atmosphere and weather Flashcards
simply describe global circulation
different parts of the world heating up differently
name 2 ways in which heat can be absorbed
clouds, atmospheric gases
name 2 ways why the polar regions of the earth receive less radiation from the sun
curvature of the earth, depth of atmosphere is more in polar regions, albedo in polar regions from the snow
name the three cells
Hadley cell, ferrel cell, polar cell
where are Hadley cells located and give one characteristic
at the equator, warmer air rises to around 18km
where are polar cells located and give one characteristic
polar regions, smallest cells
where are ferrel cells located and give a characteristic
between Hadley and polar cells and aren’t driven by temperature they act as a gear
simply describe the Coriolis effect
if a point travelling a greater distance at the same time as another traveling a lower distance then the first must be traveling faster so points along the equator are spinning faster than points along polar regions
If a cloud is moving towards the equator what will happen compared to if it was moving away from the equator
the cloud moving towards the equator will be pushed behind and the cloud moving away from the equator will be pushed in front
what is the thermocline circulation
it is sometimes called the ocean conveyor belt- warmer less saline water flows at the surface and cooler saltier water flows in the deep oceans
what are the 6 influences on global temperature
latitude, the sea, ocean currents, altitude, cloud and winds
how does latitude influence global temperature
latitude is the distance a place is from the equator so the sun rays have to pass through a greater amount of atmosphere due to the angle of incidence being greater at the poles. At the equator the ray is more concentrated rather than spread out like at the poles
how does the sea influence global temperature
water has a greater specific heat capacity than land so more heat is required to warm it and land is warmer than the sea in summer but when it is heated it retains heat more than land so the sea is warmer than land in the winter
how do ocean currents influence global temperatures
if a current is flowing from the poles toward the equator it carries cold polar water into water areas called cold currents and the opposite with warm currents
how does altitude influence global temperatures
higher altitudes can’t hold heat so higher altitudes are colder than lower
how does cloud influence global temperature
the hottest parts of the world are a little north of the equator because equator regions have lots of cloud which reflects the sun so with a clear sky the temperatures will be higher
how do winds influence global temperatures
winds transfer warm or cold are to one place to another
define humidity
the amount of moisture in the air and warmer air can hold more water than cold air
define sublimation
the transition of a substance directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the immediate liquid phase
what 2 things must happen to form a raindrop in a cloud
sufficient turbulence to allow the cloud droplets to hit each other and merge to form raindrops, need a small particle of salt called condensation nuclei so they will be sufficient size
how is snow formed
when water vapor condenses at a temperature below freezing point passing directly from gas to solid state, if the atmosphere is cold enough for this not to melt snow will fall
how is hail formed
from cumulonimbus clouds, drops that have remained liquid in below freezing air collide and form a layer of clear ice
how is fog formed
humid air that has fallen below dew point and condensation has formed a dense cloud of water droplets in calm conditions
what is the IPCC
provide governments with scientific information they can use to develop climate policies to mitigate climate change but it doesn’t conduct its own research
what is COP26
where countries make promises based on their current situation such as: pledge to reach net-zero emissions, reverse deforestation by 2030 and move away from coal
name and describe the 3 types of precipitation
orographic- forced up by a mountain
frontal- warm air meets cold air and the lighter warm air is forced up and over the cold
convectional- hot ground heats up the air above it becoming less dense and it rises
what are the 4 types of fog
radiation fog, advection fog, frontal fog, hill fog
name the 5 key words used in every cloud name
cumulus, stratus, cirrus, alto, nimbo
