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159 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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the small organisms that float in the atmosphere
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aeolian plankton
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a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth
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atmosphere
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the solid particles in the atmosphere
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atmospheric dust
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the recycling of nitrogen from teh atmosphere to the soil and back into the atmosphere
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nitrogen cycle
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the changing of a substance from a gas to a liquid
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condensation
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the changing of a substance from a liquid to a gas
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evaporation
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water that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth
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precipitation
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the loss of water by plants
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transpiration
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the continuous cycle that moves water from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface and back into the atmosphere
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water cycle
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the upper region of the thermosphere
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exosphere
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the upper level of the atmosphere (by composition) where gases are in layers
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heterosphere
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the lower part of the atmosphere (by composition) where gases are evenly mixed
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homosphere
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the layers of the atmosphere (by temperature) in order
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troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
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also called the weather layer
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troposphere
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the area around the Earth that is affected by the Earth's magnetic field
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magnetosphere
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the continuous flow of plasma from the sun
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solar wind
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human-made compounds thought to be damaging the Ozone layer
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CFCs
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a layer of gas that protects all life on Earth from UV radiation
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ozone layer
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high frequency radiation from the sun
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UV rays (Ultraviolet Rays)
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the transfer of heat from one substance to another substance through direct contact
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conduction
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the rule of heat transfer
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heat always moves from a warmer object to a cooler object
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the transfer of heat that occurs in moving liquids by the circulation of currents
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convection
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the transfer of heat through space or matter by waves
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radiation
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the daily variations of temperature, humidity, cloud cover, wind and precipitation in the atmosphere
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weather
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the pressure exerted by the Earth's atmosphere at any given point
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atmospheric pressure
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an instrument used to measure atmospheric preasure
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barometer
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two types of barometers
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aneroid and mercurial
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an area where cold air is sinking
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high pressure area
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an area where warm air is rising
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warm pressure area
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an instrument used to measure wind speed
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anemometer
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local winds that form at night near water
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land breeze
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local winds that form at night near mountains
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mountain breeze
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local winds that form during the day near water
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sea breeze
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local winds that form during the day near mountains
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valley breeze
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the movement of air from a high pressure area to a low pressure area
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wind
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the curving of moving objects from a straight path due to the Earth's rotation
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Coriolis Effect
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narrow bands of high-speed winds over both hemispheres (good for planes)
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jet streams
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winds that extend from 30 deg latitude toward the equator
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trade winds
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winds that extend from the poles to the 60 deg lattitude
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polar easterlies
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winds formed between the 30 deg and 60 deg latitude
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prevailing westerlies
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thin, feathery, wispy high level clouds
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cirrus clouds
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visible collections of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere
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clouds
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puffy, white, low-level fair weather clouds
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cumulus
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condensed water vapor near the ground
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fog
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low, flat sheet like clouds
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stratus
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the low flat dark clouds that bring rain
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nimbostratus
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the mid level clouds that make the sun appear as a lamp shining through frosted glass
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altostratus
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the actual amount of water vapor in the air
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absolute humidity
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the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the amount it could hold
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relative humidity
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the temperature at which condensation forms
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dew point
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what happens if the dew point is above freezing
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dew
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what happens if the dew point is below freezing
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frost
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a large body of air with a consistent temperature and moisture level
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air mass
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the boundary between two air masses
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front
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the front which occurs when a warm and cold air mass meet and stall
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stationary front
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the front which occurs when a warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass
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warm front
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the front which occurs when a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass
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cold front
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the front which occurs when two cold air masses meet and cut off the warm air mass from the ground
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occluded front
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the three requirements of a blizzard
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heavy snowfall, high winds, very low temperatures
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a large, rotating tropical weather system with high speed winds and heavy rain
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hurricane
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the electrical discharge of energy from storm clouds
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lightning
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the sound that results from the rapid expansion of air that accompanies a lightning strike
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thunder
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the three requirements of a thunderstorm
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strong winds, heavy rain, lightning
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a small, rotating funnel of air that has high wind speeds and low central air pressure
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tornado
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the steps to weather prediction
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gather information using tools
report information to NWS Classify & Analzye Data (maps) Predict Distribute Forecasts to local stations and they distribute it to us:) |
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the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
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climate
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a mountainside facing away from the wind (hot and dry)
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leeward
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small regions with their own climatic conditions
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microclimates
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the surface features of a place or region
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topography
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a mountainside facing the wind (gets more rain)
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windward
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a geographic region with a predictable temperature range and weather conditions
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climate zone
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the climate zones that extend from 60 degrees latitude to the poles
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polar zones
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the climate zones that extend from 30 degrees to 60 degrees latitude
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temperate zones
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the climate zones that are between the 30 degree latitudes
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tropical zone
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periodic changes in the location of warm and cold surface waters in the Pacific Ocean
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El Nino
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a rise in average global temperature
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global warming
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a period of time during which ice collects in high latitudes and moves toward lower latitudes
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ice age
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any natural substance, organism, or energy form used by living things
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natural resource
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resources that can't be replaced or can only be replaced over a long period of time
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nonrenewable resources
