click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
earth systems+patter
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 | He mostly solid, rocky part of Earth; extends from the center of the core to the surface of the crust. |
| hydrosphere | he 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 | A mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, moon, or other celestial body. |
| energy budget | A way to keep track of energy transfers into and out of the Earth system. |
| 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. |
| air pressure | The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| ozone layer | The layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 15 to 40 km in which ozone absorbs ultraviolet solar radiatio. |
| 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 energy | The total kinetic energy of a substance’s atoms. |
| thermal expansion | An increase in the size of a substance in response to an increase in the temperature of the substance. |
| heat | The energy transferred between objects that are at different temperature. |
| 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 |
| wind | The movement of air caused by differences in air pressure |
| Coriolis effect | The curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth’s rotation. |
| global wind | He movement of air over Earth’s surface in patterms that are worldwide. |
| jet stream | A narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere. |
| local wind | The movement of air over short distances; occurs in specific areas as a result of certain geographical features. |
| 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 | The curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth’s rotation. |
| Deep current | |
| Convection current | |
| upwelling | The movement of deep, cold, and nutrient- rich water to the surface. |