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Earth System
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 strong, lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core, 2. 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 |
| Treposphere | 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 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 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 ( |
| Conduction | the transfer of energy as heat through a material |
| 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 | the movement of air over Earth’s surface in patterns 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 |
| 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 |
| Water cycle | the continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the land, the oceans, and living things |
| Evaporation | the change of state from a liquid to a gas |
| Transpiration | the process by which plants release water vapor into the air through stomata; also the release of water vapor into the air by other organisms |
| Sublimation | the process in which a solid changes directly into a gas |
| Condensation | the change of state from a gas to a liquid |
| Precipitation | any form of water that falls to Earth’s surface from the clouds; includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail |
| Weather | the short-term state of the atmosphere, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility |
| Humidity | the amount of water vapor in the air |
| Relative Humidity | the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor needed to reach saturation at a given temperature |
| Dew point | at constant pressure and water vapor content, the temperature at which the rate of condensation equals the rate of evaporation |
| Air pressure | the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface |
| Wind | the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure |
| Visibility | the distance at which a given standard object can be seen and identified with the unaided eye |
| Air mass | a large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture content are similar |
| Front | the boundary between air masses of different densities and usually different temperatures |
| Jet stream | a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere |
| Thunderstrom | a usually brief, heavy storm that consists of rain, strong winds, lightning, and thunder |
| Lightning | an electric discharge that takes place between two oppositely charged surfaces, such as between a cloud and the ground, between two clouds, or between two parts of the same cloud |
| Thunder | the sound caused by the rapid expansion of air along an electrical strike |
| Hurricane | a severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong winds of more than 119 km/h spiral in toward the intensely low-pressure storm center |
| Storm surge | a local rise in sea level near the shore that is caused by strong winds from a storm, such as those from a hurricane |
| Tornando | a destructive, rotating column of air that has very high wind speeds and that may be visible as a funnel-shaped cloud |
| Sinkhole | a circular depression that forms when rock dissolves, when overlying sediment fills an existingcavity, or when the roof of an underground cavern or mine collapses |
| Wildfire | an unplanned fire in land that is undeveloped except for roads and power lines and other such structures |
| Muck fire | a fire that burns organic material in the soil |
| Climate | the weather conditions in an area over a long period of time |
| Latitude | the angular distance north or south from the equator; expressed in degrees |
| Topography | the size and shape of the land surface features of a region, including its relief |
| Elevation | the height of an object above sea level |
| Surface currents | a horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that occurs at or near the ocean’s surface |
Created by:
Zailyn Alexander