Chapter 15 (atmosphere) Flashcards
is made up of three oxygen molecules and is what protects us from the sun’s harmful UV radiation, which causes cancer, cataracts, and DNA mutation and harms plants and other animals on Earth.
ozone
a sublayer of the thermosphere and the upper limit of the atmosphere where the atoms and molecules blend into space.
exosphere
a sub-layer of the thermosphere containing ions.
ionosphere
the layer of the atmosphere just above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere. It is the coldest part of the atmosphere and meteors burn up in this layer.
mesosphere
the layer of the atmosphere just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. There is a temperature inversion due to the ozone layer which absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation.
stratosphere
the layer of the atmosphere above the mesosphere where temperatures are the highest in the atmosphere. The increasing temperature is due to the strong influence of solar activity.
thermosphere
The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases
stratosphere
the layer of the atmosphere that is nearest to the Earth’s surface. It is where most weather changes occur. It is the thinnest layer yet contains half of the Earth’s atmosphere.
troposphere
an instrument used to measure air pressure.
barometer
the change in state from a gas to a liquid
condensation
the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
atmosphere
the chemical element of atomic number 7, a colorless, odorless unreactive gas that forms about 78 percent of the earth’s atmosphere.
nitrogen
a colorless, odorless reactive gas, the chemical element of atomic number 8 and the life-supporting component of the air. Oxygen forms about 21 percent of the earth’s atmosphere, and is the most abundant element in the earth’s crust
oxygen
a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration. It is naturally present in air (about 0.03 percent) and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis
carbon dioxide
the perceptible natural movement of the air, esp. in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
wind
the height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level.
altitude
the force exerted by the weight of tiny particles of air (air molecules). At sea level the air pressure is 14.7 psi.
air pressure
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
precipitation
a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs from the surface of a liquid into a gaseous phase that is not saturated with the evaporating substance.
evaporation
a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere.
jet stream
the Earth’s rotation causes winds in the northern hemisphere to rotate clockwise and winds in the southern hemisphere to rotation counter clockwise
Coriolis Effect
the movement of air from sea to land during the day when cooler air from above the water moves over the land, forcing the heated, less dense air above the land to rise
sea breeze
the movement of air from land to sea at night, created when cooler, denser air from the land forces up warmer air over the sea
land breeze
is one of the many types of energy that come to Earth from the Sun. Too much exposure to this type of radiation can damage your skin and cause cancer.
Ultraviolet radiation
