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Atmosphere > 1 > Flashcards

1 Flashcards

1
Q

Everything radiates as a

A

black body

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2
Q

Latent heat

A

Heat released/absorbed during change in phase

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3
Q

Sensible heat

A

The heat we feel…Transferred by rising and mixing of warm air

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4
Q

Vapour pressure (e) =

A

Actual amount of vapour in the air at any given time

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5
Q

Saturated vapour pressure (es) =

A

Maximum amount of water vapour a parcel of air can possibly hold

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6
Q

How is temperature rested to saturated vapour pressure?

A

The higher the temp = The higher saturated vapour pressure (es)

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7
Q

Water will continue to evaporate into a parcel of air until

A

e = es….vapour pressure = saturated vapour pressure

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8
Q

Unsaturated air =

A

Dry air

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9
Q

Relative Humidity (RH) =

A

e/es x 100%……Ratio of actual moisture to maximum moisture content

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10
Q

Mass Mixing Ratio =

A

Weight of moisture per kg of dry air….g/Kg

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11
Q

When does condensation occur?

A

When air is saturated…i.e. e = es and RH = 100%

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12
Q

The temperature at which condensation occurs is

A

Dew Point Temperature (Td)

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13
Q

How can condensation occur?

A

By cooling at constant pressure, cooling by lifting (adiabatic) or by adding more moisture to the air parcel eg. subtropical oceans

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14
Q

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR) =

A

The rate at which dry (unsaturated) air cools with height…9.8degreesC/Km

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15
Q

Environmental Lapse Rate =

A

The actual rate at which the atmosphere cools (static)

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16
Q

The atmosphere is stable if…

A

DALR > ELR…Stable…The parcel is cooling more quickly than the air around it

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17
Q

The atmosphere is unstable if…

A

DALR < ERL…Unstable…The parcel if cooling less quickly than the air around it

18
Q

Air can become unstable if it is…

A

Heated from below

19
Q

Air can become stable if it is…

A

Cooled from below

20
Q

1st Law Thermodynamics in relation to adiabatic cooling

A

du + dw = 0….So it must cool

21
Q

Free convection

A

Convection due to density differences

22
Q

Forced convection

A

Uplift by mechanical forces eg. orographic barrier (mountain), frontal uplift

23
Q

Supersaturation

A

Air cooled below its dew point

24
Q

Hygroscopic Nucleir are what?

A

Particles which attract water e.g. aerosols, dust…Condensation occurs onto hygroscopic nuclei

25
Q

Cumuloform signifies

A

Free convection…….heaped clouds

26
Q

Stratiform signifies

A

Forced convection…..flat, sheet-like clouds, mass ascent

27
Q

Pressure gradient equation =

A

Change in pressure / Change in distance

28
Q

What is an adiabatic process

A

Occurs without exchange of heat between a system and its surroundings.

Cooling by lifting…Air parcel rises, where pressure is lower, so it expands.
As it expands, it does work on its surroundings
This extracts heat energy
The parcel cools
Vapour pressure, e remains the same
Saturated vapour pressure, es decreases with decreasing heat
Until e = es, and condensation occurs (RH = 100%)

29
Q

Coriolis =

A

Apparent deflection of moving objects (air masses) to right in N and left in S hemisphere, as earth rotates

30
Q

What is geostrophic wind?

A

Balanced flow between Pgf and Co, observed above the friction layer in the atmosphere (above 500m)

  • Must have straight parallel isobars - Wind blows at right angles to the pressure gradient
  • Pgf = Co
31
Q

How does friction affect V?

A

Friction reduces V, therefore Coriolis reduces

32
Q

How does friction affect wind direction?

A

Causes convergence of air into low pressure

33
Q

Convergence

A

Air moves toward areas of low pressure (due to friction)…Due to deceleration … Leads to clouds/rain

34
Q

Divergence

A

Air moves outward away from an area of high pressure…Due to acceleration

35
Q

Surface convergence leads to

A

Upward motion…Ascent

36
Q

Surface divergence leads to

A

Downward motion…Descent

37
Q

Vorticity =

A

The spin in the system (of moving body)

38
Q

Positive vorticity when

A

When vorticity if in the same sense of the Earth: “Cyclonic”

39
Q

Negative Vorticity when

A

When vorticity is in the opposite sense of the Earth: “Anticyclonic”

40
Q

Absolute vorticity =

A

Total spin in the system … Remains a constant

41
Q

Define jet streams

A

Narrow Bands of very strong winds in the upper troposphere (Associated with intense horizontal temperature gradients)

Atmosphere (1 decks)

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