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EliKEY TERMS

Terms in this set (27)

CARBON DIOXIDE
a heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances
OZONE
a form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of two. protects us from dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun
AEROSOL
A suspension of solid or liquid particles within the air; Man-made aerosols (dust particles) in the atmosphere are believed to reduce solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth and therefore to produce a cooling effect on global temperatures
POLLUTANT
Particular chemical or form of energy that can adversely affect the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms.
DENSITY
a measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume
PRESSURE
the force pushing on an area or surface
OUTGASSING
the process by which water vapor and other gases and compounds are brought to Earth's surface by volcanism and released into the atmosphere
STRAOSPHERE
The layer of the atmosphere, that lies immediately above the tropsphere and extends from about 10 to 50 km above teh Earth's surface.
TROPOPAUSE
upper boundary of the troposphere in which the temperature remains almost constant
TROPOSPHERE
the layer closest to Earth, where almost all weather occurs; the thinnest layer
MESOSPHERE
the layer of the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere and in which temperature decreases as altitude increases
THERMOSPHERE
The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases
HOMOSPHERE
The lower layer of earth's atmosphere, which exists from ground level to roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) above sea level
HETEROSPHERE
The upper layer of earth's atmosphere, which exists higher than roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) above sea level
IONOSPHERE
layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night
WEATHER
the meteorological conditions: temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
CLIMATE
the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
FRONT
(meteorology) the atmospheric phenomenon created at the boundary between two different air masses
TEMPERATURE INVERSION
atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth's surface
AIR PRESSURE
The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface
LAPSE RATE
rate at which the troposphere cools as you move up in elevation
WIND
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
EXOSPHERE
The outer layer of the thermosphere, extending outward into space.
ATMOSPHERE
the mass of air surrounding the Earth
NITROGEN
a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas
OXYGEN
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas
WATER VAPOR
water in a gaseous state; the most important atmospheric greenhouse gas, contributing to the natural greenhouse effect
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