Ch. 3 -- The Dynamic Earth

surface currents

currents that are driven by winds fueled by energy from the sun; sun brings heat, which brings warm water to the coasts and the surrounding area

groundwater

water below the Earth’s surface

aquifer

a body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater

recharge zone

an area in which water travels downward to become part of an aquifer

convection current

a stream or current of fluid propelled by convection that moves energy from one location to another

surface zone

the warm, topmost layer of the water or land; sunlight heats the top 100m of the surface zone; surface currents mix the heated water with cooler water below

thermocline

a steep temperature transition layer between the warmer mixed water at the surface and the cooler, deeper water below

deep zone

the lowermost part of the ocean that is dark, cold, food-poor, and subject to extreme pressure; below the thermocline

water cycle

the biogeochemical process of water evaporating, condensating, and precipitating

evaporation

liquid turning into water vapor or gas

condensation

the process where water vapor forms water droplets on dust particles and then these water droplets form clouds in which the droplets collide, stick together, and create larger, heavier droplets

precipitation

the process where larger water droplets (that are the result of condensation) fall from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

core

the central most layer of Earth; very hot and dense; there are two cores (inner/outer core)

crust

thin outermost shell of Earth above the mantle that is about 1% of Earth’s mass; made out of rocks and minerals

mantle

2nd layer of the earth’s interior, mostly solid rock; lies between the crust and the core; activity in the mantle is reflected onto the crust, contributing to earthquakes, volcanos, and mountains

erosion

process that happens when wind or water slowly wear down a surface and carry away material; caused by wind, gravity, ice and water

geosphere

includes all rocks and minerals that make up Earth, from the partially melted rock under the crust, to ancient, towering mountains, to grains of sand on the beach

hydrosphere

the total amount of water on the planet; includes water on the surface and under the surface as well as in the air

lithosphere

the solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

asthenosphere

the solid, plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere; made of mantle rock that flows very slowly, which allows tectonic plates to move on top of it; it is a layer of extreme heat

conduction

the transfer of energy in the form of heat from a warmer object to a colder object when the objects are placed in direct physical contact

convection

the transfer of energy that takes place when variations in temperature move the matter making up air; can result in the transfer of energy as heat

open system

system of interrelated components (such as the flow of information, energy, and matter) that make up a whole but have interactions and influence from outside the system

closed system

a system that does not rely on matter exchange with any part outside of the system

atmosphere

the gasses that surround the earth which protect humans from the UV from the sun, provide air, and cause and maintain temperature; includes nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide; insulates the earth’s surface

troposphere

the innermost layer of the earth’s atmosphere; densest layer; where our weather patterns occur

stratosphere

layer of Earth’s atmosphere that is above the troposphere; temps in this layer rise as the altitude increases because ozone absorbs the sun’s UV energy and warms the air, allowing the planet to stay warm

lava

melted rock (magma) that has risen from Earth’s interior to its surface

seismic waves

a mechanical wave of acoustic energy that travels through the Earth, produced by earthquakes

tectonic plates

massive slab of solid rock made up of Earth’s crust and upper mantle; lies on the lithosphere

earthquake

a natural disaster where the earth’s crust is disturbed by tectonic plates crashing into each other; the resulting shockwave is called an earthquake; it occurs along the fault lines

magnitude

a way of measurement to find the intensity of an earthquake; the higher the number, the more devastating it is

chemical weathering

the process by which rocks break down from a result of chemical reactions

ozone

a gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms

greenhouse effect

the process in which greenhouse gases absorb and reradiate infrared radiation near the Earth

greenhouse gases

gases composed of molecules that absorb and radiate infrared radiation from the sun; these gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and various synthetic chemicals

salinity

the amount of dissolved salts in a body of water

fresh water

water that contains low concentrations of salts and which makes up a little more than 3% of all the water on Earth

ionosphere

the layer of the earth's atmosphere that contains a high concentration of ions and free electrons and is able to reflect radio waves

biosphere

the area on Earth where life survives