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38 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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anthroposphere
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The part of the natural system that has been modified by humans for human purposes, or as a result of human activity.
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atmosphere
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The mixture of gases, predominantly nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor that surrounds the earth.
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biogeochemical cycle
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A natural cycle describing the movements and interactions through the Earth's spheres of the chemicals essential to life.
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box model
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A simple, convenient graphical representation of a system.
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closed system
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A system in which the boundary allows the exchange of energy, but not matter, with the surroundings.
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cryosphere
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The part of the Earth's surface that remains perennially frozen.
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cycle
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The constant, repeated movement of matter or energy from one reservoir to another.
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earth system science
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The science that studies the whole Earth as a system of many interacting parts and focuses on the changes within and between these parts.
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energy cycle
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The flow of energy from the external and internal sources of the planet, that drives the cycles of the earth system
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equilibrium
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balance
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experimentation
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The act of experimenting or test a hypothesis.
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feedback
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A system response that occurs when the output of the system also serves as an input and leads to changes in the state of the system.
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flux
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The amount of energy flowing through a given area in a given time.
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Geographic Information System (GIS)
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Computer-based software programs which allow massive amounts of spatially referenced data points to be stored along with their characteristics.
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geosphere
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The solid Earth.
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global change
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The changes produced in the earth system as a result of human activities.
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hydrologic cycle
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The movements of water between the various reservoirs of the hydrosphere.
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hydrosphere
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The totality of the Earth's water, including the oceans, lakes, streams, water underground, and all the snow and ice, including glaciers.
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hypothesis
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An unproved explanation for the way things happen.
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isolated system
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A system in which the boundary prevents the system from exchanging either energy or matter with its surroundings
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law (of science)
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A statement that some aspect of nature is always observed to happen in the same way and that no deviations have ever been seen.
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model
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A representation of something.
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negative feedback
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The influence of a product on the process that produces it, such that production decreases with the growth of the product.
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open system
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A system in which the boundary allows the exchange of both energy and matter with the surroundings.
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positive feedback
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The influence of a product on the process that produces it, such that the production increases the growth of the product.
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principle (of science)
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A statement that some aspect of nature is always observed to happen in the same way and that no deviations have ever been seen.
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remote sensing
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Continuous or repetitive collection of information about a target from a distance.
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reservoir
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A storage place: a place in the Earth system where material or energy resides for some period of time.
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residence time
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The average length of time a given material spends in a reservoir.
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rock cycle
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The cyclic movement of a rock material in the course of which rock is create, destroyed, and altered through the operation of internal and external Earth processes.
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scientific method
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The use of evidence that can be seen and tested by anyone who has the means to do so, consisting often of observation, formation of a hypothesis, test of that hypothesis and formation of a theory, formation of a law, and continued reexamination.
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sequestration
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Materials that have such long residence times in a reservoir they are isolated from the rest of the Earth system for long periods of time.
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sink
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A reservoir in which the inward flux of matter exceeds the outward flux. The opposite of source.
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source
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A reservoir in which more of a substance is coming from the reservoir that is flowing into it. The opposite of sink.
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steady state
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A state in which the flux of matter into a reservoir exactly balances the flux of matter out of the reservoir.
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system
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Any portion of the universe that can be isolated from the rest of the universe for the purpose of observing and measuring changes.
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tectonic cycle
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The process by which Earth's major geologic features are formed.
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theory
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A hypothesis that has been examined and found to withstand numerous tests.
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