Ch 2,22,24,25

Front 1

System

Back 1

a set of particles or interacting components considered to be distinct physical entity for the purpose of study

Front 2

Atmosphere

Back 2

a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon

Front 3

Hydrosphere

Back 3

the portion of the earth that is water

Front 4

Geosphere

Back 4

the mostly solid, rocky part of the Earth; extends from the center of the core to the surfac of the crust

Front 5

Biosphere

Back 5

the part of Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on Earth

Front 6

Stratosphere

Back 6

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

Front 7

Mesosphere

Back 7

the coldest layer of the atmosphere, between the stratosphere and the thermosphere, in which temperature decreases as altitude increases

Front 8

Thermosphere

Back 8

the upper most layer in the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases; includes the ionosphere

Front 9

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Back 9

all of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation

Front 10

Albedo

Back 10

the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected off the surface of an object

Front 11

Greenhouse Effect

Back 11

the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation

Front 12

Conduction

Back 12

the transfer of engergy as heat through a material

Front 13

Convection

Back 13

the movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations; can result in the transfer of energy as heat

Front 14

Coriolis Effect

Back 14

the curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth's rotation

Front 15

Trade winds

Back 15

prevailing winds that blow from east to west from 30° latitude to the equator in both hemispheres

Front 16

Westerlies

Back 16

prevailing winds the blow from west to east between 30° and 60° latitude in both hemispheres

Front 17

Polar Easterlies

Back 17

prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60° and 90° latitude in both hemispheres

Front 18

Jet Stream

Back 18

a narrow band of strong winds the blow in the upper troposphere

Front 19

Air Mass

Back 19

a large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture content are similar

Front 20

Cold Front

Back 20

the front edge of a moving mass of cold air the pushes beneath a warmer air mass like a wedge

Front 21

Warm Front

Back 21

the front edge of advancing warm air mass that replaces colder air with warmer air

Front 22

Stationary Front

Back 22

a front of air massesthat moves either very slow or not at all

Front 23

Atmosphere

Back 23

a mixture of gases the surround a planet, such as earth

Front 24

Ozone

Back 24

a gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms

Front 25

Occluded Front

Back 25

a front that forms when a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass and lifts the warm air mass off the ground and over the another air mass

Front 26

Midlatitude Cyclone

Back 26

an area of low pressure that is characterized by rotating wind that moves toward the rising air of the central low-pressure region

Front 27

Thunderstorm

Back 27

a usually brief, heavy storm that consists of rain, strong winds, lightning, and thunder

Front 28

Hurricane

Back 28

a severe storm that develops over tropical oceans and whose strong winds of more then 120km/h spiral in toward the intensely low-pressure storm center

Front 29

Barometer

Back 29

an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure

Front 30

Anemometer

Back 30

an instrument used to measure wind speed

Front 31

Wind Vane

Back 31

an instrument used to determine direction of the wind

Front 32

Radiosonde

Back 32

a package of instruments that is carried aloft by balloons to measure upper atmospheric conditions, including temperature, dew point, and wind velocity

Front 33

Radar

Back 33

Radio Detection and Ranging, a system that uses reflected radio waves to determine the velocity and location of objects

Front 34

Climate

Back 34

the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

Front 35

Specific Heat

Back 35

the quantity of heat required to raise a unit mass of homogeneous material 1k or 1°C in a specified way given constant pressure and volume

Front 36

EL Nino

Back 36

a periodtic occurrence in the eastern Pacific Ocean in which the surface-watr temperature becomes unusually warm

Front 37

Tornado

Back 37

a destructive, rotating column of air that has very high wind speeds and that maybe visible as a funnel-shaped cloud

Front 38

Monsoon

Back 38

a seasonal wind that blows toward the land in the summer, bringing heavy rains,and that blows away from the land in the winter,bringing dry weather

Front 39

Tropical Climate

Back 39

a climate characterized by high temperatures and heavy precipitation during at least part of the year; typical of equatorial regions

Front 40

Atmospheric pressure

Back 40

the force per unit area that is exerted on a surface by the weight of the atmosphere

Front 41

Troposphere

Back 41

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

Front 42

Middle-latitude Climate

Back 42

a climate that has an average maximum temperature of 8°C in the coldest month and an average minimum temperature of 10°C in the warmest month

Front 43

Polar Climate

Back 43

a climate that is characterized by average temperatures that are near or below freezing; typical of polar regions

Front 44

Microclimate

Back 44

the climate of a small area

Front 45

Climatologist

Back 45

a scientist who gathers data to study and compare past and present climmates and to predict future climate change

Front 46

Global Warming

Back 46

a gradual increase in the average global temperature that is due to higher concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Front 47

Thermometer

Back 47

an instrument that measures and indicates temperature