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ES 2-6: Earth System
Carbon cycle: interacting Earth systems
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| hydrosphere | All the water on Earth—this includes oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and even water underground and in the air. |
| atmosphere | The layer of gases that surrounds Earth. It includes the air we breathe and helps protect us from the sun’s harmful rays. |
| geosphere | The solid parts of Earth, like rocks, mountains, soil, and the land beneath our feet. |
| biosphere | All the living things on Earth—plants, animals, and people—and the places where they live. |
| ecosystem | A community of living things, like plants and animals, and their environment, all working together and depending on each other. |
| Cycling of matter | The way materials like water, carbon, and nitrogen move through living things and the environment, getting reused over and over. |
| Flow of energy | How energy moves through an ecosystem, starting with the sun, then going to plants, then to animals that eat the plants, and then as escaping heat. |
| Closed system | A system where matter doesn’t enter or leave, but energy can still move in and out. Earth is almost a closed system for matter. |
| biogeochemical cycles | Natural processes that move important materials like water, carbon, and nitrogen through the Earth’s systems (air, water, land, and living things). |
| Water cycle | How water moves through the environment. It includes evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and more. |
| Infiltration | When water soaks into the ground and becomes part of the underground water supply. |
| transpiration | When plants release water vapor into the air through their leaves. |
| runoff | Water that flows over the ground and into rivers, lakes, or oceans after rain or snow melts. |
| carbon cycle | The way carbon moves through the Earth, air, water, and living things. It includes processes like breathing, burning, and decay. |
| Carbon dioxide | A gas that we breathe out and that is also released when things burn. Too much of it in the atmosphere can lead to climate change. |
| Carbon-based molecules | The building blocks of life. They are made mostly of carbon and include things like sugars, fats, proteins, and DNA. |
| Photosynthesis | Photosynthesis is the process plants use to make food. They take in sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make sugar and oxygen. |
| Respiration | How cells break down food to get energy. It uses oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide. |
| Decomposition | The process of breaking down dead plants and animals. It returns nutrients to the soil and releases carbon into the air. |
| Ocean acidification | When the ocean absorbs too much carbon dioxide, making the water more acidic and harming sea life. |
| Fossil fuel combustion | The burning of coal, oil, or gas for energy. It releases carbon dioxide into the air and adds to global warming. |
| aquatic ecosystem | A water-based environment where plants, animals, and other organisms live. It includes oceans, lakes, rivers, and ponds. |
| coastal ecosystem | Found where the land meets the ocean. It includes beaches, salt marshes, and coral reefs, and is home to many different species. |
| grassland ecosystem | Large open area covered mostly with grasses. It has few trees and is home to animals like bison, zebras, and insects. |
| urban ecosystem | Found in cities and towns. It includes people, buildings, roads, and the plants and animals that live in those areas. |
| agricultural ecosystem | Land used for farming. It includes crops, farm animals, soil, and the tools and people that help grow food. |
| forest ecosystem | Filled with trees, plants, and animals. It can be tropical, temperate, or boreal, and supports a wide variety of life. |
| desert ecosystem | A dry area with very little rain. It has special plants and animals that can survive with little water. |
| mountain ecosystem | Found in high places with steep land. It has cooler temperatures and different plants and animals at different heights. |
| process | A series of steps or actions that lead to a result, like photosynthesis or the water cycle. |
| chemical process | A change where substances are transformed into new substances, like when food is digested or fuel is burned. |
| physical process | A change in the form or appearance of a substance, but not its chemical makeup—like melting ice or breaking a rock. |
| geological process | Natural events that shape the Earth, like earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of mountains. |
| biological processes | Activities done by living things, like breathing, growing, eating, and decomposing. |
| water vapor | Water in the form of a gas. It rises into the air and can form clouds. |
| liquid water | Form of water we drink and see in rivers, lakes, and oceans. |
| solid water | Frozen water, like ice or snow. |
| precipitation | Water that falls from the sky as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. |
| dissolution | When a substance, like salt or carbon dioxide, mixes and spreads out evenly in a liquid like water. |
| damming rivers | Building a wall to block or slow down a river. This creates a lake and stores water, but it can also harm fish and change the natural flow of water. |
| clear-cutting vegetation | When all the trees and plants in an area are removed. This can lead to soil erosion, loss of animal homes, and changes in the environment. |
| water pollution | Happens when harmful substances like trash, chemicals, or waste get into rivers, lakes, or oceans and make the water unsafe for people and animals. |
| irrigation | When people bring water to crops using pipes, ditches, or sprinklers to help them grow, especially in dry areas. |
| melting glaciers | Large ice sheets are turning into water because of rising temperatures. This adds more water to the oceans and can cause sea levels to rise. |
| flooding | When too much water covers land that is usually dry. It can be caused by heavy rain, melting snow, or overflowing rivers. |
| greenhouse effect | When gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun, keeping Earth warm enough for life. |
| global warming | The rise in Earth’s average temperature caused by too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. |
| climate change | long-term shift in Earth’s weather patterns, including temperature, rainfall, and storms. It is mostly caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels, which add greenhouse gases to the air and trap heat in the atmosphere. |
| deforestation | When forests are cut down or destroyed, which can harm animals, reduce oxygen, and add carbon dioxide to the air. |
| carbon capture | A way to trap carbon dioxide from the air or from factories and store it so it doesn’t go into the atmosphere and cause climate change. |
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