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Mr. Vaughan Unit 4
Unit 4 - Earth's Atmosphere
Term | Definition |
---|---|
atmosphere | a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon |
air pressure | the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface |
thermosphere | the uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases |
mesosphere | the layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere and in which temperature decreases as altitude increases |
stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere that is above the troposphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases |
troposphere | the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature decreases at a constant rate as altitude increases |
ozone layer | a gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms |
greenhouse effect | the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate thermal energy |
temperature | a measure of how hot (or cold) something is; specifically, a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object |
thermal energy | the kinetic energy of a substance's atoms |
thermal expansion | an increase in the size of a substance in response to an increase in the temperature of the substance |
heat | the energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures |
radiation | the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves |
convection | the movement of matter due to differences in density; the transfer of energy due to the movement of matter |
conduction | the transfer of energy as heat through a material |
wind | the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure |
Coriolis effect | the curving of a path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth's rotation |
global wind | the movement of air over Earth's surface in patterns that are worldwide |
jet stream | a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere |
local wind | the movement of air over short distances; occurs in specific areas as a result of certain geographical features |