Science 10

Weather

Specific atmospheric conditions at a particular location at a specific time.

Climate

The average weather condition in a region measured over several years.

Biosphere

The narrow zone around Earth that can support life, composed of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.

Albedo

The percent of solar radiation a surface reflects; average for Earth's surface is about 30%.

Troposphere

The layer of the atmosphere from Earth's surface to 10 km, containing 80% of atmospheric gases.

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere from 10 km to 50 km, containing the ozone layer.

Mesosphere

The layer of the atmosphere from 50 km to 80 km, characterized by decreasing temperatures.

Thermosphere

The layer of the atmosphere from 80 km to 300 km, known for very high temperatures but very low gas density.

Inversion

A reversal of temperature change with altitude where colder air is trapped closer to the ground.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range of all types of radiation emitted by the sun classified according to their wavelengths.

Insolation

The amount of solar energy received on the Earth's surface.

Natural Greenhouse Effect

The process where the Earth's surface absorbs solar energy and re-emits it as infrared radiation, contributing to the planet's average temperature.

Net Radiation Budget

The balance of incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal radiation.

Coriolis Effect

The bending of moving currents caused by the Earth's rotation.

Jet Stream

A narrow, fast-flowing river of air in the stratosphere.

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Heat of Fusion

The amount of energy released or absorbed when a substance changes from a liquid to a solid or vice versa.

Heat of Vaporization

The amount of energy released or absorbed when a substance changes from a gas to a liquid or vice versa.

Biome

A large geographical region with a specific climate to which its plants and animals are adapted.

Climatograph

A summary of the average temperature and precipitation for each month of the year.

Global Warming Potential (GWP)

A measure of a greenhouse gas's ability to trap thermal energy in the atmosphere.

Persistence

The length of time a gas remains in the atmosphere.

Carbon Sink

Natural systems, like forests, that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Montreal Protocol (1987)

An agreement signed by 182 countries to control substances causing ozone depletion. Chlorofluorocarbon are substances that deplete the ozone layer. Hydrochloroflurocarbons destroy the ozone much more slowly than Chlorofluorocarbon.

Kyoto Protocol

An agreement aiming for industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from 1990 levels.