Unit 10: Energy in the Earth System
What gases make up the atmosphere?
78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases
Why is the atmosphere important?
Air we breathe, regulates temperatures, protection from the harmful rays of the sun
What is convection?
Convection is heat transfer by the movement of matter
What causes wind?
Differences in air pressure
What is specific heat?
Different rates that a material becomes warmer or cooler
What is radiation?
Energy that is transferred in the form of rays or waves.
What are makes up the Earth system?
Geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere
What is heat?
Heat is energy transfer from one place to another as a result of a temperature difference between the two places.
What are convection currents?
Hot air rises, becomes cool, sinks, and becomes hot again
What is the biosphere?
It is a part of the Earth, including the air, land, surface rocks, and water, where life is found or life itself
What is conduction?
It is heat energy is transferred from one body to another through direct contact
What is thermal energy?
It is the total energy of a material's particles.
What is thermal expansion?
It is when the particles in something expand because of heat.
What is temperature?
Measure of the average kinetic energy of individual particles in a substance.
Where is the ozone layer located?
Stratosphere
What is the hydrosphere?
The liquid water of Earth
What is the atmosphere?
The mixture of gases that surround Earth.
What is the geosphere?
The mostly solid, rocky part of the Earth; extends from the center of the core to the surface of the crust.
What are the layers of the atmosphere?
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
As altitude increases
air pressure decreases
As altitude decreases
air pressure increases
What is the cryosphere?
all parts of the earth's surface where water is solid (frozen)
What affects surface currents?
continental deflection, the Coriolis effect, and global winds
What powers surface currents?
pressure differences from heating of water
What is the Coriolis effect?
rotation of earh that does the curve slightly (southern: counterclockwise, left) northern: clockrise, right
What are the global winds?
trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies
