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 atmospheric layer nearest Earth’s surface
Stratosphere
Above the troposphere
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 energy that takes place when variations in temperature move the matter making up air
Greenhouse Effect
The process in which greenhouse gases absorb and reradiate infrared radiation near 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
water vapor forms water droplets on dust particles
Precipitation
takes the form of snow, sleet, or hail.
Salinity
the concentration of all the dissolved salts it contains
Fresh Water
A little more than 3 percent of all the water on Earth
