Topic 1 - Global Systems Flashcards
Solar energy
Solar energy is energy that is generated by the sun.
Earth’s energy budget
Earth’s energy budget is the balance between the energy that the Earth receives from the Sun and the energy that the Earth loses back into space.
Visible light
Visible light is light that the human eye can see because of the wavelength.
Infrared light
Infrared light is a kind of light that the human eye cannot see but can feel as heat. This is because it has a lower wavelength than visible light.
Ultraviolet radiation
Ultraviolet radiation is a radiation that the human eye cannot see, because it has a shorter wavelength than visible light.
Albedo effect
The Albedo effect is when a surface has the ability to reflect sunlight.
Greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is the trapping of the sun’s warmth into an atmosphere. The greenhouse gasses stop sunlight from going out into space and trap it in an atmosphere.
The water cycle
The water cycle is the cycling of water through the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. It is driven by solar energy.
Transpiration
When water is absorbed by plants from the soil through their roots, and the water then travels up the stem of the plant to the leaves.
Condensation
Condensation is the cooling of water vapour (gas) in an atmosphere. Water vapour condenses into water droplets and forms clouds.
Precipitation
Precipitation is water droplets that are formed by condensation that fall to Earth. They can fall as rain, snow or hail.
Surface run off
Surface run off is the movement of water over the land surface. Run off ends in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
Infiltration
Infiltration is precipitation that falls onto land and soaks 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 rock or sediment that contains water and releases it in large amounts.
