Ch. 3 Key Terms Flashcards
Geosphere
The solid part of Earth that consists of all rock, as well as the soils and loose rocks on Earth’s surface
Hydrosphere
Makes up all of the water on or near Earth’s surface
Crust
Earth’s thinnest layer
Mantle
which is the layer beneath the crust, makes up 68 percent of the mass of Earth
Core
Earth’s innermost layer
Lithosphere
Earth’s outer layer
Asthenosphere
layer beneath the lithosphere
Tectonic Plate
glides across the underlying asthenosphere in much the same way a chunk of ice drifts across a pond
Chemical Weathering
wears down rocks, making them smoother as time passes
Erosion
transports the materials else where
Atmosphere
Earth is surrounded by a mixture of gases
Troposphere
the lowest layer of the atmosphere in which temperatures drop and the constant rate increases
Stratosphere
the layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the mesosphere in which temps increases
Ozone
a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms
Radiation
the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves
Conduction
the transfer of energy in the form of heat from a warmer object to a colder object when the objects are placed indirect physical contact
Convection
The transfer of heat by air currents
Greenhouse Effect
A process in which gases trap heat near the surface of the Earth
Water Cycle
The continuous movement of water into the air, onto land, and then back to water sources
Evaporation
The process by which liquid water is heated by the sun and then rises into the atmosphere as water vapor
Condensation
The process by which water vapor forms water droplets on dust particles.
Precipitation
Rain
Salinity
The concentration of all the dissolved salts that ocean water contains
Fresh Water
A little more than 3% of all water on Earth
Biosphere
The narrow layer around Earth’s surface in which life can exist.
