| Term | Definition |
|---|
| biopshere | sum total of which organisms live |
| ozone layer | Region 17 to 27 kilometers above sea level in the stratosphere, Molecules of ozone absorb most layers of ultra violet light, protects living organisms from to much exposure to uv light |
| things that affect climate | amount of solar radiation, earths rotation and anual path around the sun, prevailing winds, distributiion of land masses and seas |
| climate | weather conditions in a region |
| driving force of ocean currents and what is the function | solar heat and wind friction: Distributes nutrients through marine ecosystems |
| pollutants | Substances with which an ecosystem has had no prior experianceNo adaptive mechanisms are in place to deal with them |
| gray air smog | (industrial smog) Forms over cities that burn large amounts of coal and heavy fuel oils (China). Main components are sulfur oxides and suspended particles |
| brown air smog | (photochemical smog)Forms when sunlight interacts with components from automobile exhaust. Nitrogen oxides are the main culprits |
| thermal inversion | Weather pattern in which a layer of cool, dense air is trapped beneath a layer of warm air |
| acid rain | Affects much of eastern North America. Caused by the release of sulfur (coalburning) and nitrogen oxides (motorvehicles). |
Combine with other sets
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