{"thcode":2,"term":{"code":68,"name":"atmospheric sciences","parent":291,"scope":"Studies relating to composition, structure, physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the atmosphere."},"uf":[],"bt":[{"code":291,"name":"earth sciences","parent":1019,"scope":"Broad term for all science related to the study of the earth."},{"code":1019,"name":"sciences","parent":1,"scope":"Major educational fields, fields of study, and professional groupings within USGS."},{"code":1,"name":"Categories","parent":null,"scope":"Thematic terms for categorizing information resources.  This thesaurus is intended to support finding and understanding scientific information."}],"nt":[{"code":170,"name":"climatology","parent":68,"scope":"Scientific study of the characteristic weather conditions of geographic areas."},{"code":731,"name":"meteorology","parent":68,"scope":"Branch of science dealing with the short-term variations of atmospheric conditions including wind, precipitation, temperature, humidity, cloud cover, and air pressure."}],"rt":[{"code":6,"name":"acid deposition","parent":66,"scope":"The process by which emissions, chiefly sulfur and nitrogen compounds, either react with the atmosphere when deposited on earth by precipitation of snow, rain, or fog with a pH of 5.5 or below, or settle out as acidic particles or gases."},{"code":27,"name":"air temperature","parent":67,"scope":null},{"code":63,"name":"atmospheric and climatic processes","parent":101,"scope":"Phenomena affecting or occurring within the mass of gases that surrounds the earth, including its physics, chemistry, dynamics, and weather conditions."},{"code":64,"name":"atmospheric circulation","parent":63,"scope":"Movement of atmospheric gases around the earth."},{"code":65,"name":"atmospheric composition","parent":67,"scope":"Components of the mass of gases that surrounds a planet.  The earth's atmosphere consists of nitrogen, oxygen, and small portions of other gases."},{"code":66,"name":"atmospheric deposition (chemical & particulate)","parent":63,"scope":"The transfer of substances from the air to the surface of the earth, either in wet form (rain, fog, snow, dew, frost, hail) or in dry form (gases, aerosols, particles)."},{"code":67,"name":"atmospheric properties","parent":287,"scope":"Characteristics of the mass of gases surrounding the earth  such as composition, temperature, pressure, and humidity."},{"code":284,"name":"droughts","parent":63,"scope":"Extended periods of moisture deficit over a sizeable area sufficient to have an adverse effect on vegetation, animals, or man."},{"code":485,"name":"effects of climate change","parent":1174,"scope":"Characteristics and behaviors of organisms and earth systems that are modified as a result of changes in global, regional, or local climate."},{"code":384,"name":"fires","parent":101,"scope":"Combustion, marked by flames or intense heat, in natural settings, often ignited by lightning or human activities.  For fires set as part of natural resource management, use 'controlled fires'."},{"code":506,"name":"greenhouse gases","parent":65,"scope":"Atmospheric gases, including carbon dioxide, fluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, ozone, and water vapor, that trap radiant (infrared) energy keeping the earth's surface warmer than it would otherwise be."},{"code":819,"name":"ocean temperature","parent":810,"scope":"Distribution of heat in the oceans, including surface water, thermocline and mode waters, and deep waters.  Includes discussion and measures of both in-situ and potential temperature."},{"code":823,"name":"ocean-atmosphere interaction","parent":63,"scope":"Processes, including momentum, heat, gas and other exchanges, which result in profound effects on climate and interactions between the air in the lowest part of the atmosphere and the oceans."},{"code":856,"name":"ozone layer","parent":65,"scope":"Upper atmosphere layer composed of ozone, a gas made up of molecules comprised of three oxygen atoms, which helps to shield the earth from ultraviolet rays."},{"code":927,"name":"precipitation (atmospheric)","parent":63,"scope":"Any or all forms of water particles that fall from the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, hail and sleet."}]}