click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
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 the 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 | the net flow of energy into and out of a 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 |
| 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 | the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate 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 increases 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; the transfer of energy due to the movement of matter |
| 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 currents | 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 |