Sphere Overview
What are the 4 spheres of Earth's Systems?
Geosphere
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
What are the 3 types of energy transfer in the atmosphere
Radiation
Conduction
Convection
What is the study of weather called?
Meteorology
What causes earthquakes?
Moving of plates causing friction along their boundaries
What is 1 technology for forecasting the weather?
Doppler radar
Satellite imaging
Computer modeling
What affects the Geosphere? List 1 natural process and 1 human activity!
Natural Process:
plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes
Human activity:
agriculture, urbanization, extraction of fossil fuels, mining
Give an example of conduction
metal spoon in hot water
During circulation, hot air _________ while cold air __________
rises, falls
What are the layers of the Earth from the outermost layer to the innermost layer?
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
What is the Urban Heat Island Effect
The warming of an area due to altered landscape
What makes up the hydrosphere?
All of the water on or near the Earth's surface
Solar energy reaches the Earth as electromagnetic _____________
radiation
What is the rain shadow effect & which side of the mountain receives more rain?
Tectonic plates that move in opposite but parallel directions are at what type of boundary?
Transform fault
What drives atmospheric circulation?
Uneven heating from solar radiation and the tilt
During the winter in the Southern Hemisphere, the Northern Hemisphere experiences which season and how is the earth tilted?
Summer, toward the sun
Define convection
movement of matter due to differences in density caused by temperature variations
What is El Nino? What does it cause in the southern parts of North America?
Warming of the water in the East Pacific with winds bringing stormy weather to the southern parts of North America
How does altitude affect temperature and air density?
High altitude means lower temperature and lower air density
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is the atmospheric conditions during a given day, climate is the average weather over a long period of time
Define the Coriolis effect.
It is caused by the rotation of the earth and causes wind to be deflected
Why doesn't the earth continue to get warmer?
Because the ocean and the land radiate absorbed energy back into the atmosphere
What happens during an inversion?
A layer of warm air traps a layer of cold air beneath it
How far does the geosphere extend?
from the center of the core to the surface of the crust
What is the difference between El Nino and La Nina?
El Nino is warmer than average surface temperature with weaker trade winds causing the southern parts of North America to get rain and Australia get a drought
La Nina is the opposite with cooler than average surface temperature water with stronger trade winds