unit 4 ecology Flashcards
(18 cards)
open system
Allows energy and matter to cross the systems boundary
closed systems
Allows only energy, but not matter to cross the boundary
isolated system
Allows neither matter nor energy to cross the boundary
what is biosphere?
radiation energy from the sun reaches earth. It interacts with just a thin layer of air, land, and water on or near earth surf surface
atmosphere
Mixture of nitrogen/oxygen/other gases
Most of the atmosphere is concentrated in the lower two layers troposphere and stratosphere
troposphere
concentrated in the lower layer of the atmosphere(0 km – 12 km)
Stratosphere get cooked
concentrated in the lower layer of the at moss(13 km – 50 km)
Lithosphere
Earth crest that forms land above sea level, ocean above and the uppermost part of earth mantle
Hydrosphere
Is water on or near earth surface the hydrosphere includes water in oceans, rivers, lakes, underground, and in the atmosphere
cryosphere
Consist of water that is temporarily frozen and polar ice caps, snow permafrost glaciers
what is radiation?
Mechanisms of energy transfer in which atoms or molecules emit electromagnet waves
What is earth radiation budget?
Earth maintains an energy balance, and a temperature balance by radiating as much energy into space as it absorbs from the sun
what is albedo
the reflection of a surface
snow covered field - high albedo
black surface- low albedo
what are greenhouse gases
gases that absorb infrared radiation released from earth surface
what is the greenhouse effect
the retention of heat by the greenhouse gases
what would earth be like if we didn’t have greenhouse gases
the avetage temperature would be -19c
without gases earth would be to cold to support life
climate
trend in temperature,atmosphere, pressure, humidity and precipitation over many years
weather
conditions as they are at one place and time
