Soil Resources#Glossary>>A Horizon - Soil horizon normally found below the O horizon and above the B horizon. This layer is characterized by the following two features: (1) A layer in which humus and other organic materials are mixed with mineral particles. (2) A zone of translocation from which eluviation has removed finer particles and soluble substances Alfisols - Soil order (type) of the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Classification System. Soil associated with forest vegetation. Upper layers of this soil are relatively rich in organic matter. Whitish layer found in the A horizon because of eluviation. Illuvial layer forms in the B horizon. (2) A zone of translocation from which eluviation has removed finer particles and soluble substances. Alluvium - Sediment that originates from a stream Andisols - Soil order (type) of the United States Department of Agriculture Comprehensive Soil Classification System. These soils develop from parent materials that are volcanic in origin Aridisols - Soil order (type) of the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Classification System. Aridisols are commonly found in dry environments that are low in organic matter and rich in deposited salts. B Horizon - B Soil horizon normally found below the A horizon and above the C horizon. This layer is characterized by the following features: (1) Enrichment of clay because of illuviation from the A horizon. (2) Enrichment of iron and aluminum oxides because of illuviation of these materials from the A horizon. In some cases the precipitation of iron can cause the development of a hardpan. (3) Accumulation of calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and other salts. (4) Higher bulk density because of the illuvial deposition of clay particles. Brunisol Soil - Soil order (type) of the Canadian System of Soil Classification. This soil type is associated with forest vegetation. It is usually poorly developed and immature. The most identifying trait of this soil is the presence of a brown B horizon. Gleization –process happening due to water logging of soils in humid climates; Soils turn blue-grey due to ferrous compounds and decomposition of organic matter. Laterisation –process occurring in tropics under high temperature and high rainfall. Unstable Silicate minerals loose silica during this process. Melanisation – process in which humus content mixes with the soil and water and thereby making it very dark. Pedogenesis –process of soil development. It is a process in which the living organisms of soil bring about changes in the geochemical, biochemical and biophysical properties of soils. Podsolization - process wherein acidic litter dissolves minerals and humus and leach them down to lower layers. Soil –thin layer of the earth’s surface, serving as a natural medium for plants to grow and organisms to survive. It’s the products of mineral-weathering reactions. Soil Horizon – A layer of soil, which lies more or less parallel to the ground surface, with distinct properties of soils. Soil Microbes –contains bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa. Weathering –disintegration and decomposition of rocks.Outline of Urban Geography#Glossary>>Towns : A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. Cities: A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Cities generally have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, and transportation. The concentration of development greatly facilitates interaction between people and businesses, benefiting both parties in the process. Metropolis: A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications. The term itself is derived from Greek, in which it literally means \mother city,\ and was originally used to refer to the city or state which sent out a colony (as of Ancient Greece). This was later generalized to a city regarded as a center of a specified activity, or any large, important city. Megalopolis: A megalopolis is typically defined as a chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas. Migration: Movement of people from one place to another. Resettlement:. the act or instance of settling or being settled in another place. Confluence Towns: The town that grows where two rivers meet Break-O-Bulk towns: It is usually a port town where breaking of bulk is carried out(goods have to be unloaded. Frontier Guard Towns: place where all races can interact. Nodal Towns: The motivation to create nodes within the town limits allows concentrated development at strategic points. This allows the town the opportunity to acheive a number of goals: create a more distinctive sense of place, safeguard primary spans of open space, maintain the small town feel, characteristic of Pinetop-Lakeside, and emphasize specified types of development in designated places. The creation of the nodes also focuses on keeping the natural environmental systems healthy and thriving within the urban mix. Fall Line Towns :The falls were the head of navigation for river traffic and also provided water power. This attracted development of towns along the fall line. Mining Towns : Town that houses mining and its community Defensive Towns: They are the centres of military activities, like the army headquarters, naval dockyards and air bases. Typology:Basically, topology is the modern version of geometry, the study of all different sorts of spaces. Social capital: Social capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. The concept of social capital highlights the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective or economic results. Wagener\s theory of continental drift #Glossary>>1.Pangaea / Super Continent : It included all the continents of present day world in one big land mass. According to Wegener this super continental mass existed around 200 m.y. B.P. during Permo-conboniferous period. 