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Atmo 201 Exam 1
Chapters 1-5 of Meteorology Today
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Thin layer of gas that surrounds Earth. |
| The Sun | Provides energy required for the Atmosphere. |
| Atmosphere Composition | N2 - 78%, O2 - 21%, H20 - Max of 4%, Other Gasses - ~1%. |
| Variables of the Atmosphere | Air Pressure, Temperature, Moisture, and Wind |
| Air Pressure | Force per unit area of a column of air above you. Also known as the 'weight' of air above you. Measured in millibars (mb). |
| Temperature | Average kinetic energy of the molecules of gas in the Atmosphere. |
| Moisture | In the Atmosphere in two forms, Water Vapor and Precipitation. |
| Air Density | Low density air is replaced by high density air. When low density air is surrounded by high density air, low density air rises. |
| Layers of the Atmosphere | Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere. |
| Troposphere | Surface to 8 Miles. Contains all life and Weather. Temp decreases w/ height. |
| Stratosphere | 8 Miles to 30 Miles. Temp increases w/ height. |
| Mesosphere | 30 Miles to 52 Miles. Burns up most Asteroids. Temp decreases w/ height. |
| Thermosphere | 52 Miles and Above. Contains the Northern Lights. Temp increases w/ height. |
| Ionosphere | Layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night. |
| Lapse Rate | The rate at which temperature increases w/ height. When negative, temp is decreasing w/ height, when positive temp is increasing. Lapse Rate is negative in Troposphere and Mesosphere, positive in stratosphere and Thermosphere. |
| Weather | Short term atmospheric activity. |
| Climate | Longterm atmospheric activity, includes magnitudes, frequency, average weather, and extremes. |
| Measuring the Troposphere | Upper air observations: Releasing weather balloons to gather data |
| Heat Transfers | Conduction, Convection, Radiation |
| Conduction | Heat transfer by direct contact. The surface of the Earth to air molecules touching the surface. |
| Convection | Heat transfer by movement through fluids (The Atmosphere). Vertical heat movement in the Atmosphere is Convection, Horizontal heat movement through the Atmosphere is Advection. |
| Radiation | Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves. The shorter the wavelength, the more energy it has. The sun produces short wave radiation which heats the Earth. The Earth produces long wave radiation which cools the Earth. |
| Short Wave Radiation | Produced by the sun and shot out towards the Earth. These waves have more energy, which can cause sunburn or Melanoma if exposed for too long. This energy hits molecules in the Atmosphere and transfers its energy to them, heating the molecules up. |
| Long Wave Radiation | Produced by the Earth and Radiated away into space. These waves do not have a lot of energy, so they pass right through us without us noticing. |
| Radiation Emission & Absorption | All objects can do both. If an object absorbs more than it emits, it gets hot, if it emits more than it absorbs, it gets colder. |
| Black Body Radiation | An object that emits and absorbs all possible radiation. The Earth and the Sun are examples, the Atmosphere is not. |
| Radiative Equilibrium | Over a long period of time, the Earth absorbs and emits the same amount of radiation, resulting in what should be an average temp of 255 K. |
| Selective Absorbers | Molecules in the Atmosphere which do not absorb the sun's shortwave radiation but does absorb the Earth's long wave radiation. This heats up the Atmosphere and results in an average temp of 288 K |
| Short Wave Emission and Absorption | Atmosphere Absorbs - 19%, clouds and aerosols reflecting back into space - 26%, Surface Absorption - 51%, Surface Reflection - 4%. |
| Long Wave Emission and Absorption | Emission into space - 6%, Atmosphere Absorption - 94%. |
| Greenhouse Effect | The atmosphere emits long-wave radiation into space and back to the Earth. Long Wave radiation emitted back towards the earth heats the Earth up. |
| Clouds and Radiation | Clouds reflect radiation, resulting in cooler days and warmer nights. |
| Low Temperature | Occurs when incoming and outgoing radiation is equal in the morning. |
| High Temperature | Occurs when incoming and outgoing radiation is equal in the afternoon. |
| Gyres | Large ocean currents, left sides are warmer, right sides are cooler. |
| Temperature Determinants | Latitude, Land & Water Distribution, Ocean Currents, and Altitude. |
| Average Temperature | Average of high and low temps. |
| Normal Temperature | 30 Year average temp. |
| Humidity | Amount of water vapor in the air. |
| Saturation | The maximum amount of water vapor that a parcel of air can hold. |
| Measure of Absolute Humidity | Dew Point Temperature, mixing ration, specific humidity, and vapor pressure. |
| Relative Humidity | Ratio of water vapor in the air to amount of water vapor required for saturation. Determines how much evaporation can occur. |
| Ways to Change Relative Humidity | Change the temperature and change the amount of water vapor |
| Condensation | When air temp reaches dew point (saturation), water will condense. Dew forming on grass. |
| Condensation Nuclei | Aerosols and other small particles which allow water to condense on them in the atmosphere. |
| Fog | Occurs when the saturation point is reached. Just a cloud that is on the ground. |
| Radiation Fog | Fog resulting from radiation heat loss by Earth. California Valley and Smokey Mountains. |
| Advection Fog | Fog formed when warm, moist air is blown over a cool surface. San Fransisco Bay. |
| Upslope Fog | Fog formed as moist, stable air flows upward over a mountain, cliff, or large hill. |
| Evaporation/Mixing Fog | Fog formed when enough water vapor is added to the air by evaporation, and the moist air mixes with relatively drier air. Breath in winter or fog on top of a pond or lake. |
| Smog | Mix of air pollution and fog. |
| Clouds | Masses of condensed water. |
| Stratus | Latin for Layer, clouds with this in its name are thin and layered. |
| Cumulus | Latin for Heap, clouds with this in its name are puffy. |
| Cirrus | Latin for Curl of Hair, clouds with this in its name are wispy and thin. |
| Nimbus | Latin for Rain, clouds with this in its name are producing rain. |
| Low Clouds | Below 7k ft. Examples: Nimbostratus, stratus, stratocumulus. |
| High Clouds | Above 16k ft and made of ice. Examples: Cirrus, Cirrocumulus. |
| Alto Clouds | Between 7k and 23k ft. Examples: Altostratus, Altocumulus. |
| Clouds with Vertical Movement | Clouds than can span from below 7k ft to the tropopause and often carry rain and other precipitation. Examples: Cumulus, Cumulonimbus. |
| Stratus Fractus (Scud) | Occurs at the bottom of Thunderstorms. Can look like Tornadoes but aren't. |
| Air Parcel | A Volume of air that can rise and sink, but cannot mix with the environment around it. |
| Satellite Observation | Main way we observe clouds |
| Geostationary Orbit | An orbit in which a satellite orbits Earth at the same rate as Earth rotates and stay over the same region of Earth |
| Polar Orbit | An orbit that carriers a satellite over a small patch of Earth and rotates around the Earth. |
| Visible Light Observation | A basic view of where the clouds are and how many clouds there are. Most detailed view. |
| Infrared Light Observation | A view of heat coming from the clouds. This type of observation allows us to determine cloud height. Can also make observations at nig |
| Microwave Observations | A view inside of the clouds of the amount of water inside them. Usually on satellites on polar orbit. |
Created by:
cbald19
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