ABE 1 Weather and Climate QUIZ Flashcards
when the sun is farthest from the earth (occurs about July 4)
Aphelion
when the sun is nearest from the earth (occurs about January 3)
Perihelion
the sun passes directly over the equator or when the sun’s apparent path and plane of the earth’s equator coincide
Equinox
when the sun’s apparent path is displaced farthest north (Tropic of Cancer) or south (Tropic of Capricorn) from the earth’s equator
Solstice
percent of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected from a surface
Albedo
often used as the solar constant
◼ 1374 W/m2
rate at which solar radiation reaches the upper
limits of earth atmosphere on a surface normal
to the incident radiation and at earth’s mean
distance from the sun
Solar output (solar constant)
Radiation wavelengths
are usually given in micrometers (μm) or nanometers (nm) wherein 1 μm = 10-6 m
an envelope of air and suspended liquids and
solids surrounding the earth and bound to it
more or less permanently by virtue of earth’s
gravitational attraction (conventional limit =
1000 km MSL)
EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
(between equator and poles)
HORIZONTAL temperature gradient (between
(between earth’s surface and
tropopause)
VERTICAL temperature gradient
a measure of the average kinetic energy
of the individual atoms or molecules; measure of the
degree of hotness or coldness of the object
◼ TEMPERATURE
amount of heat required to change the
temperature of 1 g of the substance by 1°C
SPECIFIC HEAT
heat always flows from areas of higher temp toward areas of lower temp
TRANSPORT OF HEAT (according to the principles of
thermodynamics) -
occurs within a substance or between substances that are in direct physical contact
CONDUCTION
- transport of heat within a fluid (or gas) via motions of the fluid (or gas) itself
CONVECTION
does not require an intervening physical
medium and can take place in a vacuum
RADIATION
- the weight per unit area of the column of air above that location
AIR PRESSURE
How to eliminate the pressure gradient
the wind blows away
from regions where air pressure is high and towards regions where air pressure is relatively low
- air descends and diverges at the earth’s surface
DIVERGENCE
air converges at the earth’s surface and ascends
CONVERGENCE
rate of change in temperature observed while moving upward through the Earth’s atmosphere
LAPSE RATE
average lapse rate of temperature
6 °C/km
Dry adiabatic lapse rate
9.8 or 10 °C/km
