• Global warming Flashcards
Definitions (28 cards)
• Global warming
– a gradual increase in air temperatures near Earth’s surface.
• Greenhouse effect
– atmospheric heating caused by certain gases in Earth’s atmosphere that are transparent to sunlight but absorb and reflect heat that comes from Earth’s surface.
• Greenhouse gas
a gas in Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs and then re-radiates heat.
• Heat flow
– the transfer of thermal energy from a warmer object to a cooler object
• Aquifer
an underground layer of porous rock and/or sand that contains water
• Condensation
change from a gas to a liquid
• Evaporation
– change from a liquid to a gas at temperatures below boiling
• Freezing
changing from a liquid to a solid.
• Glacier
a large, slowly moving body of snow and ice
• Melting
– changing from a solid to a liquid
• Phase change
a change from one state of matter to another
• Precipitation
water that falls to Earth’s surface.
• Reservoir
– a body of water, often an artificial lake, which is used to store water for human use.
• Runoff
water that moves across the surface of land into streams or rivers
• Transpiration
the release of water vapor from the leaves of plants
• Water cycle
the continuous movement of water from Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back again
• Bacterial pollution
the presence of harmful bacteria in water supplies
• Nutrient pollution
the presence of excess nutrients in the water.
• Sediment pollution
– the presence of excessive sediments such as silt and clay in water
• Toxic pollution
– the presence of toxic substances in water
• Water pollution
the introduction of harmful substances into water
Description, Causes, and consequences of sediment pollution:
Description: Pollution by sand, soil, and other minerals that are washed into streams and rivers after rainfall.
Caused by careless farming, mining, and building activities.
Consequences: Destruction of fish and wildlife habitat, clouds water.
Description, Causes, and consequences of Nutrient pollution:
Description: contamination of water by excessive nutrients, usually mitrogen and phosphorus.
Causes: Fertillizer, manure, and human waste
Consequences: excessive algae reduce sunlight passing through water.
Description, Causes, and consequences of Bacterial polluition:
Description: Contamination of water by bacteria.
Causes: Manure, human, and spoiled food.
Consequences: Human, animal, and plant heath problems.