| A | B |
|---|
| open system | a system and its surroundings freely exchange energy transfer |
| closed system | energy can leave, but matter can't enter or leave |
| model | a representation of an object |
| atmosphere | gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth |
| geosphere | the earth itself -rocks, mountains, all physical features except water |
| hydrosphere | all the water at or near the Earth's surface |
| biosphere | all living things on the planet |
| evapotranspiration | cycling of water vapor into the atmosphere by evaporation or leaves of plants breathing it out |
| water cycle | the cycle that includes precipitation and groundwater |
| carbon cycle | phytoplankton are important to this cycle |
| energy cycle | includes tidal, solar, and geothermal energy |
| geothermal energy | comes from within the earth |
| solar energy | drives the winds, ocean currents and waves |
| sun | provides 99.9% of the energy at the Earth's surface |
| tidal energy | energy resulting from the pull of the moon and the sun on the Earth's oceans, smallest part of the energy budget |
| albedo | percentage of energy that is reflected without being changed |
