PS Module 3b Flashcards
Atmosphere
The mass of air surrounding a planet
Atmospheric pressure
The pressure exerted by the atmosphere on all objects within it
Barometer
An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure
Homosphere
The lower layer of earth’s atmosphere, which exists from ground level to roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) above sea level
Heterosphere
The upper layer of earth’s atmosphere, which exists higher than roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) above sea level
Troposphere
The region of the atmosphere that extends from ground level to roughly 11 kilometers (7 miles) above sea level
Stratosphere
The region of the atmosphere that spans altitudes of roughly 11 kilometers to 48 kilometers (30 miles)
Mesosphere
The region of the atmosphere that spans altitudes of roughly 48 kilometers to 80 kilometers (50 miles)
tropopause
the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere
stratopause
the boundary between the stratosphere and the mesosphere
mesopause
the boundary between the mesosphere and the heterosphere.
temperature gradient (of the troposphere)
for every kilometer increased in altitude, the temperature decreases by about 6.4 degrees Celsius
Jet streams
Narrow bands of high-speed winds that circle the earth, blowing from west to east
Heat
Energy that is transferred as a consequence of temperature differences
Temperature
A measure of the energy of random motion in a substance’s molecules
