Science Final Part 2 (Chapters 8-9) - 8th

convection current

the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another

Convection in the mantle

the movement of rock within the mantle where hot rock rises and cooler rock sinks

Convection in the atmosphere

Warm air rises. Cool air will sink. This process of convection can lead to flows in the atmosphere.

convection in the ocean

• deficit of energy in the poles-> cooling the oceans surface (cold water sinks)

• surplus of energy in the tropics-> heating the surface of the ocean (warm water floats)

high pressure

A mass of sinking cool air that usually bring fair weather.

low pressure

A mass of rising warm air that usually bring wet, stormy weather.

wind

The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure

sea breeze

movement of air from sea to land during the day when cooler air from above the water moves over the land, forcing the heated, less dense air above the land to rise

land breeze

movement of air from land to sea at night, created when cooler, denser air from the land forces up warmer air over the sea

valley breeze

The movement of air created by warm air rising and flowing up the slope of a mountain.

mountain breeze

The movement of air caused by cool air sinking and moving down the slope of a mountain.

Earth's Oceans

Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, Indian, Southern

Water on Earth

Approximately 3% of Earth's water is fresh water; 97% is salt water

Ocean's Elements

Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium, Chlorine, Magnesium, Sulfur, Calcium

Surface Ocean Currents

Continuous movement of ocean water; driven by winds

Coriolis effect

Causes moving air and water to turn left in the southern hemisphere and turn right in the northern hemisphere due to Earth's hemisphere.

Gulf Stream

A warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico northward through the Atlantic Ocean

Salinity

the amount of salt in water, measured in ppt (parts per thousand)

density and salinity

related by increase of salinity increases density, decrease of salinity decreases density.

temperature and density

As temperature increases, density decreases

deep ocean currents

density and temperature-driven currents that move slowly within the ocean; also called thermohaline currents

Tides

the regular rise and fall of the ocean's surface influenced by the moon's gravity pulling on earth

oceanic crust

thinner, more dense, younger crust making ocean floor

seafloor spreading

The formation of new ocean crust as a result of magma pushing upward and outward from Earth's mantle to the surface.

continental shelf

A gently sloping, shallow area of the ocean floor that extends outward from the edge of a continent

continental slope

a steep incline of the ocean floor leading down from the edge of the continental shelf

continental rise

the gently sloping surface - the final boundary between the continental crust and the oceanic crust.

abyssal plain

a smooth, nearly flat region of the deep ocean floor (50% of the Earth's surface)

trench

A deep, steep-sided canyon in the ocean floor.

Seamount

an underwater volcano

volcanic island

the peak of a volcano that breaks the ocean surface

Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging)

a system that uses reflected sound waves to detect and locate objects underwater. Also used to map the seafloor.

atmosphere

A thin layer of gases surrounding Earth

Atmospheric Composition

A mixture of gases: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% Trace Gases(including carbon dioxide, water vapor…)

atmospheric pressure

the pressure caused by the weight of the atmosphere

Atmospheric Density

decreases with altitude

Layers of the atmosphere

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

Troposphere

0-17 km above Earth's surface, site of weather, organisms, contains most atmospheric water vapor. (temperature decreases with increasing altitude, pressure decreases)

cirrus clouds

Wispy, feathery clouds made of ice crystals that form at high levels.

cumulus clouds

Fluffy, white clouds, usually with flat bottoms, that look like rounded piles of cotton.

stratus clouds

look like flat blankets and are usually the lowest clouds in the sky

Stratosphere

2nd layer of atmosphere; extends from 10 to 30 miles up; location of ozone layer; absorbs 95% of Ultraviolet radiation; temperature increases with altitude increase.

ozone layer

Layer of the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone; absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation

Mesosphere

The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere. Meteoroids burn up in this layer

Thermosphere

the region of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere ceases to have the properties of a continuous medium. The thermosphere is characterized throughout by an increase in temperature with height.

Ionosphere

Layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night.

Exosphere

The outer layer of the thermosphere, extending outward into space.

Magnetosphere

the area surrounding Earth that is influenced by Earth's magnetic field

barometer

An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure

Barometric pressure at sea level

29.92 inHg

Isobars

Lines joining places on the map that have the same air pressure

Low pressure storms

tornados and hurricanes

Air masses are classified by

temperature and humidity

continental air mass

an air mass that forms over land; it is normally relatively dry

maritime air mass

A humid air mass that forms over oceans

front

A boundary between two air masses

cold front

forms when cold air moves under warm air which is less dense and pushes air up (produces thunderstorms heavy rain or snow)

warm front

a front where warm air moves over cold air and brings drizzly rain and then are followed by warm and clear weather

stationary front

A boundary between air masses that don't move possibly causing rain for several days

occluded front

a front where a warm air mass is caught between two colder air masses and brings cool temperatures and large amounts of rain and snow

back door cold front

When a cold front moves in from the east, or northeast.

anemometer

An instrument used to measure wind speed

thermometer

An instrument used to measure temperature

weather balloon

A balloon released into the atmosphere that carries a package of instruments to record data about temperature, air pressure, and humidity.

compass rose

A tool on a map showing cardinal (N,E,S,W) and intermediate (NE,SE,NW,SW) directions.

wind vane

measures wind direction

Biome

A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

rainforest biome

year round warmth and high rainfall levels. almost all lie near the equator in South America, central Africa and southern Asia, Monkeys, birds, snakes, High biodiversity

Tiaga Biome

characterized by cold winters and cool summers, richly packed with evergreen trees and shrubs, furry mammals, birds, cold water fish, moose, red fox, bear

Temerate Deciduous Forest

four seasons, Hardwood trees, suitable for agriculture, deer rabbit beaver.

Ocean Biome

vast realm of open blue water, constantly mixed by wind, oceanic currents, surface waters turnover, covers 70% of earth's surface, sharks, kelp, coral, fish, rays

Grassland Biome

low rainfall (10 - 30 in yr); provides no shelter for herbivorous mammals from carnivorous predators so animals that do inhabit grasslands have developed long legs and many are hoofed (better running), fertile soil, cattle, zebra lions, giraffe

Desert Biome

The desert biome is an ecosystem that forms due to the low level of rainfall it receives each year. Deserts cover about 20% of the Earth. There are four major types of desert in this biome - hot and dry, semiarid, coastal, and cold. They are all able to inhabit plant and animal life that are able to survive there., cactus, scorpions, snakes, lizards

arctic tundra biome

Cold temperatures, low precipitation, long, dark winters. Permafrost (frozen soil) present and no trees. Largely located south of the arctic ice cap, low productivity and biodiversity. Polar bears, caribou, seals

Microhabitat

a small, particular part of a habitat in which particular organisms live; for example, beneath the bark of a tree within a forest habitat

abiotic factors

Non-living things in the environment Ex. Oxygen, rocks, soil

biotic factors

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment

climate

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time

Permafrost

Ground that is permanently frozen

alpine tundra biome

This biome has permafrost and is found at the top of mountains above the tree line, small shrubs, mosses and lichens

Chaparral Biome

Located in California; dominated by shrubs; the location for many wildfire because dry, Coyotes, mountain lions, snakes, rabbits

vegetation

all the plants and trees in an area

Biodiversity

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

genetic diversity

the variety of genes within a given species

species diversity

The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community.

ecological diversity

the variety within an ecosystem's structure, including many communities, habitats, niches, and trophic levels

ecosystem services

Important environmental benefits, such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and fertile soil in which to grow crops, that ecosystems provide

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

Organism

A living thing

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

Habitat

Place where an organism lives