Earth's Systems Unit Vocabulary
Solar Energy & Earth's Systems
Weather & Climate
Atmospheric & Oceanic Circulation
The sun's energy affects all of Earth's spheres. Photo courtesy of dsevilla/Flickr.
Solar Energy & Earth's Systems
Albedo: the percentage of solar radiation reflected back into space
Absorbed Energy: energy from the sun that is absorbed by materials and converted to heat energy (e.g. pavement absorbs a lot of the sun's energy)
Biomass Fuels: fuels that come from living (or once living) organisms
Fuel: anything that can be consumed and used as a source of energy
Reflected Energy: when the sun's energy is bounced back from the surface of a material (e.g. a mirror or ice reflects a lot of the sun's energy)
Transmitted Energy: when the sun's energy is able to pass through a material (e.g. glass transmits the sun's energy)
Absorbed Energy: energy from the sun that is absorbed by materials and converted to heat energy (e.g. pavement absorbs a lot of the sun's energy)
Biomass Fuels: fuels that come from living (or once living) organisms
Fuel: anything that can be consumed and used as a source of energy
Reflected Energy: when the sun's energy is bounced back from the surface of a material (e.g. a mirror or ice reflects a lot of the sun's energy)
Transmitted Energy: when the sun's energy is able to pass through a material (e.g. glass transmits the sun's energy)
Weather & Climate
Air Mass: large body of air that has the same properties as the surface over which it develops
Albedo: fraction of solar radiation that is reflected back to space
Anemometer: instrument used to measure wind speed
Antarctic Circle: located at 66.5 ºS latitude
Arctic Circle: located at 66.5 ºN latitude
Barometer: instrument used to measure air pressure
Climate: average weather of an area over a period of 30+ years
Climatologist: scientist that studies climate
Dew Point: temperature to which air must be cooled to be saturated
Front: boundary between 2 air masses
Greenhouse Effect: natural warming of the atmosphere that occurs when certain gases absorb re-emitted radiation
Greenhouse Gases: atmospheric gases that contribute to Earth's greenhouse effect; include carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and nitrogen oxides
Global Warming: global rise in temperatures, caused primarily by an enhancement of Earth's natural greenhouse effect
Humidity: the amount of water vapor held in the air
Hurricanes: tropical, cyclonic storms that produce winds that travel at 120-240 km per hour
Hygrometer: instrument used to measure humidity
North Pole: located at 90 ºN latitude
Precipitation: water falling from clouds
Relative Humidity: percentage of moisture in the air
Revolution: amount of time it takes Earth to complete one trip around the sun; 365 days
Rotation: amount of time it takes Earth to complete one spin on its axis; 24 hours
Saturated: when air contains as much moisture as it can possibly hold; relative humidity is 100%
South Pole: located at 90 ºS latitude
Supercells: most powerful thunderstorms; required for tornado formation
Tropic of Cancer: located at 23.5 ºN latitude
Tropic of Capricorn: located at 23.5 ºS latitude
Vortices: spinning columns of air
Weather: describes present state of the atmosphere and current conditions.
Albedo: fraction of solar radiation that is reflected back to space
Anemometer: instrument used to measure wind speed
Antarctic Circle: located at 66.5 ºS latitude
Arctic Circle: located at 66.5 ºN latitude
Barometer: instrument used to measure air pressure
Climate: average weather of an area over a period of 30+ years
Climatologist: scientist that studies climate
Dew Point: temperature to which air must be cooled to be saturated
Front: boundary between 2 air masses
Greenhouse Effect: natural warming of the atmosphere that occurs when certain gases absorb re-emitted radiation
Greenhouse Gases: atmospheric gases that contribute to Earth's greenhouse effect; include carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and nitrogen oxides
Global Warming: global rise in temperatures, caused primarily by an enhancement of Earth's natural greenhouse effect
Humidity: the amount of water vapor held in the air
Hurricanes: tropical, cyclonic storms that produce winds that travel at 120-240 km per hour
Hygrometer: instrument used to measure humidity
North Pole: located at 90 ºN latitude
Precipitation: water falling from clouds
Relative Humidity: percentage of moisture in the air
Revolution: amount of time it takes Earth to complete one trip around the sun; 365 days
Rotation: amount of time it takes Earth to complete one spin on its axis; 24 hours
Saturated: when air contains as much moisture as it can possibly hold; relative humidity is 100%
South Pole: located at 90 ºS latitude
Supercells: most powerful thunderstorms; required for tornado formation
Tropic of Cancer: located at 23.5 ºN latitude
Tropic of Capricorn: located at 23.5 ºS latitude
Vortices: spinning columns of air
Weather: describes present state of the atmosphere and current conditions.
Atmospheric & Oceanic Circulation
Coriolis Effect: occurs due to Earth's rotation; causes objects to move in a curved path rather than a straight line.
El Niño: a climate phenomenon that influneces sea surface temperatures and ocean currents
Gyres: ocean currents with nearly circular patterns of movement
Gulf Stream: makes up the western edge of the North Atlantic Gyre, it is a swift, warm current that travels along the east coast of the United States and across the North Atlantic Ocean.
Intertropical Convergence Zone: located where the northern and southern trade winds meet at the equator, characterized by stormy weather
Jet Streaks: fastest winds within a jet stream
Jet Streams: fastest winds which occur at high altitudes where pressure differences are greatest
Polar Easterlies: global wind system located near the poles, starting at 60º N and S latitudes and extending poleward.
Polar Front Jet Stream: a high-speed band of wind traveling at up to 400 kilometers per hour (249 miles per hour) that encircles Earth at altitudes of 10-15 kilometers (6-9 miles)
Prevailing Westerlies: global wind systems located in the northern and southern hemispheres in a zone between 30-60ºN and S latitude.
Subpolar Low: zone of low pressure located between the polar easterlies and prevailing westerlies
Subtropical High: high pressure zone associated with the trade winds at 30º N and 30º S latitude.
Trade Winds: global wind system located between 30º N and 30º S latitudes.
Last modified: Thursday, 9 December 2010, 12:42 PM