Earths Spheres Flashcards
The aurora borealis and the ionosphere can be found in the _____________
Thermosphere
Convection currents in the ___________ are responsible for plate movement.
Mantle
What is the tropopause? What about its temperature?
The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
Approximately between -55 and -60 degrees Celsius.
What is the stratopause? What about the temperature?
The boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere. Approximately -15 degrees Celsius.
What is the mesopause? What about the temperature?
The boundary between the mesosphere and the thermosphere.
Approximately -100 degrees Celsius.
Ice is found in the ___________part of the Earth system.
Cryosphere
About____% of the Earth system is fresh water.
3
What layer of the geosphere has the most mass?
Mantle
The crust is made mostly of __________ ____________
Silicate materials
Name the layers of the geosphere from center-most to outermost.
Inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
What two spheres interact to form waves and current?
Atmosphere and hydrosphere.
What part of the Earth system includes decomposed organisms?
Geosphere
What is the composition of Earths atmosphere
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases.
How does the mantle compare to the crust in terms of thickness and density?
The mantle is thicker and denser than the crust.
Where is most of Earths water found?
In oceans
What is Earths hydrosphere?
Liquid water
If a warm object is in contact with a cooler one, what will cause heat transfer? What happens to the temperature of each object?
Conduction. The cool object will get warmer, and the warm object will get cooler
What causes water to warm more slowly than land?
Water has a higher specific heat than land.
If water is placed in the sun, what will happen to its volume and kinetic energy?
Both the volume and the kinetic energy will increase.
The transfer of energy due to the movement of matter.
Ex. Water boiling in a pot
Hot water rises, while cooler water from other parts of the pot sink and replace the rising water.
Convection
What is the most abundant gas in Earths atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What causes atmospheric pressure?
The pull of gravity on the gass molecules
As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure____________
Decreases
How are atmospheric layers defined?
Temperature variations
Name the atmospheric layers from lowest to highest.
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.
What atmospheric layer makes up most of the total mass of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
What is the main benefit of ozone?
Blocks out the harmful UV rays of the sun
As altitude increases in the troposphere, temperature __________
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Decreases
Increases
Decreases
Increases
Name the seven types of radiation. Give examples.
Radio- telecommunication
Microwave- heats food and radar
Infrared- warmth from the sun, heat lamps, remote control
Visible- colors, vision
X-rays- see bones
Ultraviolet- sunburns, tans, vitamin D, used to sterilize medical equipment.
Gamma- medical treatment (radiation)
The transfer of energy by heat
Ex. Hot burner on a stove and a campfire.
Radiation
The transfer of energy from one object to another object through direct contact.
Ex. Flat iron on hair, and hand on stove.
Conduction
What layer of the atmosphere is the ozone layer in
The stratosphere
