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Chapter 11 Vocab ES
Vocab Words
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Troposphere | Layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth's surface, where most of the mass of the atmosphere is found and in whih most weather takes place and air pollution collects. |
Stratosphere | Layer of Earth's atmosphere that is located above the tropopause and is made up primarily of concentrated ozone. |
Mesosphere | Layer of Earth's atmosphere above the stratopause. |
Thermosphere | Layer of Earth's atmosphere that is located above the mesopause; oxygen atoms absorb solar radiaton causing the themperature to increase in this layer. |
Exosphere | Outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere that is located above the thermospherre with no clear boundary at the top; transitional region between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. |
Radiation | The transfer of thermal energyy electromagnetic waves; the transfer of thermal energy from the Sun to Earth by radiation. |
Conduction | The transfer of thermal energyy between objects in contact by the collisions between the particles in the objects. |
Convection | The transfer of thermal energy by the movement of heated material from one place to another. |
Temperature inversion | Increase in temperature with height in an atmosphereic layer, which inverts the temperature-altitude relationship and can worsen air-pollution. |
Humidity | Amount of water vapor in the atmossphere at a given location on Earth's surface. |
Saturation | The point at which water molecules leaving the water's surface equals the rate of water molecules returning to the surface. |
Relative Humidity | Ratio of wate vapor contained in a specific volume of air compared with how much water vapor that amount of air actually can hold; expressed as a precentage. |
Dew Point | Temperature to which air is cooled at a constant pressure to reach saturation, at which point condensation can occur. |
Latent heat | Stored energy in water vapor that is not released to warm the atmosphere until condensation takes place. |
Condensation Nucleus | Small partile in the atmosphere around which cloud droplets can form. |
Orographic Lifting | Cloud formation that occurs when warm, moist air is forced to rise up the side of a mountain. |
Cumulus | Puffy, lumpy looking clouds that usually occur below 2000 m. |
Stratus | A layered sheetlike cloud that covers much or all of the sky in a given area. |
Cirrus | High clouds made up of ice crystals that form at heights of 6000 meters; often have a wispy, indistinct appearance. |
Precipitation | All solid and liquid forms of wate - including rain, snow, sleet, and hail - that fall from clouds. |
Coalescence | Process that occurs when cloud droplets collide and form larger droplets, which eventually become too heavy to remain aloft and can fall to Earth as precipitation. |