Atmosphere And Ocean Patterns (4-8)

Question 1

How does the sun’s energy power the planet?

Answer 1

The sun generates energy and radiates it out to space.

The Earth receives a tiny fraction of that energy. Some of that energy is reflected, the rest is absorbed.

When an object gains energy, it heats up.

Question 2

What are the 2 types of radiation?

Answer 2

1. Solar radiation: shortwave, visible.
2. Terrestrial radiation: long wave, infrared.

Question 3

What are the 2 radiation laws?

Answer 3

1. Objects emit radiation over a range of wavelengths.
   - Wien’s law: the wavelength at which an object emits the most is inversely proportional to temperature.
2. Stefan-Boltzman law: the energy flux emitted by an object is proportional to the fourth power of its temperature.

Question 4

What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere?

Answer 4

Troposphere (where weather occurs), stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.

Question 5

What is the greenhouse effect? What is the main one?

Answer 5

Gases that can absorb terrestrial radiation. Some of that energy is then remitted back to the surface, which raises surface temperatures.

The absorption of terrestrial radiation is mainly by H2O (water Vapor) and clouds (not a GHG, but acts like one).

Question 6

Describe the different energy distribution at the surface.

Answer 6

Because of incoming solar radiation angles, not all surfaces on the globe receive the same amount of radiation.

The equatorial latitudes receive more energy than the polar latitudes.

Question 7

Because of the differences in incoming solar radiation, why do tropical regions not get gradually warmer and higher latitudes not get colder?

Answer 7

The transport of heat by the atmosphere and oceans.

Question 8

Why does air move?

Answer 8

1. Pressure gradient force: air accelerates from high to low pressure areas.
2. The pressure of air is due to the wight of the column of air above, pushing on the air below. If there is more mass of air above, air pressure will be larger.
3. Interplay between pressure, density, and temperature.
   - Common: at a constant pressure, warm air is less dense than cold air, so the warm air rises and cold aire sink.
   - Rare: if an entire column is warmed, it will expand vertically (becomes less dense, needs more space).

Question 9

Explain the direct thermal circulation.

Answer 9

1. Uneven solar heating.
2. Increases temperature contrasts between air columns.
3. Increases pressure differences between air columns.
4. Induces air movement between columns.
5. Reduces temperature differences between the air columns.

Question 10

What is the Coriolis Effect?

Answer 10

Because we are on a rotating Earth. Straight paths appear curved to us, as if a “force” was pulling on moving objects.

Trajectories curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

This affects air paths.

Question 11

What does vertical motion effect?

Answer 11

Results in pressure and temperature changes.

Effects on humidity: saturation, condensation clouds.

Question 12

Explain the process of the vertical motion of air.

Answer 12

1. Air that goes up expands (and contracts when going down).
   - Pressure on the parcel of air diminishes with height - the parcel can take up more space.
2. Air that expands cools (and warms when it contracts).

So, air that goes up cools. Warm air only rises when it remains warmer than its surroundings.

Question 13

Explain the different states of water vapor saturation. What is the link to circulation?

Answer 13

1. Air saturated with humidity = no net flux.
2. Air sub-saturated = net evaporation.
3. Air super-saturated = net condensation.

The saturation point decreases as air cools.
- If saturated air rises (expands and cools) = super-saturated.
- If saturated air descends (compresses and warms) = sub-saturated.

Question 14

Explain cloud formation.

Answer 14

Clouds are made of tiny droplets of liquid or small crystals of ice.

They form when humid air cools and become super-saturated. The most effective way to cool air is to lift it.

Almost all clouds as formed by cooling due to rising of moist air, and subsequent condensation.

Descending motion bring drier air from aloft and tends to suppress cloud formation.

Question 15

Explain the general circulation of air at the tropics.

Answer 15

Warm moist equatorial air rises and moves towards the poles (Hadley cells), leading to cloud formation.

There is sinking motion at about 30 digress latitude in both hemispheres.

Question 16

Explain the general circulation of surface winds.

Answer 16

Average surface winds consist of trades and easterlies (winds coming from the east) in the equatorial and polar latitudes, and westerlies at mid-latitudes.

Question 17

What drives the surface ocean currents?

Answer 17

Surface ocean circulation is driven by the wind.

Through friction, momentum is transferred from winds to ocean currents. But o and masses block the otherwise eat-west circulation - gyres are formed, helped with winds, friction and the Earth’s rotation.

Question 18

How is the ocean circulation important in global energy distribution?

Answer 18

Surface currents —> Water temperature —> Redistribution of heat.

Question 19

What do the oceanic temperature patterns drive?

Answer 19

1. Heat exchange with the atmosphere.
   - dampens seasonal and diurnal temperature swings.
2. Moisture exchange (evaporation) patterns.
   - warmer water can evaporate more readily than colder water.

Question 20

What drives the deep ocean circulations? What is it not dependent on?

