Module 5A Flashcards
Atmosphere
the gaseous envelope that encapsulates
the Earth.
78% Nitrogen (N2), 21% Oxygen (O2), .93% Argon (Ar), and .04% Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
The four gases that make up earth’s current atmosphere
Troposphere
first layer of the Earth’s atmosphere
contains 75% of Earth’s air by mass, and 99% of the air’s water vapor.
Troposphere
tropopause
Top of the Troposphere
stratosphere
second layer of the Earth’s atmosphere
Stratopause
Top of the stratosphere
Mesosphere
third layer of the Earth’s atmosphere
Mesopause
Top of mesosphere
meteoroids
meteors that entered Earth’s atmosphere
Thermosphere
fourth and last true layer of the Earth’s atmosphere
Thermopause
Top of thermosphere
Earth based weather
thermodynamic events occurring in the atmosphere
the atmosphere, water (H2O, in all three phases), the Sun, the rotation of the Earth, volcanic activity, biological activity
six main ingredients of Earth based weather
Meteorology
the study of weather
Precipitation is….
….water falling from the sky.
Lightning
an electrical discharge between air molecules ionized by collisions
Thunder
a shockwave sound that accompanies lightning
homosphere
the troposphere, the stratosphere and the thermosphere.
Evaporation
the persistent transfer of fast-moving water molecules from liquid water to the air directly above it
evaporation is a… cooling process
…cooling process.
relative humidity
the ratio of the current water vapor pressure to the maximum (or saturated) water vapor pressure, expressed as a percentage
drought
experiencing prolonged below-average precipitation.
greenhouse gas
gas in the atmosphere that has three or more atoms in each molecule.
carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide and ozone.
Greenhouse gasses
Hadley cell, Ferrel or mid-latitude cell, and Polar cell
three convection cells
Temperature
An indirect measure of the average kinetic energy per molecule of the substance whose temperature you are measuring
