Atmospheric Sciences: Terms and Concepts, Quizzes of Astronomy

Download Atmospheric Sciences: Terms and Concepts and more Quizzes Astronomy in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Atmospheric Pressure DEFINITION 1 the surface pressuring resulting from the overlying weight of an atmosphere TERM 2 Bar DEFINITION 2 the standard unit of pressure, approximately equal to Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level TERM 3 Greenhouse Effect DEFINITION 3 the process by which greenhouse gases in an atmosphere make a planet's surface temperature warmer than it would be in the absence of an atmosphere TERM 4 Greenhouse Gases DEFINITION 4 gases, such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane that are particularly good absorbers of infrared light but are transparent to visible light TERM 5 Atmospheric Structure DEFINITION 5 the layering of a planetary atmosphere due to variations in temperature with altitude TERM 6 Troposphere DEFINITION 6 the lowest atmospheric layer, in which convection and weather occur TERM 7 Stratosphere DEFINITION 7 an intermediate-altitude layer of Earth's atmosphere that is warmed by the absorption of ultraviolet light from the sun TERM 8 Thermosphere DEFINITION 8 a high, hot, x-ray absorbing layer of an atmosphere, just below the exosphere TERM 9 Exosphere DEFINITION 9 the hot, outer layer of an atmosphere, where the atmosphere "fades away" to space TERM 10 Magnetosphere DEFINITION 10 the region surrounding a planet in which charged particles are trapped by the planet's magnetic field TERM 21 Carbonate Rock DEFINITION 21 a carbon rich rock, like limestone, that forms underwater from chemical reactions between sediments and carbon dioxide TERM 22 Feedback Processes DEFINITION 22 processes in which a small change in some property (such as temperature) leads to changes in other properties that either amplify or diminish the original small change TERM 23 Runaway Greenhouse Effect DEFINITION 23 a positive feedback cycle in which heating caused by the greenhouse effect causes more greenhouse gases to enter the atmosphere, which further enhances TERM 24 Carbon Dioxide Cycle DEFINITION 24 the process that cycles carbon dioxide between Earth's atmosphere and surface rocks TERM 25 Great Red Spot DEFINITION 25 a large, high pressure storm on Jupiter TERM 26 Tidal Heating DEFINITION 26 a source of internal heating created by tidal friction. It is particularly important for satellites with eccentric orbits such as to Io and Europa. TERM 27 Orbital Resonance DEFINITION 27 a situation in which one object's orbital period is a simple ration of one another object's period, such as 1/2 , 1/4 or 5/3. In such cases, the two objects periodically line up with each other, and the extra gravitational attractions of these times can affect the object's orbit. TERM 28 Primitive Meteorites DEFINITION 28 meteorites that formed at the same time as the solar system itself, about 4.6 billion years ago. TERM 29 Processed Meteorites DEFINITION 29 meteorites that apparently once were part of a larger object that "processed" the original material of the solar nebula into another form. TERM 30 Nucleus DEFINITION 30 the solid portion of a comet- the only portion that exists when the comet is far from the South TERM 31 Coma DEFINITION 31 the dusty atmosphere of a comet , created by sublimation of ices in the nucleus when the comet is near the Sun TERM 32 Plasma Tail DEFINITION 32 one of two tails seen when a comet passes near the Sun (the other is a dust tail). It is composed of ionized gas blown away from the Sun by solar wind. TERM 33 Dust Tail DEFINITION 33 one of two tails seen when a comet passes near the Sun (the other is the plasma tail). It is composed of small solid particles pushed away from the Sun by the radiation pressure of sunlight TERM 34 Meteor Shower DEFINITION 34 a period during which many more meteors than usual can be seen TERM 35 Oort Cloud DEFINITION 35 a huge, spherical region centered on the Sun, extending perhaps halfway to the nearest stars, in which trillions of comets orbit the Sun with random inclinations, orbital directions, and eccentricities