Atmosphere Flashcards
refers to the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.
weather
description of aggregate weather conditions
climate
(1) air temperature, (2) humidity, (3) type and amount of
cloudiness, (4) type and amount of precipitation, (5) air
pressure, and (6) speed and direction of the wind
basic elements of weather
a mixture of many discrete gases, each with its own physical properties, in which varying quantities of tiny solid and liquid particles are suspended.
air
amount of water vapor in the air
humidity
are a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas.
Aerosols
force exerted by the weight of the air above
Atmospheric pressure
The lowermost layer in which we live and where essentially all important weather phenomena occur.
It contains roughly 80 % of the mass of Earth’s atmosphere
Troposphere
The temperature * with increasing altitude in the troposphere is called the environmental lapse rate. Its average value is 6.5°C per kilometer (3.5°F per 1000 feet), a figure known as the *
decrease
normal lapse rate
It is where jetstream is found; contains ozone that serves as a protective shield against UV rays.
Temperature * with increasing altitude as
the atmosphere’s ozone is concentrated in this layer.
Stratosphere
increases
Meteoroids that enter the earth’s atmosphere are burned. The coldest temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are found near the top of this layer.
Mesosphere
High-energy X-rays and UV radiation from the Sun are absorbed in the *, raising its temperature to hundreds or at times thousands of degrees. The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern Lights, occur in the * .
thermosphere
the actual “final frontier” of Earth’s gaseous envelope where it merges into the solar wind. It contains most of the satellites orbiting Earth.
Exosphere
is a series of regions in parts of the mesosphere and thermosphere where high-energy radiation from the Sun has knocked electrons loose from their parent atoms and molecules. It is responsible for auroras.
Ionosphere
The line separating the dark half of Earth from the
lighted half is called the *
circle of illumination.
The * is the point where the body comes closest to the Sun
perihelion
point in the orbit where the celestial body is farthest from the Sun.
aphelion
is a division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and amount of daylight
season
On Earth, seasons result from Earth’s * around the Sun and *
orbit, Earth’s axial tilt relative to the ecliptic plane
The nearer a place is to the latitude receiving vertical rays of the Sun, the * will be its noon Sun and the * concentrated will be the radiation it receives
higher, more
During May, June, and July, the Northern Hemisphere is exposed to more direct sunlight because the hemisphere faces the Sun. The same is true of the Southern Hemisphere in November, December, and January. It is Earth’s axial tilt that causes the Sun to be higher in the sky during the summer months, which increases the solar flux. However, due to seasonal lag, June, July, and August are the warmest months in the Northern Hemisphere while December, January, and February are the warmest months in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Earth is tilted * from the perpendicular. This is termed the *
23½°, inclination of the axis
At this time, the vertical rays of the Sun strike 23½° north latitude (23½° north of the equator), a latitude known as the *
Tropic of Cancer.
For people in the Northern Hemisphere, June 21 or 22 is known as the * , the first “official” day of summer.
summer solstice
Six months later, on about December 21 or 22, Earth
is in the opposite position, with the Sun’s vertical rays
striking at 23½° south latitude. This parallel
is known as the *
Tropic of Capricorn
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 and 22 is the *
winter solstice.
Midway between the solstices are the *
equinoxes
September 22 or 23 is the date of the * in the Northern Hemisphere, and March 21 or 22 is the date of the * .
. On these dates, the vertical rays of the Sun strike the * because Earth is in such a position in its orbit that the axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the Sun
autumnal equinox, spring equinox
equator (0° latitude)
The farther you are north of the equator, the *
the period of daylight, until the * is reached, where daylight lasts for 24 hours (opposite
for the Southern Hemisphere).
longer, Arctic Circle
Locations in the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing
their greatest length of * (opposite for
the Southern Hemisphere).
daylight
Locations north of the Tropic of Cancer are experiencing their highest * Sun angles (opposite for places south of the Tropic of Capricorn).
noon
In summary, radiation may be atr
absorbed, transmitted, or redirected (reflected or scattered).
is the process whereby light bounces back
from an object at the same angle at which it was received.
