Lesson 2: Pollution of the Atmosphere Vocabulary

Front

What is acid deposition?

Back

Water vapor containing acids that falls as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Front

What are fossil fuels?

Back

A carbon-containing fuel formed over millions of years from the remains of living things.

Front

What is an emission?

Back

A substance that is released into the atmosphere.

Front

What is air pollution?

Back

The release of damaging materials into the atmosphere.

Front

What is temperature inversion?

Back

A condition where cooler air lies beneath warmer air.

Front

What is the greenhouse effect?

Back

The warming of the Earth's surface due to trapped heat by greenhouse gases.

Front

What are greenhouse gases?

Back

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Front

What is smog?

Back

A type of air pollution that is a mixture of smoke and fog.

Front

What is particulate matter?

Back

Tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the air that can harm health.

Front

What is ozone depletion?

Back

The reduction of the ozone layer in the Earth's stratosphere.