Atmosphere 2- How does it work? Flashcards

1
Q

What will the solar rays be like in mid-latitude and polar areas?

A

Oblique- more diffuse, larger area covered

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2
Q

What will solar rays be like on the equator?

A

direct- more concentrated smaller area covered

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3
Q

How much more energy does the equator receive than the poles annually?

A

2.5 times

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4
Q

How much light is reflected from a white/ light surface?

A

80%

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5
Q

How much light is reflected from a dark surface?

A

10%

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6
Q

What is the albedo range % for some different surfaces?

A

Fresh snow or ice- 60-90
Old melting snow- 40-70
Clouds- 40-90
Desert sand- 30-50
Soil- 5-30
Tundra- 15-35
Grasslands- 18-25
Forest- 5-20
Water- 5-10

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7
Q

How much energy is absorbed and reflected by the ocean at high latitudes?

A

Absorbed- 67%
Reflected- 33%

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8
Q

How much energy is absorbed and reflected by the ocean at low latitudes?

A

Absorbed- 95%
Reflected- 5%

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9
Q

What is earths climate system primarily driven by?

A

heat energy arriving from the sun

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10
Q

What 3 fundamental factors control atmospheric energy balance?

A

The energy received as short-wave radiation.
Short wave energy reflected (by albedo).
How much outgoing long-wave radiation is trapped (by GHGs)

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11
Q

What does the heating imbalance between the tropics and the poles drive?

A

general circulation of earths atmosphere and ocean

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12
Q

What is energy transferred in the climate system by convection as?

A

sensible heat

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13
Q

What does a large flux of sensible heat energy from the lower layers of the atmosphere lead to?

A

higher altitude and latitudes large scale convection

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14
Q

What is coriolis deflection?

A

circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere

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15
Q

What are the 3 atmospheric cells?

A

Hadley
Ferrel
Polar

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16
Q

How is latent heat part of the climate system?

A

energy transfer

17
Q

What is sensible heat flux?

A

direct heating, a function of surface and air temperature

18
Q

What is latent heat flux?

A

function of surface wetness and relative humidity

19
Q

What does positive values for sensible and latent heat mean?

A

energy is moving towards the atmosphere

20
Q

What does a positive value for change in heat storage mean?

A

energy moving out of storage

21
Q

What are the key features of general circulation in the tropics?

A

Ascending air/ low pressure
warm/intense seasonal rainfall

22
Q

What are the key features of general circulation in the sub-tropics?

A

Descending air/ high pressure
Warm/ clear skies/ dry/ semi-arid

23
Q

What will form when centre of high pressure cell is over continent?

A

Deserts

24
Q

What are the key features of general circulation in the polar regions?

A

Cold descending air/ high pressure
Dry/arid (polar desert)

25
Q

Where is the driest place on earth?

A

Antarctic dry valleys

26
Q

What are the key features of general circulation in the mid-lat. westerlies?

A

Ferrel cell (forms where warm air Hadley meets cold air of polar)
Warm air rises over cold-low pressure-cyclonic circulation
Prevailing westerly

27
Q

What is orographic rainfall?

A

mountains of uplands act as barriers to airflow, forcing the air to rise and the moist air moving upslope coo down by producing clouds and precipitation

28
Q

What is a rain shadow?

A

area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds

29
Q

What are the three Milankovitch cycles?

A

Eccentricity
Obliquity
Procession

30
Q

What is eccentricity?

A

earths orbit changing from roughly circular to roughly elliptical 100ka to 400ka cycle

31
Q

What is procession?

A

Earths axis of rotation changes on a 19-23ka cycle
the wobble on rotation

32
Q

What is earths current angle of rotation?

A

23.5*

33
Q

What is obliquity?

A

Tilt on earths axis
41ka cycle
range between 22.1 to 24.5*

34
Q
A