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49 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
outgasing
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the release of volatiles from Earth's mantle to the surface in volcanic eruptions
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photosynthesis
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the process by which chlorophyll-bearing plant cells convert carbon dioxide and water to organic sugars, using sunlight as an energy souce, oxygen is released in the process
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troposhere
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The layer of air that lies closest to Earth's surface and extends upward to about 17 kilometers.
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tropopause
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The top of the troposphere; the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere.
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stratosphere
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The layer of air above the tropopause, extended upward about 55 kilometers.
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atmospheric pressure or barometric pressure
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The pressure of the atmosphere at any given location and time.
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barometer
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a device used to measure bormetric pressure
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bar
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unit of measurement for atmospheric pressure. one bar is equal to sea-level atmospheric pressure
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stratopause
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The celing of the stratosphere; the boundary between the stratosphere and hte mesopshere.
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mesosphere
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The layer of air that lies above teh stratopause, extending upward from about 55 kilometers to about 80 kilometeres above Earth's surface.
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mesopause
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The ceiling of the mesosphere; the boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere.
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thermosphere
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An extremely high and diffuse region of the atmospheere lying above the mesospehre, from about 80 kilometers upward.
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acid rain
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Become acidic after reacting with pollutants
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aerosol
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particle or particulate that is suspended in teh air
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fly ash
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non-combustible minerals that escape into the atmosphere when coal burns, eventually settling as gritty dust.
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CFCs
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organic compounds containing chlorine and fluorine, which rise into the upper atmosphere to destroy the ozone layer.
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halons
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compounds containing bromine and chlorine which rise tot he uppoer atmosphere to destroy the ozone layer.
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ozone hole
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an usually low ozone concentration in the stratosphere.
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albedo
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The reflectivity of a surface, a surface that reflects more light has a higher albedo.
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greenhouse effect
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An increase in teh temperature of the planet's surface caused when infrared-absorbing gasesi n the atmosphere trap energy from the Sun.
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temperature
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A measure of heat in a substance, proportional to the average speed of atoms and molecules in a sample.
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heat
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A measure of the total energy in a sample.
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conduction
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The transport of heat by direct collision among atoms or molecules.
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latent heat
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stored heat, the energy released or absorbed when a substance changes from one state to another, by melting, freezing, vaporization, condensation, or sublimation.
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specific heat
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The amount of energy required to reaise the temp. of 1g of a substance 1 deg. C.
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isotherms
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Lines on a map indicate same temp.
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humidity
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The amount of water vapor in the air.
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absolute humidity
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The mass of water vapor in a given volume of air, expressed in grams per cubic meter.
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relative humidity
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The ratio of the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air divided by the maximum amount of water vapor that can be held by that air at the given temp. expressed as a percentage.
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saturation
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The amount of water vapor that the air can hold.
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adiabatic temp. changes
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Temperature changes caused by compression or expansion of gas, that occur wihtout gain or loss of heat.
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orographic lifting
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air flows over a mountain
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frontal wedging
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air masses collide, weather front
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cirrus
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wispy, high altitude clouds composed of ice crystals
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stratus
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blanket, dark skies
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cumulus
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fluffy, fat bottoms and billowy tops
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cumulonimbus
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high, form in columns, thunderstorms, sometimes hail
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nimbostratus
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rain or snow
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wind
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Horizontal airflow caused by pressure differences resulting from unequal heating of earth's atmosphere. Winds near earth's surface always flow from a region of high pressure toward a low pressure region.
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pressure gradient
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A measure of the change in air pressure over distance, used to determine wind speed.
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isobars
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Lines on a weather map connecting points of equal air pressure.
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cyclone
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A lower-pressure region with its accompanying system of inwardly directed rotating winds.
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anticyclone
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A high-pressure region with its accompanying system of outwardly directed rotating winds that develop where descending air spreads over Earth's surface.
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cold front
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A front that forms when moving cold air collides with stationary or slower-moving warm air. The dense cold air distorts intoa blunt wedge and pushes under the warmer air, creating a narrow band of violent weather.
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front
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boundary between a warmer air mass and a cold one
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warm front
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warm air collides with a stationary or slower-moving cold air mass. The moving warm air rises over the denser cold air, cools adiabatically and the cooling generates clouds and precipitation.
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cold front
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A front that forms when moving cold air collides with stationary or slower-moving warm air. The dense cold air distorts intoa blunt wedge and pushes under the warmer air, creating a narrow band of violent weather.
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El Nino
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An episodic weather pattern occuring every 3 to 7 years in which the trade winds slacken the the Pacific Ocean and warm water accumulates off the coast of South America and causes unual rains and heavy snowfall in the Andes.
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doldrums
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A vast low-pressure region of Earth near the equator with hot, humid air and where local squalls and rainstorms are common but steady winds are rare.
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