Back to the Basics
This type of feedback maintains stability in a system
What is Negative
-273 degrees Celsius
What is absolute 0
The molecule-to-molecule transfer of heat energy through direct physical contact
What is conduction
The primary form of shortwave electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun that is visible to human eyes
What is visible light
The most abundant gas in Earth's homosphere, comprising roughly 78% of dry air by volume
What is nitrogen (N2)
The spatial analysis of all physical components, processes, and systems that make up Earth’s environment
What is physical geography
The approximate value of the solar constant measured at the thermopause
What is 1,372 W/m2
The balance of all radiation incoming and outgoing at Earth's surface
What is Net Radiation
This location experiences 24 hours of daylight on the June Solstice.
What is 23.5 degrees North (the Tropic of Cancer)
The atmospheric layer where nearly all weather occurs, and temperature decreases with altitude
What is the troposphere
The first two steps in the scientific process
What are Observation and Hypothesis
The precise angle of Earth’s axial tilt relative to the plane of the ecliptic
What is 23.5 degrees
The vertical movement and mixing of heat energy through fluid motion in the atmosphere
What is convection
The single point on Earth’s surface where the Sun’s rays arrive at an exact 90-degree angle at solar noon
What is the subsolar point
Synthetic chemical compounds that migrate to the stratosphere and break down to release ozone-destroying chlorine atoms
What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
The three defining factors of Earth's "Spheres"
What are Temperature, Composition, and Function
Earth reaches perihelion on approximately this calendar date
What is January 3
A line on a weather or climate map connecting points of equal temperature
What is an isotherm
The atmospheric layer that is functionally defined by the absorption of cosmic rays, gamma rays, and X-rays
What is the ionosphere?
The atmospheric scattering process that preferentially scatters short blue wavelengths, giving the daytime sky its color
What is Rayleigh scattering
A condition where inputs and outputs of energy and matter are balanced, causing storage to fluctuate around a stable average
What is steady-state equilibrium
The altitude marking the boundary between the homosphere and the heterosphere
What is 80 kilometers (approx. 50 miles)
The reflective quality or percentage of solar energy reflected by a surface
What is albedo
The type of longwave radiation predominantly emitted by Earth back toward space
What is thermal infrared
A meteorological condition where normal cooling with altitude is reversed, trapping pollutants and smog near the ground
What is a temperature inversion