| A | B |
|---|
| atmosphere | a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon |
| air pressure | the measure of the force which air molecules push on a surface |
| -sphere | ball |
| tropo- | turning |
| strato- | layer |
| meso- | middle |
| thermo- | heat |
| troposphere | the lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature decreases at a constant rate as altitiude increases |
| stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere that is above the troposphere and in which temperature increases as altitude increases |
| mesophere | the layer if the atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere and in which temperature decreases as altitude increases |
| ozone layer | protects earth by absorbing ultraviolet radiation |
| thermosphere | the uppermost layer of hte atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases |
| ionosphere | also the thermosphere, because ions are present in the lower part of the thermosphere layer |
| auroras | in polar regions, the ions radiate energy which cause the lights |
| radiation | the transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves |
| thermal conduction | the transfer of energy as heat through a material |
| convection | the transfer of thermal energy by the circulation of movement of a liquid of gas |
| convection current | cycle of warm air rising and cool air sinking causes a circular movement of air |
| greenhouse effect | the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate thermal energy |
| radiation balance | the balance between incoming energy and outgoing energy |
| global warming | a gradual increase in average global temperature |
| wind | the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure |
| convection cells | circular patterns where air travels |
| pressure belts | bands of high pressure and low pressure found about 30 degree of latitude |
| coriolis effect | the curving of the path of winds and ocean currents due to the Earth's rotation |
| global winds | the combination of convection cells found at every 30 degree of latitude and the Coriolis effect produces patterns of air circulation |
| polar easterlies | prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60 degrees and 90 degrees latitude in both hemispheres |
| westerlies | prevailing winds that blow west to east between 60 degrees and 90 degrees latitude in both hemispheres |
| trade winds | prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator |
| doldrums | trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres meet in an area around the equator |
| horse latitudes | winds that that are weak between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south latitude |
| jet streams | a narrow belt of strong winds that blow in the the upper troposphere |
| air pollution | the contamination of the atmosphere by the introduction of pollutants from the humanand natural sources |
| primary pollutants | pollutants that are put directly into the air by human or natural activity |
| secondary pollutants | pollutants that form when primary pollutants react with other primary pollutants or with naturally occuring substances, such as water vapor |
| ventilation | mixing of indoor air with outdoor air, can reduce indoor air pollution |
| acid precipitation | precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains acids from air pollution |
| acidification | changes the balance of a soil's chemistry |
| acid shock | a rapid change in a body of water's acidity |
| scrubber | a device that is used to remove some pollutants before they are released by smokestacks |
