Atmosphere 1 Flashcards
1
Q
What causes the movement of the atmosphere?
A
Differential heating patterns
2
Q
Why are the tropics warmer than the poles?
A
- If the angle at which the sun radioation hits the earth atmosphere is close to the right angle, there is a shorter distance and less absorbtion of heat into the atmosphere
- The large the surface hit by solar radiation, the intensity of heat is less
- Albedo effect. Polar cold climate reflects more light and heat away
3
Q
Do Tropics overheat?
A
No, the atmosphere and ocean moves excess heat away
4
Q
How much heat does the atmosphere and ocean move?
A
The amosphere moves 75% of heat and the ocean moves 25% of heat
5
Q
What are the different types of solar heat transfer?
A
- Radiation (primary source of heat)
- Conduction (heat travels land to air)
- Convection (heat moving to space with particles like water)
6
Q
What is the Coriolis force?
A
The earth’s radiation causes the air movement to veer to the right
7
Q
Zonal wind patterns
A
- There are 6 general wind patterns
- There is also semi-permanent patterns and wind fields
- At the pole, wind spreads from its surface, this is a high pressure system ending in low pressure
8
Q
Pressure
A
- In a typical high pressure system, the wind turns clockwise (anticyclonic)
- In a typical low pressure system, the wind turns anti-clockwise (cyclonic)
9
Q
What does cyclonic mean?
A
The same direction aas the Earth’s rotation (counter-clockwise)
10
Q
Jet streams
A
- Embedded in the Rossby waves
- Very fast wind fields that move from high to low pressure
- Polar jet stream mainly affect the British isles
