecosystem via inputs, transfers between stores, and outputs such as leaching and runoff.
- Dependency ratio
- The number of people aged under 15 and over 64 expressed as a proportion of the working-age population aged 15 to 64, usually multiplied by 100.
- Demographic Transition Model
- A five-stage model describing how birth and death rates change as a country develops, from high fluctuations through rapid growth to low, stable rates.
- Population pyramid
- A bar graph showing the age and sex structure of a population; the shape reveals birth rates, life expectancy and past migration events.
- Push factor
- A negative condition at a place of origin, such as unemployment, conflict or drought, that encourages people to migrate away from it.
- Pull factor
- A positive condition at a destination, such as employment, education or healthcare, that attracts migrants towards that place.
- Sphere of influence
- The area from which a settlement draws customers or users for its services; it grows with the settlement's size and the range of its services.
- Threshold population
- The minimum number of people required to support a particular service or function so that it remains economically viable in a settlement.
- Central Business District
- The commercial core of a city, characterised by high land values, tall buildings, accessibility and a concentration of retail and office functions.
- Urbanisation
- The increasing proportion of a country's population living in towns and cities, driven by rural-to-urban migration and natural increase in urban areas.
- Counter-urbanisation
- The movement of people away from large cities into smaller towns and rural areas, often enabled by improved transport and communication links.
- Von Thünen model
- A land-use model in which farming type varies with distance from market: perishable and bulky produce is grown nearby, while extensive grazing occurs furthest away.
- Footloose industry
- An industry not tied to raw material or energy sources, able to locate flexibly according to labour availability, transport and government incentives.
- Human Development Index
- A composite development measure combining life expectancy, education and income indicators, expressed as a value between zero and one.
- Gini coefficient
- A measure of income inequality within a population, ranging from zero for perfect equality to one for complete inequality.
- Sustainable development
- Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing economic, social and environmental aims.
- Land-use conflict
- Disagreement between different groups over how a space should be used, such as housing versus conservation, usually resolved through planning controls and consultation.
- Rostow's model
- A development model outlining five stages of economic growth, from traditional society through preconditions and take-off to maturity and high mass consumption.