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27 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Constant Gases |
Gases that have consistent concentrations across the atmosphere, up to a height of about 80km |
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Variable Gases |
Gases that have different concentrations in different areas of the atmosphere and at different times. |
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Reservoir |
A storage place |
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Source |
A process by which a substance enters a reservoir |
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Sink |
A process by which a substance leaves a reservoir |
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Steady State |
A condition that exists when the inflows to a reservoir are equal to the outflows from the reservoir |
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Nitrogen Fixation |
The process by which nitrogen gas is removed from the atmosphere and converted to a soluble form of nitrogen that can be taken up by plants |
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Denitrification |
The process by which bacteria convert nitrogen in the soil to nitrogen gas or nitrous oxide gas |
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Photodissociation |
A process in which a molecule is split apart by the absorption of radiation |
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Carbon Cycle |
The model that describes the processes by which carbon is transferred between the various reservoirs of the Earth-atmosphere system |
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Anaerobic Decomposition |
A process of decay that occurs when oxygen is unavailable |
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Oxidation |
The addition of oxygen to a compound, which is accompanied by a loss of electrons |
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Greenhouse Gas |
A gas that allows the shorter wavelength radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere, while it absorbs the longer wavelength radiation leaving Earth's surface. |
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Greenhouse Effect |
An increase in the temperature of a planet due to the presence of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere |
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Carbon-Silicate Cycle |
The inorganic part of the carbon cycle, in which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere as silicate rocks weather and returned to the atmosphere hundreds of thousands to millions years later by volcanic eruptions. |
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Latent Heat |
The energy associated with phase changes |
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Hydrologic Cycle |
The noel that describes the processes in which water is transferred between various reservoirs of the Earth-atmosphere system |
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Ultraviolet Radiation |
Radiation with wavelengths ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 um |
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Homosphere |
The lower atmosphere, in which the constant gases are thoroughly mixed.
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Heterosphere |
The upper atmosphere, in which the heaviest molecules are on the bottom and the lightest are on the top. |
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Aerosols |
Tiny Solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere |
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Primary Aerosols |
Aerosols that are emitted directly into the atmosphere |
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Secondary Aerosols |
Aerosols that form in the atmosphere |
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Haze |
A reduction of visibility caused by the scattering of visible radiation in the atmosphere |
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Volatile Organic Compounds |
Carbon-containing compounds that easily vaporize |
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Hydrocarbons |
Substances containing hydrogen and carbon, the most common being methane |
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Outgassing |
The release of gases dissolved in rock |
