Unit 3: Earth's Atmosphere Vocabulary

atmosphere

a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, moon, or other celestial body

air pressure

the measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface

troposphere

the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature decreases at a constant rate as altitude increases

stratosphere

the layer of the atmosphere that is above the troposphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases

ozone layer

the layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 15 to 40 km in which ozone absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation

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

greenhouse effect

the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate thermal energy

temperature

a measure of how hot (or cold) something is; specifically, a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object

thermal energy

the kinetic energy of a substance's atoms

thermal expansion

an increase in the size of a substance in response to an increase in the temperature of the substance

heat

the energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures

radiation

the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves

convection

the movement of matter due to differences in density; the transfer of energy due to the movement of matter

conduction

the transfer of energy as heat through a material

wind

the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure

Coriolis effect

the curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth's rotation

global wind

the movement of air over Earth's surface in patterns that are worldwide

jet stream

a narrow band of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere

local wind

the movement of air over short distances; occurs in specific areas as a result of certain geographical features

air pollution

the contamination of the atmosphere by the introduction of pollutants from human and natural sources

particulate

a tiny particle of solid that is suspended in air or water

smog

air pollution that forms when ozone and vehicle exhaust react with sunlight

acid precipitation

rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids

air quality

a measure of the pollutants in the air that is used to express how clean or polluted the air is