Vocabulary Flashcards
Definitions (20 cards)
Atmosphere
The layers of gases surrounding the Earth
Carbon cycle
The process by which carbon is recycled through the soil, water, living things and the atmosphere
Fossil fuels
Fuels that contain the carbon of plants and animals that died and were preserved millions of years ago
Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)
A variable and irregular cycle of warming and cooling of waters in the equatorial area of the Indian Ocean
Lithosphere
The land masses on Earth
Permafrost
Areas on Earth where the temperature in layers of soil or rock beneath the surface never rises above freezing point
Sustainable ecosystems
Ecosystems that are diverse and provide for the needs of the organisms that live there
Weather
The conditions in the atmosphere
Biosphere
All living things on Earth
Climate
The long-term averages of weather conditions
Greenhouse effect
The warming of Earth caused by greenhouse gases
La Nina
An extreme of the Southern Oscillation that causes significant rainfall in parts of Australia
Nitrogen cycle
The process by which nitrogen cycles between living and non-living environments
Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)
A measure of the Southern Oscillation calculated using the difference in air pressure between Tahiti and Darwin
Biodiversity
The variety of ecosystems in the biosphere, the variety of species within those ecosystems and the genetic variation within those species
El Nino
An extreme of the Southern Oscillation that causes drought in parts of Australia
Hydrosphere
All the liquid water on Earth’s surface
Leguminous plants
Plants that can take nitrogen from the air and fix it in their tissues
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it into ammonia and then into nitrates
Thermohaline Circulation
Scientific term for the global conveyor belt, a continuous circulation of water that can be tracked around the whole world
