| A | B |
|---|
| geosphere | the mostly solid, rocky part of the earth; extends from the center of the core to the surface of the crust |
| crust | the thin & solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle |
| mantle | layer of rock between the earth's crust & core |
| core | the central part of the earth below the mantle; also the center of the sun |
| lithosphere | the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust & 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 |
| tectonic plate | a block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the mantle; also called lithospheric plate |
| erosion | process in which the materials of the earth's surface are loosened, dissolved or worn away & transported from one place to another by a natural agent, like wind, water, ice or gravity |
| atmosphere | mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, such as Earth |
| troposhere | the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature drops at a constant rate as altitude increases; the part of the atmosphere where weather conditions exist |
| ozone | gas molecule that is made up of 3 oxygen atoms |
| radiation | the energy that is transferred as electromagnetic waves, such as visible light and infared waves |
| stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere that lies between the troposphere and the mesopheres and in which temperature increases as altitude increases; contains the ozone layer |
| conduction | the transfer of energy as heat through a material |
| convection | the movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations; can result in the transfer of energy as heat |
| greenhouse effect | the warming of the surface & lower atmosphere of the earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, & other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation |
| water cycle | the continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the land, and the oceans |
| evaporation | the change of state from liquid to a gas |
| condensation | the change of state from a gas to a liquid |
| precipitation | any form of water that falls to the Earth's surface from the clouds; includes rain, snow, sleet and hail |
| salinity | a measue of teh amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid |
| fresh water | water that contains insignificant aamounts of salts, as in rivers and lakes |
| biosphere | the part of the earth where life exists |
