sea level

next to.

(singular: bacterium) single-celled organisms found in every ecosystem on Earth.

natural or artificial line separating two pieces of land.

capable of floating.

all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time.

gradual changes in all the interconnected weather elements on our planet.

edge of land along the sea or other large body of water.

in opposition.

steady, predictable flow of fluid within a larger body of that fluid.

body of water on the border between Israel and Jordan; the lowest point within land (400 meters, or 1,312 feet, below sea level).

having parts or molecules that are packed closely together.

measure of how deep something is.

to eject or get rid of.

our planet, the third from the Sun. The Earth is the only place in the known universe that supports life.

height above or below sea level.

mass of ice that moves slowly over land.

increase in the average temperature of the Earth's air and oceans.

physical force by which objects attract, or pull toward, each other.

long period of cold climate where glaciers cover large parts of the Earth. The last ice age peaked about 20,000 years ago. Also called glacial age.

thick layer of glacial ice that covers a large area of land.

body of land surrounded by water.

average height of the ocean's surface at a specific place, measured over a certain period of time.

process of determining length, width, mass (weight), volume, distance or some other quality or size.

19-year period after which the Moon's phases occur on the same days of the year as in the preceding cycle. Scientists measure sea levels using the Metonic cycle.

Earth's only natural satellite.

highest spot on Earth, 8,850 meters (29,035 feet). Mount Everest is part of the Himalaya range, in Nepal and China.

political unit made of people who share a common territory.

large body of salt water that covers most of the Earth.

path of one object around a more massive object.

an unusual act or occurrence.

process in which land that was crushed by a glacier regains its shape.

large stream of flowing fresh water.

salty.

base level for measuring elevations. Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a 19-year cycle.

increase in the average reach of the ocean. The current sea level rise is 1.8 millimeters (.07 inch) per year.

degree of hotness or coldness measured by a thermometer with a numerical scale.

very large or important.

difference.

an opening in the Earth's crust, through which lava, ash, and gases erupt, and also the cone built by eruptions.

state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness.

movement of air (from a high pressure zone to a low pressure zone) caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun.