| A | B |
|---|
| atmosphere | the whole mass of air surrounding the earth |
| lithosphere | the outer part of the solid earth composed of rock |
| hydrosphere | the layer of the earth including bodies of water and water vapor in the atmosphere |
| biogeochemical cycle | the cycling of elements between the living and nonliving (biotic and abiotic) parts of an ecosystem |
| climate | the average weather condition in an area over a long period of time |
| elevation | the height to which something is elevated |
| temperature | the degree of hotness or coldness of something as shown by a thermometer |
| weather | the state of the atmosphere in regards to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness |
| fog | fine particles of water floating in the atmosphere near the ground |
| frontal system | a system of fronts or boundaries bewtween air masses of different temperatures and densities |
| cumulus | a dense puffy cloud form having a flat base and rounded outlines often piled up like a mountain |
| stratus | a low cloud form extending over a large area at altitudes of usually 2,000 to 7,000 feet |
| cirrus | a high wispy white cloud usually of tiny ice crystals formed at altitudes between 20,000 and 40,000 feet |
| cirro- | prefix used to describe clouds that form at high altitudes |
| alto- | prefix used to describe clouds that form at middle altitudes |
| nimbo-/-nimbus | prefix/suffix indicating a rain cloud that is of uniform grayness and extends over the entire sky |
