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Earth Science
exam
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Temp, wind direction and speed, Precipitation, cloud cover, humidity and barometric pressure | Weather |
Atmosphere conditions, averaged over a specific time period | Climate |
Composition of the Atmosphere(NITROGEN) | 78%(N2) |
Composition of the Atmosphere(OXYGEN) | 21%(O2) |
Composition of the Atmosphere(ARGON) | <1%(Ar) |
Composition of the Atmosphere(CARBON DIOXIDE) | 0.036%(CO2) |
Layer nearest to earth extends up to 10 km temp decreases with altitude all weather is contained within this layer upper boundary is the troposphere | ATMOSPHERIC LAYERS(TROPOSPHERE) |
Temp decreases with increasing altitude Meteorites, burn in this layer meteor shower | ATMOSPHERIC LAYERS(MESOSPHERE) |
Temp increases with increasing altitude Due to the ozone layer Jetstream in the lower part | ATMOSPHERIC LAYERS(STRATOSPHERE) |
Outermost Layer temp increases with increasing altitude Absorbing high level energy from the sun northern lights within this layer | ATMOSPHERIC LAYERS(THERMOSPHERE) |
Average Kinetic energy of the atoms of the atoms of molecules.(RELATED TO THE ABSORPTION OF SOLAR RADIATION) | Temp |
Total kinetic energy dependent on mass | Heat |
Influences the amount of solar radiation received. Rotates every 24 hours | Earth Motions |
Tilt of earth? | 23.5 |
Earth is closest to the sun on? | Jan 6 |
Earth is furthest from the sun in? | July |
Northern Hemisphere | Sept 22-23 |
Winter Solstice | Dec 21-22 |
Spring equinox | March 20-21 |
Summer solstice | June 21-22 |
Requires a solid mass | Conduction |
Requires liquid or gas. Density driven warm buoyant | Convection |
No mass required, cant travel through space | Radiation |
High energy | Short wavelengths |
low energy | Longer wavelengths |
Measured in calories of joules, energy required to change from liquid to gas and solid to gas | Heat energy |
Stored or hidden heat used during a phase change | Latent Heat |
LATENT HEAT OF(VAPORIZATION) | Endothermic |
LATENT HEAT OF(CONDENSATION) | Exothermic |
LATENT HEAT OF(FUSION) | Ice to water |
Amount of water vapor in the air | Humidity |
Max amount of water vapor, depending on air temp | Saturated Air |
Capacity | Is temp dependent |
Can hold more Moisture | Warmer |
Can hold less moisture | Colder |
Pressure is the mass of air under the force of gravity | Vapor Pressure |
Relative Humidity | Given as a percent |
temp at which the specific humidity is equal to saturation quality | Dew point |
Dry bulb | Actual temp |
Wet bulb | lower depending on the amount of evaporation |
Adiabatic temp changers occur when | air is compressed |
Descending air is compressed | R.H decreases |
Air will cool | R.H increases |
Cold Front coming into an area | Frontal wedging |
In areas with Mountains Forceful lifting from below | Orographic lifting |
where air is flowing together and rising | Convergence |
Lifting influenced by land surfaces. | Localized Convective |
How does the air temp change as an air parcel rises | Temp decreases, air parcel cools |
what happens to relative humidity as an air parcel rises | Relative humidity increases |
How does the air temp change as an air parcel descends | Temp increases |
What happens to relative humidity as an air parcel descends | R.H decreases |
High level or wispy or curly, completely made of ice and or crystals | Cirrus |
Blanketing an area. Moderate levels. rain associated. nimbo stratus may be associated with a warm front | Stratus |
Larger, puffy clouds. Fair weather. Evidence of differential heating. | Cumulus |
A cloud with its base at or very near the ground. | Fog |
Surface, over a large area warm moist air comes onto the land. R.H goes up until its 1oo% then fog forms | Advection fog |
Forms on cool clear nights, usually in valleys where the cool air is setting | Radiation fog |
On the windward side of a mountain range | Unslope fog |
during fall, In the evening or early morning air over the water is warmer and has more specific humidity | Steam fog |
Most common process can form rain or snow but starts as ice crystals | Bergeron Process |
Pure water can remain suspended in the air as a liquid down to -40*c. Pure water droplets | Supercoiling |
