Definitions
The layers of gas that surround Earth
What is the atmosphere?
Any natural material that is used by humans. Can be renewable or nonrenewable
What is a natural resource?
These are the 5 layers of Earth's atmosphere.
What are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere?
This is the hydrosphere
All of the water on or near Earth's surface.
The area of Earth where life is able to exist
What is the biosphere?
Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere
What are greenhouse gases?
Resource that is not readily replaced by natural means
What is a nonrenewable resource?
This is the layer of Earth's atmosphere where weather occurs.
What is the troposphere?
This is the continuous movement of water from a water source, to the atmosphere, back to a water source.
What is the water cycle?
This is why the biosphere is located near Earth's surface.
What is proximity to energy from sunlight?
When a large fraction of a resource has been used up
What is depletion?
A resource that is readily replaced by natural means
What is a renewable resource?
This is the layer of Earth's atmosphere where the ozone layer exists.
This is when water droplets come down from the atmosphere. Can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
What is precipitation?
These are land areas of the biosphere
What are biomes?
The study of the air, water, and land surrounding an organism of a community, which ranges from a small area to Earth's entire biosphere.
What is environmental science?
A resource that could not be "used up" by humans. Ex: sunlight, wind.
What is a non-depletable resource?
This is the layer of Earth's atmosphere where the aurora occurs.
What is the thermosphere?
This is the process by which liquid water is heated by the sun and then rises into the atmosphere as water vapor
This is evaporation
In this type of system, energy enters and leaves, but matter does not
What is a closed system?
All of the water on or near Earth's surface.
What is the hydrosphere?
Examples include coal and oil.
What are fossil fuels?
This is the coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere.
What is the mesosphere?
This is when water vapor forms droplets on dust particles. These form clouds
What is condensation?
In this type of system, both matter and energy are exchanged between a system and the surrounding environment
What is an open system?