2.Gondwana land mass: A big landmass consisting of present day separate unit of Africa Madyaskar, Antarctica, Australia and India. During early times of continental drift it had southern drift from its bigger landmass. 3.Laurantia land mass: One of the two original continents which broke from super continent Pangaea. At present it consists of Northern Eurasia, North America etc. During early times of continental drift formed northern continental mass. 4.West Ward Drift: Continents like South America, North America drifted towards west under the influences of gravitational differential forces and force of buoyancy. 5.Southward drift: Continental blocks of Antarctica and to some extent Australia drifted away from Pangaea Under gravitational differential forces and forces of buoyancy to its south. 6.Northward drift: Continental blocks of Indian sub continent detached from Pangaea, first drifted towards equator but generally from South to North. In fact India existed equator to attain present position (40 S to 9 N.) 7.Jig Saw- fit: It refers to fitting of bulge of Brazil in to South of Guinea coast to West Africa. Similarly Australia fits into Bay of Bengal. It is a strong evidence of Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift. 8.Fossil Evidences: One of the evidences of continental drift is the presence of donosaus/reptilefossil across Gondwana landmass. Ex. Lystrosaurses of China can also be seen in Africa and Antarctica. 9.Sial : Wegener believed in three layers system of the Earth viz., inter layer sial, which constitutes lighter continental masses; inter mediate byer Sima and lower layer NIFC. 10.Sima: Wegener considered that, Ocean crust belowsial was Sima and the Continents floated in Sima heading the drifting of continents. 11.Tethys Sea: Intervening space between Gondwana and Lauratia was filled up with water and the resultant body was called Sea of Tethys. 12.Buckling of Continental mass: Frontal edges of westward drifting continental blocks of North and South Americas were crumpled and folded against the resistance of Sima forming mountains (Rocky’s And Andes). 13.Fold Tertiary mountains : Due to the continental drift buckling of continental masses took place leading to formation of Alpines in Europe, Rocky’ss of North America, Andes of S. America, Northward movement of Indian landmass raised the Himalayas from the sea of Tethys. 14.Ice age of Continental drift: There was large scale glaciation during Carboniferous period when Pangaea was present. Wegener has said that South Pole was near Durban Notal of Africa which had ice sheets/caps radiating into constituents of Gondwana i.e., Latin America, Antarctica, Australia and India. This ice age is far earlier to Pleistocene glaciations. 15.Plate Tectonics : The rigid lithosphere slabs on rigid and solid layer are technically called plates. The whole mechanism of plates (continental blocks) and resultant reaction is called plate tectonics. It is a post development to Wegener Theory of Continental Drift as recent as 1965. Interior of the Earth#Glossary>>1. Lithosphere: It refers to solid crust of the earth, composed of rock, essentially like that exposed at the surface and it is considered to be about 80 kms in thickness. 2. Sial: Outer most layer of the earth, composed chiefly of relatively light rock (Granitic and others) in Silica and alumina. it is also known as a continental crust of the earth./ 3. Sima: Bottom layer of the outer crust of the earth composed of denser rock (Basalt) in Silica and magnesium. it is referred to oceanic drips of the earth. 4. Mohorovicic discontinuity : The zone beneath the earth’s surface of which studies of seismic waves indicate a transition in the materials making up of the earth and which represents a distinct boundary separating the earth’s crust from the underlying mantle. 5. Upper Mantle: The top sub layer of the earth’s second major earth layer. It is that part of earth which lies between crust and the lower mantle. Inner mantle: It is the deeper sub layer of the earth’s mantle. It is that part of the earth which lies between crust and the lower mantle earthquake. 6. Asthano sphere: It is referred to the hypothetical zone of the earth beneath the lithosphere within which the material is believed to yield readily under stress. 7. Earthquake waves : On the consequences of an earthquake i.e., a violent tremor caused by volcanic action on movements of the earth crust ‘P’, ‘S’ and ‘L’ type of waves start from epi centre. Where ‘P’ type of waves move in all mediums (solid, liquid and gaseous), where as ‘S’ type do not move in liquid medium and ‘L’ waves are surface waves also known as Tertiary waves. 8. Plate tectonics: It is the study of the formation of the major structures of the earth’s surface (e.g., the continents) by the movement and interaction of the plates of the earth’s crust. 9. Guttenberg discontinuity: It is a discontinuity at a depth of about 2900 km below the earth’s surface that marks the transition between the mantle and the cone of the earth. 