Climate Unit Flashcards
What is the biosphere?
Where all life on earth exists within
The biosphere receives and absorbs radiant energy from ___________
The biosphere receives and absorbs radiant energy from THE SUN
What does the atmosphere refer to?
Air
What does the hydrosphere refer to?
Water
What does the lithosphere refer to?
Earth/land
What are the main gasses in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%)
What is the lithosphere?
Earth’s crust which forms land above sea level (continental crust) and at the bottom of the ocean bottom (oceanic crust)
What is the hydrosphere?
Water on or near the Earth’s surface (oceans, rivers, streams, and clouds)
Why is the hydrosphere so vital to the well-being on Earth?
It plays an important role in the absorption of sunlight and distribution of thermal energy
__________ is the process by which solar energy reaches Earth
RADIATION is the process by which solar energy reaches Earth
Radiation is a mechanism of ______________
Radiation is a mechanism of ENERGY TRANSFER
What are electromagnetic waves?
- Packets of energy
- Come from sun
- Vary in size and amount of energy
- Energy is released when these waves interact with matter
How does visible light reach earth? How does this affect Earth?
Visible light passes through the atmosphere to reach Earth. Some light is reflected and other light is absorbed (warming the Earth’s surface)
What are the 3 different types of energy transfer?
- Radiation
- Convection
- Conduction
How does conduction transfer energy?
Energy transfers between objects by direct contact
(Energetic molecules from the land and water collide with molecules in the air that are close to the surface which transfers energy from the Earth’s surface to the air)
