Download Earth/Environmental Science Essential Vocabulary

Earth/Environmental Science Essential Vocabulary
Chapter 17
1. Ozone-the naturally occurring trace gases that make up or atmosphere
2. Troposphere- the lowermost layer of the atmosphere; It is generally characterized by a
decrease in temperature with height.
3. Stratosphere- the layer of the atmosphere immediately above the troposphere,
characterized by increasing temperatures with height, due to the concentration of ozone
4. Mesosphere- the layer of the atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere and
characterized by decreasing temperatures with height
5. Thermosphere- the region of the atmosphere immediately above the mesosphere and
characterized by increasing temperatures due to absorption of very short-wave solar energy
by oxygen
6. Summer solstice- the solstice that occurs on June 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere
and on December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere
7. Winter solstice- the solstice that occurs on December 21 or 22 in the Northern
Hemisphere and on June 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere
8. Autumnal equinox- the equinox that occurs on September 22 or 23 in the Northern
Hemisphere and on March 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere
9. Spring equinox- the equinox that occurs on March 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere
10. Heat- thermal energy transferred from one object to another
11. Temperature- a measure of the average kinetic energy of individual atoms or
molecules in a substance
12. Conduction- the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity; Energy is
transferred through collisions from one molecule to another.
13. Convection- the transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance; It can take
place only in fluids.
14. Radiation- the transfer of energy (heat through space by electromagnetic waves)
15. Reflection- the process whereby light bounces back from an object at the same angle
at which it encounters a surface and with the same intensity
16. Scattering- the redirecting (in all directions) of light by small particles and gas molecules
in the atmosphere
17. Greenhouse effect- the heating of Earth’s surface and atmosphere from solar
radiation being absorbed and emitted by the atmosphere, mainly by water vapor and carbon
dioxide
18. Albedo- the fraction of total radiation that is reflected back by a surface
19. Isotherm- a line connecting points of equal temperature