Chapter 3 Key Terms

Question 1

Geosphere

Answer 1

any of the almost spherical concentric regions of matter that make up the earth and its atmosphere, as the lithosphere and hydrosphere.

Question 2

Hydrosphere

Answer 2

all the waters on the earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth’s surface, such as clouds.

Question 3

Crust

Answer 3

the outermost shell of a terrestrial planet. Earth’s crust is generally divided into older, thicker continental crust and younger, denser oceanic crust.

Question 4

Mantle

Answer 4

the mostly-solid bulk of Earth’s interior.

Question 5

Core

Answer 5

The central or innermost portion of the Earth

Question 6

Lithosphere

Answer 6

the solid, outer part of the Earth

Question 7

Asthenosphere

Answer 7

the upper layer of the earth’s mantle

Question 8

Tectonic Plate

Answer 8

is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere

Question 9

Chemical Weathering

Answer 9

the erosion or disintegration of rocks, building materials, etc., caused by chemical reactions

Question 10

Erosion

Answer 10

the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents

Question 11

Atmosphere

Answer 11

the layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body

Question 12

Troposphere

Answer 12

the lowest region of the atmosphere, extending from the earth’s surface to a height of about 3.7–6.2 miles

Question 13

Stratosphere

Answer 13

the layer of the earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere, extending to about 32 miles (50 km) above the earth’s surface

Question 14

Ozone

Answer 14

a colorless unstable toxic gas with a pungent odor and powerful oxidizing properties, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light.

Question 15

Radiation

Answer 15

the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles which cause ionization

Question 16

Conduction

Answer 16

Conduction is the transfer of energy in the form of heat or electricity from one atom to another within an object

Question 17

Convection

Answer 17

Convection is the transfer of heat due to the bulk movement of molecules within fluids

Question 18

Greenhouse Effect

Answer 18

the way in which heat is trapped close to the surface of the Earth by “greenhouse gases.” These heat-trapping gases can be thought of as a blanket wrapped around the Earth

Question 19

Water Cycle

Answer 19

The water cycle is the path that all water follows as it moves around Earth in different states

Question 20

Evaporation

Answer 20

the process by which an element or compound transitions from its liquid state to its gaseous state below the temperature at which it boils; in particular, the process by which liquid water enters the atmosphere as water vapour

Question 21

Condensation

Answer 21

the change of the physical state of matter from the gas phase into the liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization

Question 22

Precipitation

Answer 22

water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail

Question 23

Salinity

Answer 23

the amount of dissolved salts that are present in water

Question 24

Fresh Water

Answer 24

water that contains only minimal quantities of dissolved salts, thus distinguishing it from sea water or brackish water

Question 25

Biosphere

Answer 25

the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth