Earth's Systems Vocabulary

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Geoscience Data

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Information collected from Earth’s systems, including climate data, satellite imagery, and geological surveys, used to analyze and understand natural processes and changes on Earth.

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Feedbacks

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Processes in which a change in one part of Earth’s system causes effects that influence that same part, either amplifying (positive feedback) or diminishing (negative feedback) the original change.

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Climate Feedbacks

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Interactions within the climate system where a change, like increased greenhouse gases, leads to further changes that can amplify or reduce the initial effect, such as the melting of glacial ice leading to more warming.

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Greenhouse Gases

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Gases like carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change.

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Global Temperatures

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The average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and surface, which can be influenced by factors like greenhouse gas concentrations and solar radiation.

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System Interactions

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The ways in which different components of Earth’s systems (like the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere) interact and influence each other, often leading to feedback effects.

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Water Runoff

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The flow of water over Earth’s surface, which increases with the loss of vegetation, leading to soil erosion and the transport of sediments.

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Soil Erosion

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The removal of the topsoil layer by wind, water, or human activities, often accelerated by the loss of vegetation, leading to land degradation and loss of fertile land.

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Dammed Rivers

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Rivers that have been blocked by dams, altering natural water flow, increasing groundwater recharge, reducing sediment transport, and affecting coastal erosion.

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Groundwater Recharge

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The process by which water from precipitation or rivers seeps into the ground to replenish underground aquifers, which can be affected by human activities like damming rivers.