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resources that are constantly available or can be replaced over a short amount of time (provided we don't abuse them)
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renewable resources
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a solid fossil fuel formed from decomposed plant material
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coal
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fuels / resources formed from the remains of decomposed plant materials
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fossil fuels
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the gaseous fossil fuel
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natural gas
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the liquid fossil fuel
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oil
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a natural, inorganic crystaline solid with a definite chemical composition
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mineral
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the process of removing minerals from the ground
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mining
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a naturally occurring rock from which a useful metal or mineral is recovered
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ore
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places where rocks are removed from the ground
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quarries
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the making of new deserts through a change in climate or destructive land use
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dessertification
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an area of land where teh water level is near or above the ground surface for most of the year
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wetland
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the process in which salt accumulates in soil
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salinization
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the plowing of furrows around a hill perpendicular to its slope to reduce erosion
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contour plowing
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vegetation planted on bare farmland to prevent erosion
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cover crop
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the successive planting of different crops on land to prevent erosion and to improve soil fertility
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crop rotation
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plowed ditches in farmland
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furrow
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a narrow ditch cut in the Earth by runoff
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gully
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the planting of alternating bands of crops and cover vegetation
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strip farming
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the construction of steplike ridges that follow the slope of the land
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terrace farming
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organic matter, such as crops or waste products, that contains stored energy and is used to produce fuel
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biomass
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energy collected from the trapped heat in the Earth's crust
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geothermal energy
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electricity produced from the power of moving water
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hydroelectric power
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energy that comes from changes in the nuclei of atoms of radioactive elements
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nuclear energy
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energy from the sun
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solar energy
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the view that the Earth is at the center of the universe
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geocentric view
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the view that the Sun is the center of the solar system
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heliocentric view
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the Ptolmaic Theory
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Geocentric theory
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the Copernican Theory
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Heliocentric theory
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a telescope that uses a series of mirrors to gather light
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reflective telescope
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a telescope that uses a series of lenses to gather light
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refracting telescope
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the false color produced by a refracting telescope
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chromatic abberation
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an instrument that collects visible light or other electromagnetic radiation from distant objects and concentrates it for better observation
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telescope
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minor planets - large rocky bodies that orbit the Sun
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asteroids
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large, less dense planets
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gaseous planets or gas giants
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interstellar clouds made of dust and gas
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nebulae
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an object that orbits a star and shines by reflected light
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planet
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major planets in order from the sun out
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mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune
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terrestrial planets
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the small, dense, rocky "earth like" planets
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name the terrestrial planets
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mercury, venus, earth, mars
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name the gaseous planets
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jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune
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name the inferior planets
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mercury, venus
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name the superior planets
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mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune
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the inner layer of the sun's atmosphere
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chromosphere
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the region of the Sun where the energy is moved by currents in the plasma
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Convective Zone
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the center of the sun, where the sun's energy is produced (thermonuclear reactions)
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core
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the outer layer of the sun's atmosphere, extends far into space
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corona
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the visible surface of the sun
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photosphere
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fiery bursts of gas shooting hundreds of thousands of kilometers into space and looping back to the sun's surface
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prominence
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the region of the sun's interior where energy is transferred by electromagnetic waves
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radiative zone
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storms on the sun's surface that send out tremendous bursts of radiation and particles, dangerous to satelites
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solar flares
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darker, cooler regions on the sun's photosphere
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sunspots
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the point in the orbit of a planet when it is farthest from the sun
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aphelion
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the average distance between the Earth and the Sun
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Astronomical Unit
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an imaginary line through the center of a body, around which the body orbits
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axis
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a closed curve around two points, each called a "focus"
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ellipse
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the point in the orbit of a planet when it is closest to the sun
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perihelion
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the time that it takes a planet to orbit the Sun
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period of revolution
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the time that it takes a planet to rotate on its axis
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period of rotation
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a bowl-shaped depression on the surface of a celestial body
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crater
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the region between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found
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asteroid belt
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the two main parts of a comet
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head (coma and nucleus) and tail
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the halo of dust and gas around a comet as it approaches the sun
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coma
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a small body of loosely packed ice, rock, gas, and cosmic dust that gives off a tail of gas and dust as it passes near the sun.
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comet
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the bright streak of light caused by a meteoroid burning up in the atmosphere
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meteor
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a meteoroid that enters the earth's atmosphere and strikes the ground
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meteorite
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a small, rocky body orbiting the sun
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meteoroid
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a spherical region that surrounds the solar system, we believe it is the source of comets
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Oort cloud
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the joining of two light atomic nuclei to form a single heavier nucleus and produce energy
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nuclear fusion
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a natural or artifical body that orbits a planet
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satellite
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a loose layer of rock and dust on the surface of the moon
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lunar regolith
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a lowland plain of hardened lava on the Moon
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mare
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deep channels on the moon
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rilles
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the point in the moon's orbit when it is closest to earth
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perigee
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the point in the moon's orbit when it is furthest from the sun
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apogee
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the castin gof a shadow of one celestial body on the surface of another
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eclipse
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the casting of the moon's shadow on the earth's surface
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solar eclipse
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the dark, central portion of a shadow
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umbra
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an area of partially blocked light surroudning the complete shadow
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penumbra
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a solar eclipse during which the outer ring of the sun is visible around the moon
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annular eclipse
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the casting of the earth's shadow on the moon
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lunar eclipse
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