Vocab
This layer of gases surrounds a planet or moon.
What is the atmosphere?
Water falling from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
What is precipitation?
This is the part of Earth's atmosphere that supports life and contains most of Earth's clouds and weather.
What is the troposphere?
This describes the condition of the atmosphere right now.
What is weather?
This is the continuous movement of water on Earth.
What is the water cycle?
Tropical, temperate, and polar are examples of this type of region defined by patterns of temperature and precipitation.
What is a climate zone?
This process turns liquid water into water vapor.
What is evaporation?
This is the coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere.
What is the mesosphere?
Warm air rises because it is less ______ than cold air.
What is dense?
This climate zone is found near the Equator.
What is tropical?
This global system of major ocean currents moves water around Earth’s oceans like a giant conveyor belt.
What is the ocean conveyor belt?
This process turns water vapor back into liquid water in the atmosphere.
What is condensation?
This part of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that protects us from the Sun's harmful UV rays.
What is the stratosphere?
This describes the average weather over many years.
What is climate?
Climate is usually measured over at least this many years.
What is 30 years?
This Earth system includes a planet’s rocks, metals, soils, and sediments.
What is the geosphere?
Water that is flowing over land into rivers, lakes, or oceans.
What is runoff?
What is the thermosphere?
Weather or climate: The Arctic is cold most of the year.
What is climate?
This climate zone is very cold year-round.
What is polar?
The variety of all living things on Earth is called this.
What is the biosphere?
Water that is soaking into the ground.
What is infiltration?
This decreases at higher altitudes and causes altitude sickness.
What is air pressure?
Weather or climate: This summer has been hotter than usual.
What is weather?
This climate zone has four distinct seasons.
What is temperate?