Reflection
By contrast, * is a general process in which
radiation is forced to deviate from a straight trajectory.
scattering
Energy is returned to space from Earth in two ways: reflection and emission of radiant energy. The fraction of the total radiation that is reflected by a surface is called its *
albedo
. Although incoming solar radiation travels in
a straight line, small dust particles and gas molecules in
the atmosphere scatter some of this energy in all directions. The result is called *
diffused light
the principal absorbing gases.
Water vapor and carbon dioxide
The atmosphere is an efficient absorber of the * wavelengths emitted by Earth (terrestrial radiation). Because the atmosphere is quite transparent to * -wavelength solar radiation and more readily absorbs longer-wavelength radiation emitted by Earth, the atmosphere is heated from *
longer, shorter
the ground up.
the trapping of the sun’s warmth in a planet’s lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet’s surface
Greenhouse effect
Warm air is * than cold air. Thus, warm air rises above cold air making the pressure below lower. The horizontal movement of air from high pressure area to lower pressure area produces * .
less dense,
wind
When spending a day at the beach, a noticeable drop in temperature may occur during the early afternoon as a cool breeze begins to blow off of the water. This wind is known as the “*”, which occurs in response to differences in temperature between a body of water and neighboring land.
sea breeze
Sea-breeze circulations most often occur on warm sunny days during the spring and summer when the temperature of the land is normally * than the temperature of the water. During the early morning hours, the land and the water start out at roughly the same temperature. On a calm morning, a given pressure surface will be at the same height above both the land and water.
higher
A few hours later, the sun’s energy begins to warm the * more rapidly than the water. By later in the day, the temperatures of the land increases while the temperature of the water remains relatively constant. This occurs because water, especially large bodies of water like a lake or ocean, are able to absorb more energy than land without * .
land , warming
It is important to remember that the air is not heated directly from above by the sun. In fact, most of the incoming solar energy actually passes right through the atmosphere. However, as the land absorbs this energy, heat is radiated back into the atmosphere (from the earth), warming the overlying air. Some of this heat is transported to higher levels in the atmosphere through *.
On the other hand, since the temperature of the water remains relatively constant throughout the day, the air over the water is not heated from below (as over land), resulting in * air temperatures over the water.
convection, lower
On clear, calm evenings, temperature differences between a body of water and neighboring land produce a cool wind that blows offshore. This wind is called a “”. These are strongest along the immediate coastline but weaken considerably further inland.
land breeze
On clear and calm evenings, the earth’s surface cools by radiating (giving off) heat back into space, and this results in a cooling of the immediately overlying air.
Since the air over land cools more rapidly than the air over water, a temperature difference is established, with * air present over land and relatively * air located over water
cooler, warmer
Acid rain is caused by emissions of *, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids.
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
Chemicals that can destroy the ozone in the stratosphere. These chemicals include *, and other compounds that include chlorine or bromine.
Stratospheric ozone depleters
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons
- is the most important greenhouse gas. It
comes from the burning of fossil fuels in cars, power
plants, houses, and industry. * is released during
the processing of fossil fuels, and also comes from natural sources like cows and rice paddies. * comes from industrial sources and decaying plants.
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
b. Southwest Monsoon
habagat - originates from Southeast Trade winds south of the equator
c. Northeast monsoon
amihan - from east, south east
low pressure areas in the tropics
CYCLONES
with wind speed of less than 63 kph
a. tropical depresssion
with wind speed of 63-118 kph
b. tropical storm
with wind speed of more than 118 lph
c. typhoon
- results from the buildup and discharge of electrical energy between positively and negatively charged areas.
Lightning
are stable substances that only exposure to strong UV radiation breaks them down. When that happens, the CFC molecule releases atomic *. One atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules
CFCs
chlorine
