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atmosphere + climate
science ch 15, 16, 17 atmoshphere and climate vocab
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| atmosphere | Earth's air, which is made up of a thin layer of gasses, solids, and liquids; forms a protective layer around the planet and is divided into five distinct layers |
| troposhphere | layer of Earth's atmosphere that is closest to the ground; where clouds and weather occur |
| ionosphere | layer of electrically charged particles in thge thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night |
| ozone layer | layer of the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone; absorbs most fo the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation |
| ultraviolet radiation | a type of energy that comes to Earth from the sun, can damage skin and cause cancer, and is mostly absorbed by the ozone layer |
| chlorofluorocarbons | group of chemical compounds used in refridgeratiors, air conditioners, foam packaging, and aerosal sprays that might enter the atmosphere and destroy the ozone |
| radiation | energy transferred by waves or rays |
| conduction | transfer of energy that occurs when molecules bump into eachother |
| convection | transfer of heat by the flow of material |
| hydrosphere | all the water on earth's surface |
| coriolis effect | causes moving air and water to trun lefy in the southern hemisphere and trun right in the northern hemisphere due to Earth's rotation |
| Jet stream | narrow belt of strong winds that blows near the top of the troposphere |
| humidity | amount of water vapor held in the air |
| dew point | temperature at which air is saturated and condesnsation forms |
| climate | average weather pattern in and area over a long period of time; can ve classified by temperature; humididty, precipitation, and vegitaiton |
| tropics | climate zone that recieves the most solar radiation, is located between latitudes 23 degrees north and 23 degrees south and is always hot, except at high elevations |
| polar zone | climate zones that receives solar radiation at a low angle, extend from 66 degrees north and 66 degrees south latitude to the poles, and are never warm |
| temperature zones | climate zones with moderate temperatures that are located between the tropics and polar zones |
| adaptation | any structual or behavioral change that helps an organism survive in its particular environment |
| hibernation | behavioral adaptation for winter survival in which an animal's activity is greatly reduced, its body temperature drops and body processesses slow down |
| season | a short perios of climate changes in an area caused by a tilt of earth's axis as earth revolves around the sun |
| El Nino | event that begins in th tropical Pacific Ocean, can occur when trade winds weaken or reverse, and can disrupt normal temperatures and precipitation patterns aroung the world |
| Greenhouse Effect | natural heating that occurs when certain gasses in Earth's atmosphere such as methane, Co2 and water vapor trap heat |
| Global Warming | increase in the average global temperature of Earth |
| deforestation | destruction and cutting down of forests often to clear land for mining, roads, and grazing of cattle- resultin in increased atmospheric CO2 levels |
Created by:
polarbears1
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