Global Systems Flashcards
What is the lithosphere?
The lithosphere is the land
What is the hydrosphere?
The hydrosphere is the water
What is the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is the air or gases
What is the carbon cycle?
Carbon is found in all living things and is used by plants in photosynthesis
What is the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen fixing bacteria absorbs the nitrogen in the air trapped in the soil and converts it to nitrates that are used by plants
What is the water cycle?
Evaporation- energy from the sun causes water to change from a liquid to a gas
Transpiration- evaporation from plants and trees
Condensation- water vapor turns to water droplets
Precipitation- water fall to the earth as rain, hail or snow
Percolation- water soaks into the soil
Runoff- water moving across the land
What is weather?
The state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature.
What is climate?
Climate is the average weather conditions over a long period of time
Influences of climate?
- Surfaces of the earth- how much energy from the sun gets reflected back into space
- Gases in the atmosphere
- Orientation if the earth
What is El Niño?
El Niño is negative and is drought
What is La Niña?
La Niña is positive and is rainfall.
What are ocean currents?
Continuous movements of the ocean water
Southern oscillation
Sequences of changes to the way the atmosphere and water circulate.
Australia’s climate
Land of contrast
What is happening in South America from Australia’s perspective?
The opposite of Australia is happening in South America
