atmosphere Flashcards
what is the composition of the atmosphere?
78% nitrogen
21% oxygen
1% other gases such as methane and argon
what is the global energy budget
the balance between incoming and outgoing solar radiation
what is the albedo?
proportion of light that is reflected by a body or surface
s to d
what is the tri cellular model?
explains the redistribution of energy from areas of surplus to areas of deficit via three different air masses. (atmospheric circulation)
what are the three different air masses
polar cell, hadley cell and ferrel cell.
what is a biome?
a regional or global land area characterised by the plants, animals and climate.
which biomes occur in low pressure areas?
equatorial and temperate rainforest
which biomes occur in high pressure areas?
hot desert, tundra
what is natural climate change?
natural cycles in the earths climate, leading to ice ages and warmer interglacial periods.
what drives natural climate change?
orbital changes, plate tectonics, sunpots and volcanic activity.
what is the milankovitch cycle?
earths orbit, tilt and wobble
what are short term influences on climate change?
volcanic and sunspot acitivity
how is energy transferred from areas of surplus to areas of deficit?
atmospheric circulation
which areas are in energy surplus?
0-30 degrees
which cells are thermally direct?
hadley cell and polar cell
high or low pressure at the equator?
low, with high volumes of precipitation.
pressure at 30 degrees north and south?
high pressure, hot desert biome
what is the natural greenhouse effect?
natural atmospheric processes that maintain the earths average surface temperature at about 15C
what is a sunspot?
region on the surface of the sun that is temporarily cool and dark compared to surrounding regions.
what is a solar flare?
a sudden, rapid intense variation in the suns brightness.
a, l, v of wind patterns
what is the definition of surface wind patterns?
arrangement, location, velocity of various wind patterns blowing across earths surface.
what is the coriolis effect?
a deflection in the surface wind patterns across the globe caused by orbit
which way do the winds move?
due to the anticlockwise rotation of the globe, the wind moves to the right in the northern hemisphere but to the left in the southern hemisphere.
where is it usual to find an equatorial rainforest?
5 degrees north and south of the equator.
what is earths average albedo?
0.31