Answer 20

Variations in temperature and salinity a the surface. Also known as the thermohaline circulation.

Independent of the wind-driven surface currents.

Question 21

What characterizes the deep ocean?

Answer 21

Cold, salty, and dense.

Surface currents and deep currents behave differently although they are linked.

Question 22

Explain what drives surface temperature and salinity.

How do they affect the density of the water?

Answer 22

Surface temperature: sea surface temperature is primarily determined by transport and by energy exchange between space and the atmosphere.

Salinity: surface salinity is affected by evaporation and precipitation.

Warm + fresh water = lighter water
Cold + salty water = denser water

Surface water density varies geographically, with the densest water located in the Northern Atlantic (ice formation plays an additional role).

Question 23

Explain the effect of ice and salinity. What is its effect on the deep ocean circulation?

Answer 23

Ice formation increases salinity because salt is excluded from the ice crystal structure. Ice is also located in cold waters.

Increased salinity = increased density.

Cold, salty, high density water sinks, flows along the ocean floor to deep ocean. Polar regions hence appear to be the main drivers of the deep ocean circulation.

Question 24

Explain the El Niño process.

Answer 24

The warm pool of surface water in the western tropical Pacific initially shifts farther east, towards the Peruvian coast. As a result, so does the surface low pressure and associated precipitation.

This triggers a chain reaction: warm waters shift east.
- displaces normally rainy areas from the west to central Pacific; splits circulation in 2.
- reduces trade winds.
- warm waters stay east.
- repeat loop.

Question 25

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 25

Weather: refers to the day-to-day changes in atmospheric conditions.

Climate: long-term averaged weather, and departures from this average.
- defined by temperature and precipitation patterns.
- determine what is normal to expect in a given location.

Question 26

What are factors that contribute to climate diversity?

Answer 26

1. Seasonality in solar heating
   - the tilt in Earth’s axis of rotation gives rise to seasonality.
   - at higher latitudes, temperatures are colder and have a high contract in summer/winter.
2. Seasonality in atmospheric response
   - seasonality in solar heating affects surface temperatures and atmospheric circulations.
   - shift of surface heating drives precipitation.

Question 27

Explain the following climate diversity pattern: land vs ocean

Answer 27

1. Thin layer of warming on land, thick layer in oceans (because of mixing). Land areas warm and cool faster than ocean surface.
   - there is less change over the ocean than on land. There is a higher diurnal and seasonal temperature range on land.
2. The influence of oceans on nearby land depends on the temperature of the water, which is shaped by oceanic circulation.
   - warm waters induce milder, rainier climates.
   - cold waters cause drier climates

Question 28

Explain the following climate diversity pattern: temperature contrasts and circulation

Answer 28

Temperature contrasts drive circulation.

Temperature co starts drive precipitation contrasts.

Question 29

Explain how orographies affects climate.

Answer 29

1. Colder/windier at higher latitudes.
2. Mountains barriers force air up, remove the moisture of air (via clouds, precipitation).
   - lots of clouds/rain on the upwind side, sunny/dry on the downwind side.

Question 30

Explain how dominant winds affect climate diversity.

Answer 30

The climate of any area is influenced by what happens upwind.

Areas downwind of oceans will have less contrasted climates than those upwind.

Question 31

What characterizes the hydrological cycle?

Answer 31

1. Closed system.
2. Open reservoirs - exchanges between the reservoirs.

Question 32

What is the difference between green water flow and blue water flow?

Answer 32

Green: water that flows through vegetation for a variety of processes. The water evaporates through plants.

blue: direct water flow without passing through vegetation.

Question 33

What is residence time?

Answer 33

The volume of the reservoir divided by the rate of input or output to reservoir.

Only if the system is in a steady state.

Question 34

Explain how renewable something can be based on its residence time. What has the smallest residence time?

Answer 34

Very big residence times are not easily renewable. Small residence times are generally renewable.

the atmosphere.

Question 35

What are the roles of the hydrological cycle overall?

Answer 35

Movement of water = movement of energy and matter.

Important in: energy redistribution, nutrient movement, weathering and sediment movement, water availability, photosynthesis, etc.

Water cycle couples with physical climate and bio geochemical systems.

Question 36

What are the roles of the hydrological cycle in landscape and habitat development?

Answer 36

1. Takes place globally but effects are more regional.
2. Connection between hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
3. Affects a broad range of landscape shaping processes.
4. River systems, glacier systems, groundwater systems, shoreline systems are subsystems of the hydrological cycle.

Question 37

Explain the hydrological system and bio geochemical cycling.

Answer 37

Évapotranspiration from plants is a key hydrological flow that is linked with atmospheric carbon capture by plants to allow for photosynthesis.

Soil water flows contribute to movement of nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is critical for building of chlorophyll. Both elements are essential for photosynthesis.

Plant anatomy and physiology often reflect adaptations to ET and efficient use of water.