Oop 11

Front 1

Troposphere

Back 1

layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth's surface, where most of the mass of the atmosphere is found and in which most weather takes place and air pollution collects.

Front 2

Stratosphere

Back 2

layer of Earth's atmosphere that is located above the tropopause and is made up primarily of concentrated ozone.

Front 3

Mesosphere

Back 3

layer of Earth's atmosphere above the stratopause.

Front 4

Thermosphere

Back 4

layer of Earth's atmosphere that is located above the mesopause; oxygen atoms absorb solar radiation causing the temperature to increase in this layer.

Front 5

Exosphere

Back 5

outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere that is located above the thermosphere with no clear boundary at the top; transitional region between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.

Front 6

Radiation

Back 6

the transfer of thermal energy electromagnetic waves; the transfer of thermal energy from the Sun to Earth by radiation.

Front 7

Conduction

Back 7

the transfer of thermal energy between objects in contact by the collisions between the particles in the objects.

Front 8

Convection

Back 8

the transfer of thermal energy by the movement of heated material from one place to another.

Front 9

Temperature Inversion

Back 9

increase in temperature with height in an atmospheric layer, which inverts the temperature-altitude relationship and can worsen air-pollution problems.

Front 10

Humidity

Back 10

amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given location on Earth's surface.

Front 11

Saturation

Back 11

the point at which water molecules leaving the water's surface equals the rate of water molecules returning to the surface.

Front 12

Relative Humidity

Back 12

ratio of water vapor contained in a specific volume of air compared with how much water vapor that amount of air actually can hold; expressed as a percentage.

Front 13

Dew Point

Back 13

temperature to which air is cooled at a constant pressure to reach saturation, at which point condensation can occur.

Front 14

Latent Heat

Back 14

stored energy in water vapor that is not released to warm the atmosphere until condensation takes place.

Front 15

Condensation Nucleus

Back 15

small particle in the atmosphere around which cloud droplets can form.

Front 16

Orographic Lifting

Back 16

cloud formation that occurs when warm, moist air is forced to rise up the side of a mountain.

Front 17

Cumulus

Back 17

puffy, lumpy looking clouds that usually occur below 2000 m.

Front 18

Stratus

Back 18

a layered sheetlike cloud that covers much or all of the sky in a given area.

Front 19

Cirrus

Back 19

high clouds made up of ice crystals that form at heights of 6000 m; often have a wispy, indistinct appearance.

Front 20

Precipitation

Back 20

all solid and liquid forms of water—including rain, snow, sleet, and hail—that fall from clouds.

Front 21

Coalescence

Back 21

process that occurs when cloud droplets collide and form larger droplets, which eventually become too heavy to remain aloft and can fall to Earth as precipitation.