28 chapter Flashcards
A layer extending an average of 12 km above Earth’s surface
Troposphere
Occurs when air temperature increases with altitude and the air becomes stable
Temperature Inversion
a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere warm a plant as they absorb and emit infrared radiation
Greenhouse Effect
How are the earth’s atmospheric divided?
Based on differences in composition and temperature
What gas makes up the most of Earths atmosphere?
Nitrogen- 78%
What is the second most abundant gas found in the atmosphere?
H2O- 21%
What is the 1% of the gases called?
Trace gases
In the troposphere does the temperature increase or decease with altitude.
It decreases
what are the names of the five layers starting to the close earth surface going up?
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Troposphere, Exosphere
Which layer is the ozone layer in?
Stratosphere
Does the temperature increase or deceases within the stratosphere ?
Increases
Does temperature increase or decrease within the mesosphere?
It decreases until it gets to a higher level then starts to increase
Does the troposphere and the exosphere impact weather
no
Where does 100% of our solar radiation come form?
Sun
what % of radiation absorbed by Earth Surface?
50%
What % is reflected off of Earths surface?
5%
What % of solar radiation is absorbed by partials in the atmosphere
20%
What % of solar radiation is reflected off of by partials in the atmosphere?
25%
What are the three basic cloud types?
Stratus, cumulus, cirrus
Explain Stratus clouds?
There are layered sheet like cloud, and associated with rain
What are cumulus clouds?
Nice puffy clouds and occur in fair weather
Explain cirrus cloud?
They are wispy, high-altitude clouds
What are the processes were water from the land enters the atmosphere and eventually falls back to the land.
Water Cycle
What are all the the steps to the water cycle.
Evaporation condensation, and precipitation.
Apparent deflection of an object due to Earth’s rotation.
Coriolis Effect
Is a narrow band of fast-moving, high-altitude air.
Jet Stream
A large volume of air with uniform moisture and temperature throughout.
Air Mass
Air masses interact in zone.
Weather fronts
How many jet streams are in the world
There are 4
How many pressure systems are there?
2, low pressure, high pressure system
What is the low pressure system also know as?
a Low (L)
Which does a low pressure flow?
Counter clockwise
What are some results of a low pressure system?
air rises, clouds form, and create precipitation
What is a high pressure also know as?
a High (H)
What do high pressures cause?
Causing the air to sink, which results in clear skies
which direction does pressure flow?
High pressure flow clockwise
What are the four weather fronts?
Cold front, warm front, stationary front, occluded front
what causes a cold front?
cold air that forces warm air up and forms cumulus clouds
What is a cold front represented by on the news?
Represented by the blue triangles
How are warm fronts formed?
warm air rise gently above cold air
What is the warm front represented by on the news?
Half circles
How are stationary fronts formed?
They are formed by cold air and warm air meeting together
How are the stationary represented on the news?
by half red circles and a blue triangle
How are occluded fronts created
fast moving cold front takes over a slow moving warm front
How are occluded represented on the news?
with purple triangles and half circles
A climate that is strongly affected by an ocean
Maritime climate
A climate that is not directly affected by an ocean
Continental climate
Blows from over the water toward land
Sea breeze
Long-term average of weather conditions
Climate
Day to day outside condition
Weather
What are the five sphere for earths system ?
Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere
What is the atmosphere?
includes the air around us
The biosphere?
is everything organic
The hydrosphere?
is liquid water
The cryosphere?
is frozen water in snow, ice, and glaciers
The lithosphere?
is Earth’s outermost layer
What is the primary factor that influences climate?
Latitude
Where is the solar rotation most intense on Earth?
Equator
At what degrees do the sun rays hit earth surface at the tropic zone?
90 degrees
At what degrees does the sun rays hit earth surface at the temperate zone?
45 degrees
What degrees do the sun rays hit the polar zones?
30 degrees
What zone are we located in?
Temperate zone
What other factors determinate climate?
Precipitation, mountains, water
What is the windward side on a mountain range?
Air is cool and wet and a lot of vegetation
What is it like on the leeward side?
Warm and dry and little to no vegetation
What is a land breeze?
Air form the land goes to the water
Which climate zone and which type of vegetation does Colorado have?
Warm and semi-arid and grassland
An increase in the average temperature of Earth’s near-surface air and oceans
Global Warning
is the warming of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of western South America that occurs every 3 to 10 years
El Nino
which occurs when trade winds in the Pacific are unusually strong and surface water is colder than normal
La Nina
How do seasonal changes happen?
They move around the sun
Which hemisphere is in the summer?
They one that is tilled towards the sun
What is the period of time where the earth was covered in ice?
Ice age
How long ago did the world reach its current pattern?
about three million years ago
What are some factors that cause climate change?
the tilt of the earth’s axis and rotation, the shape of its orbit, and the timing of seasons
How do humans create a climate change?
energy consumption, deforestation, and industrial and agricultural practice
What is deforestation?
is the clearing of large areas of forest land
How does deforestation caused climate in increase?
We relay on trees, and they remove the carbon dioxide
