chapter 3 Flashcards
geosphere
the solid part of earths that consists of all rock, as well as the soils and loose rocks on earths surface
hydrosphere
makes up all the water on or near earths surface
crust
is composed almost entirely of light elements
mantel
the layer beneath the crust makes up 68% of the mass of earth
core
inner most layer
lithosphere
cool rigid layer 15km to 300 km thick that includes the crust and upper most part layer
asthenosphere
layer beneath lithosphere
tectonic plate
glide across the underlying asthenosphere in much same way a chunk of ice drifts across a pond
chemical
the scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places
weathering
the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earths surface.
erosion
transports the materials elsewhere
atmosphere
nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gasses
troposphere
almost all the weather occurs in this layer
stratosphere
separated from troposphere by the tropopause
ozone
made up of three oxygen atoms
radiation
is the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves
conduction
is the transfer of energy in the form of heat from warmer object to cooler object
convention
transfer of energy that takes place when vibrations in temp. move the matter making up air
greenhouse effect
gasses absorb and reradiate infrared radiation near earth
water cycle
movement of water into the air, onto the air, and then back into water sources
evaporation
liquid water is heated by the sun and the rises into the atmosphere as water vapor
condensation
the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water.
precipitation
any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the Earth.
salinity
of ocean water is the concentration of all the dissolved salts it contains
fresh water
a little more than 3% of all the water on earth is fresh water
biosphere
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth
