GLOSSARY Earth's Natural Systems

Question 1

Place

Answer 1

any part of Earth’s surface identified and given meaning. May be perceived, experienced, understood and valued differently.

Question 2

Space

Answer 2

the 3D surface of Earth on which everything is located.

Question 3

Environment

Answer 3

the totality of our living and non-living surroundings, classified as natural/managed/constructed.

Question 4

Sustainability

Answer 4

the ongoing capacity of an environment to meet present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs.

Question 5

Interconnection

Answer 5

geographical phenomena are connected through various processes across space (e.g. environmental, people movement, trade, international agreements)

Question 6

Denudation

Answer 6

the sum of weathering, mass-wasting and erosional processes that result in the progressive lowering of Earth’s surface.

Question 7

Ecosystem services

Answer 7

outputs, conditions, processes of natural systems that directly or indirectly benefit humans or enhance social welfare.

Question 8

Endemic

Answer 8

species restricted to a geographical area, and which do not occur naturally in any other part of the world.

Question 9

Firn

Answer 9

compacted snow that eventually becomes glacial ice.

Question 10

Global commons

Answer 10

global resources; Earth’s shared natural resources like the oceans, atmosphere, Antarctica

Question 11

High Seas

Answer 11

parts of world oceans beyond exclusive economic zones of countries

Question 12

Littoral rainforest

Answer 12

forest distinguished by proximity to the ocean (generally under km) with a closed canopy

Question 13

Albedo

Answer 13

ability of a surface to reflect light

Question 14

Aesthenosphere

Answer 14

layer of partially molten material within upper part of mantle, on which tectonic plates move

Question 15

Atmospheric pressure systems

Answer 15

areas of the atmosphere with relatively high or low barometric pressure, often referred to as highs and lows.

Question 16

Convection currents

Answer 16

movements within medium (air or water) caused by differences in temperatures

Question 17

Coriolis force

Answer 17

force resulting from Earth’s rotation, deflecting moving objects to the left in Southern hemisphere; right in Northern.

Question 18

Dew point

Answer 18

temperature at which sample of air has a relative humidity of 100%

Question 19

Fossil fuels

Answer 19

energy sources formed in past geological times from organic materials

Question 20

Hectopascal

Answer 20

unit of atmospheric pressure; 100 pascals

Question 21

Insolation

Answer 21

solar radiation that reaches Earth’s surface

Question 22

Lapse rate

Answer 22

decline in temperature that occurs with increasing altitude through the troposphere

Question 23

Moraine

Answer 23

deposit of soil/rock carried and left by glacier

Question 24

Nutrient cycle

Answer 24

recycling of nutrients around an ecosystem to support the biosphere

Question 25

Oceanity

Answer 25

degree to which weather in area affected by ocean

Question 26

Ozone layer

Answer 26

layer of gaseous ozone in stratosphere that protects life on Earth by filtering out harmful UV radiation

Question 27

Percolation

Answer 27

act of liquid passing through porous layers (e.g. soil)

Question 28

Run-off

Answer 28

rain that flows across land into streams

Question 29

Soil

Answer 29

mix of organic materials, particles of rock and sand with living microbes, air, water

Question 30

Stratosphere

Answer 30

part of atmosphere (between troposphere and mesosphere)

Question 31

Transpiration

Answer 31

process by which leaves lose water into atmosphere

Question 32

Troposphere

Answer 32

innermost layer of atmosphere in which most of Earth's weather occurs

Question 33

Water budget

Answer 33

total amount of water available in area, its inflows and outflows

Question 34

Weathering

Answer 34

process of change as a result of exposure to atmospheric conditions

Question 35

Water table

Answer 35

upper limit of part of ground saturated with water