Earth Systems, Matter, and Energy Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards created from lecture notes on Earth systems, thermodynamics, atmosphere, feedback loops, and biochemistry.

Earth's System Openness/Closedness

Earth is closed for matter and open for energy.

Age of Earth

Earth is about $4.6$ billion years old.

Freshwater Distribution

Most freshwater is located in ice caps and glaciers.

Earth's Atmospheric Composition

Earth's atmosphere is about $78\%$ nitrogen and $21\%$ oxygen.

Water Cycle Driver

The Sun drives the water cycle.

Plate Tectonics Driver

Earth's internal heat helps drive plate tectonics.

Radio Waves

Electromagnetic radiation that has the longest wavelength.

Greenhouse Effect

A phenomenon necessary for life; major greenhouse gases include $CO_2$ and $H_2O$.

Photosynthesis

A biological process that stores energy; plants don't simply "turn $CO_2$ into $O_2$".

Respiration

A biological process that releases usable energy.

Autotrophs

Organisms that act as producers.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that act as consumers.

Trophic Flow

The ecological flow of energy: Plants $\rightarrow$ primary consumers $\rightarrow$ higher consumers.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead matter.

Negative Feedback

A system feedback mechanism that stabilizes.

Positive Feedback

A system feedback mechanism that amplifies.

Ozone ($O_3$)

A molecule where stratospheric ozone is good, and tropospheric ozone is a pollutant/bad.

CFCs

Compounds that contain carbon (C), fluorine (F), and chlorine (Cl).

Weather

Short-term atmospheric conditions.

Climate

Long-term atmospheric patterns.

Ion

An atom with a different number of electrons.

Isotope

An atom with a different number of neutrons.

$$CaCO_3$$

Calcium carbonate, a compound made of $3$ elements and $5$ atoms.

Ocean Water

Water that is basic/alkaline (where lower pH = more acidic).

Four Macromolecules

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Potential Energy

Stored energy.

Kinetic Energy

Energy of motion.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Law stating that energy is conserved.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Law stating that entropy increases / energy becomes less usable.

Keeling Curve

A graph showing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which fluctuates because of seasonal plant activity.