10. Outer core: Upper zone of the central part of the planet earth having physical properties (e.g. heat conductivity and density) different from mantle supposed to be liquid in structure. 11. Inner Core: Inner most zone of central part of the planet earth which is also known as Nife. 12. Nife: Inner layer the core of the earth is composed of iron and nickle like that meteors of our solar system where earth is also a constituent body which is mostly made up of nickel and iron. 13. Radio active minerals: Chiefly uranium and Thorium minerals of (elements) the earth which constantly decay liberating heat and ultimately from lead. 14. Temperature of Earth’s interior : Temperature in the earth’s core is very high and it is believed to be around 6000c due to high pressure inner core is supposed to be solid. 15. Maximum pressure Earth’s interior: The core of the earth has phenomenally very high pressure of over 3 million atmospheres. That is, the pressure there is three million times greater than the atmosphere at sea level! The Theory of Plate Tectonics#Glossary>>1.Plate: Any of the huge movable segments into which the earth crust is divided. There are continental plates Ex: Indian plate and Oceanic Plates, Pacific Plates, Earth surface has six major and about 20 minor plates. 2.Subduction Zone: At convergent plate boundary denser oceanic crystal plate goes down on which higher continental plate rides. This destructive plate boundary has this zone of subduction. 3.Convergence of Plates: It refers to meeting two plates leading to subduction of denser plate. Infact, the convergence of plate lead to increased volcanic and earthquakes. 4.Divergence of Plate: This phenomenon in plate tectonics refers to drifting away of two plates, leading to formation of oceanic ridges. 5.Deep Sea Trench: A long narrow usually steep sided depression in the ocean floor. Ex: South Pacific has Sunda Trench. Infact under plate tectonics they are closer to destructive plate boundaries. 6.American Plate : American plate constitutes both north and south American continental plates with adjoining Atlantic and Pacific Oceanic portions. It also broadly encompasses some minor plates like Nazca, Caribbean plates too. 7.Indian Plate : It includes continental and oceanic crustal sections south of Himalayas, Indian peninsula with its adjoining Arabian and Bay of Bengal Oceanic crustal sections, Australia, Southern Indian oceanic crustal section upto the boundary of Antarctic plate. 8.Pacific Plate: A vast oceanic crustal section west and Americas to its meeting zone of Eurasian plate along East and Japan, China, Philippines and Australia till the Antarctic boundary down south. 9.Mid Oceanic Ridge: Right in the middle and Atlantic ocean there is a long constructive plate boundary i.e., the mid Atlantic ridge. It forms a boundary between American plate in to its west and to its east, west east it has African plate and Eurasian plate. 10.Mid Pacific Ridge: This oceanic ridges starts from southwest of San Andreo faut of south west USA and runs through south east Pacific ocean, south of Australia ultimately joins Indian ridge somewhere in South Indian ocean. 11.Mid Indian ridge : It starts from gulf of Aden runs through middle of Arabian sea towards south east Indian ocean and ultimately doing pacific ridge. It forms the boundary between African plate and Indian plate. 12.Spreading of Ocean floor : At divergent plate boundaries, new basaltic crustal material is constantly being formed by the upwelling of magma. This process is called sea floor spreading. 13.Pangea-I: A former super single continental land mass which existed around 700 million years before present (Pre Cambrian period). 14.Pangea-II: This second super single continental land mass with call continents of present day which existed around 200 million years before present (Cretaceous period). 15.Basaltic layer : Earth curst has two sub layers e.g., upper crust-sial i.e., the continental crust; and the Basaltic Sima layer forming denser the oceanic crust. 16.Upwelling of Magma / Lava : In the diverging plate boundaries through crustal fissures magma upwells and cools gradually leading to formation of mid oceanic ridges ex: Mid Atlantic ridge. 17.Girdle of Fire: This forms the circum pacific zone where the denser pacific plate subducts over continental Eurasian and American plates. As it is also a destructive place boundary it has good number of volcanoes leading to earthquakes. Hence it is known as ‘Ring of fire’ on ‘Girdle of fire’. 18.Lithosphere : Solid crust of the earth, composed of rocks essentially like that exposed at the surface and usually considered to be 80 km in thickness. It also has to subsection lighter ‘Sirl and denser ‘Sima’ layers which sits on Mantle of the earth’s interior. 19.Asthano Sphere : Hypothetical zone of the earth beneath the lithosphere (crust) within which the material is believed to yield readily under stress. It forms a sort of boundary between crust and mantle. 20. San Andreas Fault: It is a section of south west, north American continent where a long fracture exists in earth crust where north American continental plate meet Pacific oceanic crust and which is a fast shrinking zone with crustal movements.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 02:14:01 +0000
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