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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 crus |
| 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 | 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 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 |
| Mesosphere | 1. 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 layes |
| 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 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 |
| 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 stream like 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 |
| deep current | a stream like movement of ocean water far below the surface |