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Ch-15 study guide
Term | Definition |
---|---|
List the examples of local winds. | Sea Breezes, Land Breezes, Mountain Breezes, and Valley Breezes |
What are auroras and where are they found? | Auroras are shimmering lights in the polar regions caused by the radiating of ions in the atmosphere. |
Our ozone layer absorbs which type of harmful radiation from the sun? | Ultraviolet Radiation |
How much oxygen and carbon dioxide is found in our air? | 22% |
Which global wind blows away from the poles to the west? | Polar Easterlies |
What are the 2 most abundant gases found in the air? | Nitrogen and Oxygen |
Describe air pressure. | Air pressure is the measure of weight pushing down on a place. |
What happens to air pressure as altitude increases? | Air pressure is strongest at the surface of the Earth because more air is pushing down on you. So, the higher you go off the Earth's surface, the less air pressure will be on you. |
Describe jet streams. | Jet streams are narrow belts of high-speed winds that blow in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.Unlike other global winds, the jet streams do not follow regular paths around the Earth. |
What is the greenhouse effect? | A gradual increase in average global temperature. |
Explain the 3 ways that heat is transferred. | Radiation, Thermal Conduction, Convection |
Where do trade winds flow toward? | Toward the equator,They move west in the northern hemisphere and east in the southern hemisphere. |
What does the Coriolis Effect make the winds do? | Curve east in the north and west in the south |
Describe the doldrums. | In the doldrums, there is very little wind because the warm, rising air creates an area of low pressure. |
What is the ozone layer? Where is it found? | A layer of ozone in the stratosphere that protects the lower levels in the atmosphere from harmful UV radiation from the sun. |
Describe the thermosphere. | In the thermosphere, temperature again increases with altitude. Atoms of nitrogen and oxygen absorb high-energy solar radiation and release thermal energy, which causes temperatures in the thermosphere to be 1,000°C or higher. |
What is the most common atmospheric gas? | Nitrogen |
What parts of the earth cools off faster and heats up faster? What does this unequal heating create? | Places with the greenhouse effect/ it causes global warming |
What is smog? | Smog is a secondary pollution that forms when ozone and vehicle exhaust react with sunlight. |
Describe the movement of convection currents. | Air is heated, it becomes less dense and rises. Cool air is denser, so it sinks. As the cool air sinks, it pushes the warm air up. The cool air is eventually heated by the Earth’s surface and begins to rise again. |
Which instrument measures air pressure? | Barometer |
What is significant about the troposphere? | It can sustain life on Earth. |
What kind of ways have humans created air pollution? | Vehicle emissions, Power plant emissions, releases of carbon monoxide. |
What is another name for the distance above sea level? | Altitude |
What are global winds? | The combination of convection cells found at every 30 degrees of latitude and the patterns of air circulation produced by the Coriolis effect. |
What does the name of a wind tell you? | The direction they blow |
How much of the sun’s energy actually reaches the Earth? | two billionth |
What property are the layers of the atmosphere based on? | Altitude, Pressure, and Temperature |
Which calm area is located around 30 degrees north and south latitude? | Horse lattitudes |
What is the atmosphere? | A mixture of gases that surround the Earth. 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases |
List the 3 global winds and the 2 calm areas. | Polar Easterlies, Westerlies, Trade Winds Horse latitudes and doldrums |
What is global warming? | A gradual increase in average global temperature |
If air mass increases what happens to density? | It also increases |
What type of winds blow over short distances? | Local Winds/Breezes |
How are all winds created? | By differences in air pressure |