hydrologic cycle
Global circulation of H2O from the environment to living organisms and back to the environment
transpiration
the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants
runoff
movement of water from land to bodies of water such as lakes and eventually to the ocean
watershed
area of land drained by a runoff
Fixed Nitrogen
nitrogen that's chemically combined with hydrogen, oxygen or carbon
photochemical smog
a mixture of air pollutants caused by nitrogen oxides. These pollutants hurt plant tissues and irritate humans' eyes and throats
nitrogen oxides
cause photochemical smog
Aerosols
tiny particles of air pollution made up chiefly of sulfates, nitrates, carbon and mineral dusts. Produced from burning of fossil fuel and forests. These particles further the scattering and absorbtion of sunlight and create brighter clouds, resulting in a
albedo
The proportional reflectance of solar energy from Earth's surface, expressed as a percentage.
troposphere
Atmosphere layer nearest the Earth's surface
stratosphere
atmosphere layer above troposhere. There is a steady wind here, but no turbulence
mesosphere
directly above stratosphere. Contains the atmosphere's lowest temperature (as low as -138 degrees Celsius)
thermosphere
Part of atmosphere that absorbs X-rays and short-wave ultraviolet radiation. Very hot. The aurora is caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with oxygen and nitrogen molecules in this layer of the atmosphere.
Exosphere
Outer layer of atmosphere
winds
horizontal movements" in the atmosphere caused by differences in atmospheric pressure and also the Earth's rotation
Coriolis Effect
The influence of the Earth's rotation, which tends to turn fluids (air and water) toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Prevailing winds
Major surface winds that blow more or less continually. Includes polar easterlies, westerlies, and trade winds
polar easterlies
one of three kinds of prevailing winds, these winds come from the northeast (near the North Pole) and the southeast, near the South Pole
Westerlies
These prevailing winds come from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and northwest in the Southern Hemisphere
Trade winds
Tropical winds coming from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. These are one of the three kinds of prevailing winds
gyres
Large, circular ocean current systems that often encompass an entire ocean basin
Ocean Conveyor Belt
The circulation of shallow and deep currents
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
A cycling of alternating warming and cooling of surface waters of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean that affects both ocian and atmospheric circulation patterns. Every 3 to 7 years, the trade winds weaken, causing there to be a wider spread of warm water
upwelling
This is what it is called when deeper ocean water comes to the surface
La Nina
The eastern Pacific Ocean's surface water temperature becomes unusually cool and westbound trade winds get unusually strong. This event often occurs after El Nino
climate
the average weather conditions that occur in an area over a period of years
Wladimir Koppen
German botanist & climatologist. Developed the most widely used climate-classifying system
Rain Shadow
dry conditions, often on a regional scale, that occur on the side of a mountain barrier towards which the wind blows; the passage of moist air across the mountains removes most of the moisture
Tropical Cyclones
giant, rotating tropical storms" winds are 119+ km/hr. Aka hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones
Plate Tectonics
the study of the dynamics of Earth's lithosphere and the movement of its seven plates
Asthenosphere
the region of the mantle of the lithosphere where rocks become hot and soft
lithosphere
Earth's rigid outer rock layer
seismic waves
vibrations that spread through the lithosphere's rocks rapidly in all directions
focus
site where an earthquake begins
epicenter
spot on Earth's surface, directly above an earthquake's focus
Charles Richter
The seismologist who invented the Richter scale in 1935
Richter Scale
A way to measure the magnitude of energy released by an earthquake. Invented by Charles Richter in 1935.
tsunami
giant sea wave caused by an underwater earthquake
landslide
avalanche of rock, soil & debris that slides down a mountain. Often the result of an earthquake
hot spot
1. A rising plume of magma that flows from deep within the Earth's surface, occuring at a weak point in a tectonic plate rather than where two tectonic plates meet 2. An area of great species diversity that is at risk of destruction by human activities
Nitrogen fixation
first stage of Nitrogen cycle. gaseous nitrogen is converted to ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4) by certain kinds of bacteria, such as cyanobacteria
Nitrification
second step of nitrogen cycle. ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4) is converted to nitrate by bacteria in the soil.
Assimilation
Third step in Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrate (NO3), ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4) is absorbed by plant roots, which incorporate the nitrogen into plant proteins and nucleic acids. Animals then eat the plants and take in the nitrogen compounds (amino acids) and
Ammonification
Fourth step in the Nitrogen Cycle. Biological nitrogen compounts change into ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4). Animals will often form waste containing nitrogen, called "urea" or "uric acid.
Denitrification
The fifth and last step of the Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrate (NO3) is reduced to gaseous nitrogen