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Earth Systems
Unit 10
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Earth system | all of the nonliving things, living things, and processes that make up the planet Earth, including the solid Earth, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere |
| geosphere | the mostly solid, rocky part of Earth; extends from the center of the core to the surface of the crust |
| hydrosphere | the portion of Earth that is water |
| cryosphere | one of Earth’s spheres where water is in solid form, including snow cover, floating ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground permafrost |
| atmosphere | a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, moon, or other celestial body |
| biosphere | the part of Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on Earth |
| energy budget | a way to keep track of energy transfers into and out of the Earth system |
| Air pressure | the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface |
| thermosphere | the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases |
| mesosphere | the layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere and in which temperature decreases as altitude increases |
| stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases; contains the ozone layer |
| troposphere | the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a constant rate as altitude increases; the part of the atmosphere where weather conditions exist |
| ozone layer | the layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 15 to 40 km in which ozone absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation |
| greenhouse effect | the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate thermal energy |
| Temperature | a measure of how hot or cold something is; specifically, a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object |
| Thermal Expansion | an increase in the size of a substance in response to an increase in the temperature of the substance |
| thermal energy | the total kinetic energy of a substance’s atoms |
| heat | the energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures |
| Radiation | the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves |
| Convection | the movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations; can result in the transfer of energy as heat |
| ocean current | a movement of ocean water that follows a regular pattern |
| Surface current | a horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that occurs at or near the ocean’s surface |
| coriolis effect | any movement of matter that results from differences in density; may be vertical, circular, or cyclical |
| deep current | a streamlike movement of ocean water far below the surface |
| convection current | any movement of matter that results from differences in density; may be vertical, circular, or cyclical |
| upwelling | the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient- rich water to the surface |
| local winds | the movement of air over short distances; occurs in specific areas as a result of certain geographical features |
| Jet Streams | a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere |
| Global winds | the movement of air over Earth’s surface in patterns that are worldwide |
| wind | the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure |
| Conduction | the transfer of energy as heat through a material |
Created by:
Ryan Grimes
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