Science -Chapter 23
Terms
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- Exosphere
- Layer of the atmosphere, merges with inner planetary space
- Ionosphere
- part of the earth's atmosphere, from 80-550 km above surface -particles exist
- Thermosphere
- Layer of the atmosphere above mesosphere
- Mesopause
- upper boundary of mesosphere, marked by temp increase
- Mesosphere
- Layer of the atmosphere above stratosphere & from 50-80 km
- Stratopause
- high-temp zone, marks upper boundary of stratosphere
- Stratosphere
- above troposphere, from 12-50 km, contains ozone layer, air gets warmer because of solar energy
- Tropopause
- upper boundary of troposphere, temp remains almost constant
- Troposphere
- water vapor & CO2, temp decreases as altitude increases, split from stratosphere by tropopause
- Atmospheric pressure
- ratio of force of air to area of surface on which it presses
- Barometer
- instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure
- Standard atmospheric pressure
- atmospheric pressure measured at sea level -760mm of mercury
- Temperature inversion
- atmospheric condition -layer of cold air trapped beneath layer of warm air
- Climate
- typical weather patterns over a period of years, in a given location
- Conduction
- type of energy transfer in which vibrating molecules pass heat along to other vibrating molecules by direct contact
- Convection cell
- looping pattern of flowing air
- Westerlies
- global winds located between 40-60 latitude that flow from Southwest (northern hemisphere)& Northwest (southern hemisphere)
- Trade winds
- winds that flow toward the equator between 30-0 latitude
- Polar easterlies
- weak global winds located north of 65 north latitude and south of 65 south latitude that flow away from poles
- Subpolar low
- belt of low air pressure at about 60 north and 60 south latitude
- Horse latitudes
- belts of high air pressure and very dry descending air located at about 30 latitude north & south of the equator
- Doldrums
- a rainy equatorial belt of low air pressure and slowly rising air
- Electromagnetic spectrum
- total range of electromagnetic waves, from radio waves to gamma rays
- Albedo
- percent of solar radiation reflected by a surface
- Greenhouse effect
- ability of atmosphere to absorb long heat waves from earth after allowing sun's short waves to pass through it
- Jet stream
- narrow band of strong westerly winds at high levels in middle latitudes usually at heights of 6000-12000m
- Nitrogen cycle
- process in which nitrogen moves from the air to the soil to animals and back to air
- Ozone
- form of atmospheric oxygen that has 3 atoms per molecult instead of 2 per molecule (regular oxygen)
- Weather
- the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place