Earth Science Vocabulary

Flashcards covering Earth's systems, energy transfer, and climate topics.

Convection

The movement of heat through fluids (liquids or gases) when warm, less dense material rises and cool, more dense material sinks.

Convection current

The circular pattern created by rising warm material and sinking cool material.

Mantle

The thick, hot, mostly solid layer of rock beneath Earth’s crust where convection currents move melted rock.

Arctic

The region around the North Pole, mostly ocean covered by sea ice.

Antarctica

The continent at the South Pole, covered in thick ice.

Visible light

The part of sunlight we can see.

Infrared radiation

Invisible heat energy that Earth emits after absorbing sunlight.

Polar vortex

A fast, spinning air current that keeps cold air near the poles.

Ocean currents

Large flows of water in the oceans that move heat around the planet.

Permafrost

Ground that stays frozen year-round, found in the Arctic.

Mitigate

To make something less severe; in climate, to reduce warming or its effects.

Shortwave length (light)

High-energy sunlight, like visible light and ultraviolet.

Long wavelength (heat)

Low-energy heat given off by Earth, like infrared radiation.

Conversion (of energy from one form to another)

Changing energy from one type (light) to another (heat).

Albedo effect

How much sunlight a surface reflects. High albedo = more reflection, low albedo = less.

Positive feedback loop

When a change causes even more of the same change, like warming causing more ice melt, which causes more warming.

Reflected

Bounced off a surface (like sunlight on ice).

Emitted

Sent out (like heat from Earth to space).

Absorbed

Taken in (like sunlight absorbed by land or water).