Atmosphere Flashcards
blanket of gas that covers the earth’s surface
protects the earth from excess UV rays and objects from outer space
atmosphere
functions of atmosphere
protection from radiation
protection from meteors
weather activity
respiration
allows sound to be heard
particles of air nearer the surface of the earth are denser and they gradually scatter with increasing altitude (due to decreasing gravity as altitude increases)
dispersion
gets colder as one gets higher
where weather activities occur
thinnest layer
troposphere
gets warmer as one gets higher
where ozone layer is located
ozone layer absorbs 97-99% of medium freq. UV light
some planes reach up to this layer
stratosphere
gets colder as one gets higher
where most meteors disintegrate due to its freezing temp.
absorbs very little solar radiation
mesosphere
gets hotter as one goes higher
thermosphere
continuous with outer space
exosphere
signify change in temperature behavior; signify beginning and end of each layer
pauses
4 pauses
tropopause, stratopause, mesopause, thermopause
composition of atmosphere
78% dinitrogen (n2), 20.1% o2, 0.9% ar, less than 1% other gases
water that flows above and below the surface
hydrosphere
hydrologic cycle
evaporation - condensation - precipitation
sun heat’s convert water to water vapor;
water vapor can also come form transpiration that occurs on the surface of plant leaves
evaporation
cloud formation; water vapor/ ire releases HEAT, returning to droplet form
condensation
water falls back to the earth’s surface
precipitation
movement of water is caused by
waves, tides, and currents
caused by wind blowing across the water’s surface; can shape the shoreline
waves
strongest forces that move the ocean tides
tides
continuous movement of sea water in a particular direction
responsible in balancing Earth’s energy and regulating the climate
currents
circular paths that open ocean currents flow
gyre
northern hemisphere gyre
clockwise direction
southern hemisphere gyre
counterclockwise direction
solid part of the earth
outer 100km of earth
made up of granite continental crust, basaltic oceanic crust and peridotite mantle
rests on semi-solid bed called asthenosphere
lithosphere
accumulation of loosed, weathered material that covers much of the lithosphere
primarily composed of weathered rock
soil
types of soil
clay - sand - silt - loam
fine particles, settle well together and can hold water well
clay
larger than clay but smaller than sand, feels smooth when wet
silt
largest particles, feels rough cause of its sharp edges; doesn’t hold much nutrients
sand
combination of clay, silt and sand
mixture of bacteria, water and humus (decayed plant and animal material) - makes soil reach in nutrients
BEST SOIL FOR PLANTS (retains water well and gives plants room to breathe)
loam
properties of soil
color - porosity - permeability
property is based on composition
color
amount of air spaces within a soil
porosity
capacity of soil to let fluids seep through
permeability
flood prone soil
low porosity and permeability (rainwater cannot seep through soil)
minerals
naturally occurring
inorganic matter
have a chemical formula
have a crystalline form
physical properties of minerals
color - streak - luster - specific gravity - cleavage - parting - fracture - hardness
most noticeable BUT UNRELIABLE in identifying materials
color
color of the fine powder left when mineral is rubbed against a hard, rough surface
___ of mineral is always the same
streak
piece of unglazed porcelain used to create a streak
streak plate
the way light reflects from mineral’s surface; either metallic or non-metallic
luster
tendency of material to break parallel to atomic planes (form crystalline structure)
cleavage
tendency to break along surfaces that follow a structural weaknesses caused by factors such as pressure, or long zones of different crystal types
parting
breaks that do not follow a particular direction when they break
fracture
a mineral’s resistance to being scratched
diamond
moh’s hardness scale
talc - gypsum - calcite - fluorite - apatite - orthoclane - quartz - topaz - conrundum - diamond
