0.0 Introduction Vocab

astronomy

study of objects beyond Earth's atmosphere

lithosphere

Earth's rigid outer shell, including the crust and the solid, uppermost part of the mantle

hydrosphere

all the water in Earth's oceans,lakes, seas, rivers, and glackiers, plus all the water in the atmosphere

atmosphere

blanket of gases that surround the Earth that contains about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

biosphere

all of Earth's organisms and the environments in which they live

hypothesis

a suggested explanation for an observation often stated in the form of a question that can be answered by the results of an experiment

independent variable

factor that is manipulated (changed) by the experimenter in an experiment

dependent variable

factor in an experiment that can change if the independent variable is changed

control

standard for comparison in an experiment

How many centimeters are in a meter?

100

How many millimeters are in a centimeter?

10

How many meters are in 10 kilometers?

10,000

How many milliliters are in a liter?

1000

latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

Equator

An imaginary circle around the middle of the earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, 0' latitude

Prime Meridian

The meridian, designated at 0° longitude, which passes through Greenwich, England, connecting the north pole to the south pole.

contour line

A line on a topographic map that connects points of equal elevation

Topography

study of the shape of the land

Leave No Trace

Ethic requires that when recreating outdoors, people leave minimum impact on the resource.

fire ants

Invasive species that has a toxic bite and creates nests that look like sand piles on the surface.

Poison Ivy

an invasive plant that produces an oil which may cause an allergic reaction and cause an itchy rash.

GPS

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.

remote sensing

A method of collecting data or information through the use of instruments that are physically distant from the area or object of study.

relative frequency

A ratio that compares the frequency of each category to the total.