Chapters 1-5 Vocabulary

Front 1

geography

Back 1

studies relationships of the earth

Front 2

physical geography

Back 2

the spatial analysis of all the physical elements and processes that make up the environment

Front 3

system

Back 3

any ordered, interrelated set of materials or items existing separate from the environment or within a boundary; energy transformations and energy matter storage and retrieval occur in a system

Front 4

systems theory

Back 4

any ordered, related set of things and their attributes, as distinct from their surrounding environment

Front 5

feedback

Back 5

changes in one part of a system that affects other parts of a system and it can be either positive or negative

Front 6

equilibrium

Back 6

balance between system inputs and outputs (steady-state), consistent trend over time (dynamic equilibrium)

Front 7

scale

Back 7

the ratio of the distance on a map to that the real world; expressed as a representative fraction, graphic scale, or written scale

Front 8

remote sensing

Back 8

information acquired from a distance, without physical contact with the subject, ex = photography, orbital imagery radar

Front 9

map

Back 9

generalized view of an area, as seen from above and reduced in size

Front 10

scale

Back 10

ratio of map units to ground units

Front 11

projection

Back 11

process of transforming spherical earth to a flat map

Front 12

light year

Back 12

the distance light can travel in one year

Front 13

perihelion

Back 13

where the earth is closest to the sun (Jan 4)

Front 14

aphelion

Back 14

where the earth is farthest from the sun (July 5)

Front 15

solar wind

Back 15

a stream of energetic particles that travel about 31 million miles per day, it can disrupt satellite and ratio transitions, and overload power systems

Front 16

aurora borealis

Back 16

strong coronal mass ejections send stronger than normal streams of charged particles toward earth, drawn toward the poles, seen as sheets of color moving across the sky

Front 17

insolation

Back 17

the amount of incoming solar radiation

Front 18

pressure

Back 18

the motion of molecules creates a force as they strike the surface (you), the more molecules the higher the pressure, measured by the barometer

Front 19

density

Back 19

determined by the number of molecules packed into a volume, almost the same as weight

Front 20

kinetic energy

Back 20

the energy of motion in a body, derived from the vibration of the body's own movement and stated as temperature

Front 21

tropopause

Back 21

height varies because of temperature (density)

Front 22

absorption bands

Back 22

a range of wavelengths in a substanec

Front 23

ozone

Back 23

absorbs shortwave energy and without this.. much more ultraviolet radiation would reach the surface

Front 24

chlorofluocarbon (CFC)

Back 24

commonly used in refrigerants prior to the 1987 Montreal protocol accelerated the destruction of the ozone

Front 25

aerosol

Back 25

particulates produced by human or natural causes that are injected into the air. natural causes produce them more than human activities

Front 26

acid rain

Back 26

produced from the interaction of sulfur dioxide from power plants and nitrogen dioxide from cars with water vapor. produces harmful effects on environment and health

Front 27

anthropogenic

Back 27

man made sources are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emitted by power plants, industry, and automobiles

Front 28

temperature

Back 28

a measure of the kinetic energy of an object (the faster the motion the higher the temperature)

Front 29

albedo

Back 29

measure of reflectivity, the reflective value of a surface

Front 30

refraction

Back 30

the change in direction resulting from a change in density of the atmosphere, bending of light rays

Front 31

reflection

Back 31

energy that highs a surface and is directed back into the atmosphere

Front 32

absorption

Back 32

the retention of incoming energy in a substance

Front 33

radiation

Back 33

energy traveling through air or space; molecules absorb electromagnetic radiation, increasing their energy or heat

Front 34

conduction

Back 34

heat is transferred directly from one molecule to another

Front 35

convection

Back 35

energy transferred by movement, fluid air surrounding a warm object heats and rises

Front 36

advection

Back 36

horizontally dominant movement

Front 37

heat flux

Back 37

the conduction from the earths surface to the atmosphere, or vice versa

Front 38

specific heat

Back 38

how much it takes to raise the temperature of something 1 degrees C. water has 4x the capacity of soil

Front 39

transparency

Back 39

the quality of a medium like air or water that allows light to easily pass through it

Front 40

diurnal

Back 40

daily cycle

Front 41

isotherm

Back 41

lines of constant temperature

Front 42

normal

Back 42

a tool helpful when comparing conditions to the long term, 30 year average, updated every 10 years (used from days, months, years, temp, rainfall, snowfall)

Front 43

anomaly

Back 43

a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement or form, a departure from a mean average state