R.H gets above 100% S.C and S.S= rapid formation of ice crystals | Super saturation |
On a global scale | Convection |
warm air rises at the equator. low pressure center develops near the equator. Doldrums air flow | Hudley cell |
Instrument used to measure air pressure | Barometer |
Result of variations in atmosphere pressure related to differential heating. | wind |
Blows fro areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. similar to water flowing down hill | wind |
Lines on a map connecting points of equal air pressure. | isobars |
Moves from high to low | wind |
sinking and warming due to pressure and adiabatic warming | cool dry air |
downward and out from high pressure center | air flow |
Continental Polar | CP, Midwest cold air from canada |
Mavitime Polar | MP, over the pacific ocean |
Mavitime Tropical | MT, humid and warm |
Continental Tropical | CT, dry air and warm |
over takes warm air(CP->MT) | Cold air |
forces warm air upward | cold air |
(cold fronts)- cumulonimbus clouds higher relative humidity likely to have precipitation lower air pressures | ahead |
(cold Fronts)- clearing skies rising pressure lower relative humilities. | behind |
vertical profile | warm front |
usually results in stratus clouds | warm front |
cold front over takes a warm front | occluded front |
may develop a low pressure center | occluded front |
associated with mid-latitude cyclone | occluded front |
cold air flows in one direction warm air flows in opposite direction can cause flooding | stationary |
violent wind storm, rotating column of air that extends down from a cumulonimbus cloud. | tornadoes |
combined winds with thunderstorm(cold front) and down draft heavy rain or hail. | Microbursts |
caused by the rapid expansion of air around a lightning bolt | thunder |
controls on global climate change | Climate variabilty |
Sunspot cycle little ice age in Europe | solar output |
maunder minimum | solar output |
associated with warming | green house |
saw tooth pattern- precessive, obliquity-tilt, eccentricity | milankovitch cycles |
long term | plate tectonics |
influences the temp range | precipitation |
vertical growth R.H is higher as air mass is forced upward and cooling | cumulonimbus clouds |
occurs between oppositely charged particles within a cloud | Sheet lightning |
Occurring between the cloud and something on the land surface (trees, and high buildings) | forked lightning |
low pressure, wind speed 0-38? | tropical depression |
wind speeds 38-74 mph with lots of rain | tropical storm |
rotating wall of cumulonimbus clouds often with lighting | wall cloud |
center of a very strong hurricane | eye |
arms of clouds with great amount of precipitation | rain bands |
Airflow that is most common with severe weather | Airflow inwards and upwards |
What cloud type is most common with severe weather | cumulonimbus |
Tornadoes is the Midwest are when | Spring and summer |
Southeast Tornadoes occur when | summer to fall |
Two characteristic of hurricanes that cause the most damage | High winds and Flooding |
What does the self-ionization of water cause that is related to severe weather | lighting |
amount of incoming solar radiation | latitude |
Temp decreases with increasing elevation | elevation |
At 12 on Feb 7, the sun is directly overhead at | Some point between the tropic of Capricorn and the equator, heading northward |
The normal change in temp with altitude for a given location is the | environmental lapse rate |
What is the 3 most abundant gases in the atmosphere | Nitrogen, oxygen, argon |
When warm moist air moves over a cold surface as a commonly occurs in san Francisco this type of fog will occur | Advection fog |
If fair weather is approaching the air pressure tendency would probably be | rising |
Airflow near the equator is dominated by these wind patterns | doldrums |
A typhoon is the same as a | hurricane |
What is the range of wind speed for a tropical storm | 38-74 mph |
If an observer sees cirrus clouds, followed later by cirrostratus and then altostratus, he or she is witnessing the approach of an | Warm front |
Location near a large body of water generally have moderated climates due to the high specific heat of water | True |