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The average weather condition an area over a long period of time
climate
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The height of an object above sea level
elevation
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A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
biome
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The climate of a small area
microclimate
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A long period of climate cooling during which ice sheets cover large areas of Earth's surface; also known as a glacial period
Ice age
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The condition of the atmosphere at a certain time and place including temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and visibility.
weather
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The amount of water vapor in the air
humidity
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The change of state from a gas to a liquid. For example, the outside of a glass of cold water is wet.
condensation
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Any form of water that falls to the Earth's surface from the clouds
precipitation
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The sound caused by the rapid expansion of air along an electrical strike
thunder
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Rain, sleet or snow that contains a high concentration of acids
acid precipitation
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A narrow belt of strong winds that blow in the upper troposphere
jet stream
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A gradual increase in a average global temperature
global warming
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The lowest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature decreases at a constant rate as altitude increases
troposphere
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The warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and radiate thermal energy
Greenhouse effect
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A horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that occurs at or near the oceans's surface
surface current
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The apparent curving of the path of a moving object from an otherwise straight path due to the Earth's rotation
Coriolis Effect
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A subsurface current that is near shore and that pulls objects out to sea
undertow
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A giant ocean wave that forms after a volcanic eruption, submarine earthquake, or landslide has occurred
Tsunami
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Daily changes in the levels of ocean water at high tide and low tide
tide
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The movement of water from ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean is called the
the water cycle
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The mountain chain on the ocean floor
mid-ocean ridge
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A huge crack in the ocean floor. A steep, long depression in the deep-sea floor that runs parallel to a chain of volcanic islands or a continental margin
ocean trench
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All organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents
nekton
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A process of removing salt from ocean water
desalination
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The boundary between land and a body of water
shoreline
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A large mass of moving ice
glacier
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Unsorted rock material that is deposited directly by a melting glacier
till
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The sudden movement of rock and soil down a slope
landslide
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The flow of a mass of mud or rock and soil mixed with a large amount of water
mudflow
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A tank that separates solid waste from liquids and that has bacteria that break down the solid waste is called
septic tank
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Pollution that comes from a specific site is called
point-source pollution
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The process in which material is laid down
deposition
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The area of land that is drained by a water system
watershed
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The continuoius movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean
water cycle
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The process by which rock materials are broken down by the action of physical and chemical processes is called
weathering
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Rain, sleet or snow that contains a high concentration of acids is called
acid precipitaion
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A loose mixture of rock fragments, organic material, water and air that can support the growth of vegetation is called
soil
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The dark, organic material formed in soil from the decayed remains of plants and animals is called
humus
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The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transport soil and sediment from one location to another is called
erosion
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Evidence that Mars once had liquid water on it
areas that look like dry riverbeds
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Which planet is known for its spectacular rings
Saturn
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Which planet had a storm system call the Great Dark Spot?
Neptune
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This planet spins with a retrograde rotation
Venus
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Galileo was known for his discovery of the...
telescope
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What is the main source of gravity for tides?
The moon
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Between high tides, what forms when the water is drawn away from the beach?
low tide
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What is the most useful unit for measuring distances within the solar system?
astronomical unit
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