Atmosphere Glossary
 
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G ... H ... I ... J ... K ... L ... M
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  altitude. Height above sea level (on the Earth), or height above the surface level of a planet or moon.  
     
 

astrobiologist. A person who studies life on Earth and the possibilities for life in the universe.

  
     
 

astrobiology. The study of life in the universe.

  
     
 

atmosphere. The air. The blanket of gases that surrounds some planets and moons.

  
     
 

atmospheric chemist. A person who studies what the atmosphere is made of and studies chemical reactions that change what it is made of.

  
     
  atom. The tiniest particle of an element that has the same chemical properties of the element. The building blocks of all matter.  
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  - B -  
     
  barometer. An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.  
     
 

bloat. To swell up or inflate, like a balloon.

  
     
  bombard. To hit over and over again with great force.  
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  - C -  
     
  carbon dioxide. A colorless gas that can absorb heat in the atmosphere. Plants use carbon dioxide to make their food and animals exhale it when they breathe.  
     
 

Celsius. A scale that measures temperature where water boils at 100ºC and freezes at 0ºC. Between the boiling and freezing points, the scale is divided into 100 parts. People in most countries use Celsius. It is named after Anders Celsius.

  
     
 

climatologist. A person who studies changes in the average weather, or climate, of an environment or planet.

  
     
  composition. The parts that form or make up a whole.  
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  detect. To find out or discover.  
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  - E -  
     
  ethane (C2H6). A gas made of carbon and hydrogen that is found in natural gas.  
     
  exert. To put effort into.  
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  Fahrenheit. A scale that measures temperature where water boils at 212ºF and freezes at 32ºF. In the United States, we use both Fahrenheit and Celsius, but most people are most familiar with Fahrenheit. It was developed by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit.  
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  - G -  
     
  greenhouse effect. Some gases, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, absorb heat energy and release it in the atmosphere raising the surface temperature of a planet.  
     
  greenhouse gas. A gas that traps heat energy and releases it in the atmosphere. The main greenhouse gases are: carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and the human-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).  
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  habitability. The extent to which an environment is fit to live in.  
     
  hypothesis. An educated guess that scientists make to predict an answer to a question.  
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  - M -  
     
  meteorological. Relating to the weather and the conditions in the atmosphere.  
     
 

meteorologist. A person who studies weather and the atmosphere.

  
     
 

meteorology. The study of the conditions in the atmosphere, especially weather.

  
     
 

methane (CH4). A natural gas that forms from the decay of organic matter.

  
     
 

millibar (mbar). The unit used to measure atmospheric pressure. One bar is the air pressure on Earth at sea level. A millibar is 1/1000 of a bar.

  
     
  molecule. A group of atoms bonded together. Molecules act like a single particle.  
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  - N -  
     
  nitrogen. A colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that makes up 78 percent of the atmosphere and is a necessary part of all living tissues.  
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  organism. A living thing.  
     
 

oxygen. A colorless, odorless gas that is released by plants into the air, is essential to animals for breathing, and is highly flammable when it reacts with other substances.

  
     
  ozone. A gas made of three oxygen atoms bonded together. When ozone is located high in the atmosphere, it protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation but can be harmful to life at Earth's surface.  
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  - P -  
     
  photosynthesis. The process by which plants, algae and some bacteria convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to oxygen and sugar.  
     
 

positive feedback loop. A feedback loop is a cycle of inputs and outputs. The feedback loop is balanced when the input equals the output. Positive feedback occurs when the output is bigger than the input. A positive feedback loop speeds up the cycle in the direction of the output, and throws the cycle out of balance.

  
     
  pressure. The amount of force pushing on an object caused by the molecules surrounding it.  
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  - R -  
     
  runaway greenhouse effect. Occurs when an excess amount of greenhouse gas causes too much heat energy to be absorbed by the atmosphere. This raises the surface temperature of a planet higher and higher, causing all of the liquid water on the planet's surface to evaporate.  
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  signature. A one-of-a kind characteristic used to identify something and distingush it from everything else.  
     
 

spectrogram. A graph that shows the pattern of a spectrum.

  
     
 

spectrometer. An instrument that measures spectra.

  
     
 

spectroscopy. The measurement and analysis of spectra.

  
     
  spectrum. (pl. spectra) A rainbow or band of different colors made when light is broken up into wavelengths.  
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  - T -  
     
  temperature. The measurement of how hot or cold something is.  
     
  turbulence. Bumpy, disrupted motion in the atmosphere that occurs when winds or air currents crash into each other.  
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  - U -  
     
  ultraviolet radiation. Invisible radiation between visible violet light and X rays. Ultraviolet radiation causes sunburn and can harm life.  
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  - W -  
     
  water vapor. The form water takes when it is a gas in the atmosphere.  
     
  wavelength. The distance from one peak to the next on a wave.  
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