Global systems Flashcards
Solar energy
energy that comes from the sun(derived from the sun’s radiation), and light occurs across a spectrum. Photosynthesis is more efficient when exposed to blue and red lightwaves, as chlorophyll only absorbs certain wavelengths of light.
Earth’s energy budget
illustrates the incoming and outgoing flow of energy on our planet.
Visible light
all of the coulours you see in the rainbow(ROYGBV)
Infrared light
- has wavelengths that are longer than red lights
- invisible
- felt as heat
Ultraviolent radiation
- invisible
- wavelengths shorter than violet
- can cause skin burns, skin cancer and eye damage
Albedo effect
a measure of how much incoming radiation a surface reflects
Greenhouse effect
- certain gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet
- these gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, act like a blanket, preventing some heat from escaping into space
The water cycle
- the cycling of water through the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere (all of the earth’s spheres)
- it is driven by solar energy.
Transpiration
plants absorb water from the soil through their roots, transport it up the stem to the leaves, and release it into the atmosphere through stomata, small openings on the leaf surface
Condensation
- Cooling of water vapor (gas) in atmosphere
- Water vapor condenses into water droplets (liquid) * forming clouds
Precipitation
- Water drops formed by condensation fall to earth.
- Can fall as rain, snow or hail.
Surface run off
the movement of water over the land surface, ultimately flows into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, facilitating the transport of sediment, nutrients, and pollutants to different areas
Infiltration
precipitation that falls onto land can soak into the soil, refilling groundwater sources
Ground water flow
water that infiltrates into the soil becomes groundwater, which slowly moves through underground Aquifers
Aquifer
an aquifer is an underground layer of permeable rock or soil that holds and transmits water
Evaporation
the sun heats bodies of water, causing them to change from liquid to water vapor (gas) and rise into the atmosphere
Freezing
- converts water from the liquid state to the solid state.
- acts as water storage
- Water is removed from cycle until melted
Melting
- converts ice and snow back into liquid water
- after melting, snow and ice refills rivers, lakes, and oceans
Sublimation
- transforms a solid straight into to a gas (skips liquid phase)
- Ice → water vapor
Deposition
- transforms water vapor (gas) to ice (solid) – skips liquid phase
- forms ice, snow and glaciers
Percolation
the movement of water through soil and rocks
