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Rhodes Chapter 1
Earth's Systems and Interactions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Earth system | all of the matter, energy, and processes within Earth’s boundary |
| interaction | the action or influence of people, groups, or things on one another |
| biosphere | all the parts of Earth where there is life |
| geosphere | Earth's solid and molten rocks, soil and sediment |
| hydrosphere | the system containing all the solid and liquid water on Earth |
| cryosphere | a subdivision of the hydrosphere that includes all of the ice on Earth |
| atmosphere | the layer of gases surrounding Earth |
| troposphere | the atmospheric layer closest to Earth's surface |
| ozone layer | a layer within the stratosphere that scatters and absorbs ultraviolet waves from the Sun |
| greenhouse effect | the process by which gases in the atmosphere, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, absorb and give off infrared radiation (heat) |
| water cycle | the continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth's surface |
| evaporation | the process by which a liquid, such as water, changes into a gas |
| transpiration | the process by which plants release water vapor through their leaves |
| condensation | the process by which a gas changes to a liquid |
| precipitation | moisture that falls from clouds to Earth's surface |