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GEO1020 > Atmospheric Processes > Flashcards

Atmospheric Processes Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 5 components of the climate system?

A 
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Cryosphere
Land surface
Biosphere
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2
Q

What is the main energy input into the climate system?

A

Solar energy

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3
Q

What are the annual and seasonal variations in wind systems caused by?

A

Coriolis effect

Inequalities in the distribution of solar radiation leading to atmospheric circulation.

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4
Q

What are the 3 cells in the cell circulation model?

A

Hadley
Ferrel
Polar

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5
Q

What is the Polar Front?

A

The boundary between the Ferrel and Polar cells

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6
Q

What is the pressure like at the Polar Front?

A

A low pressure zone where warm, moist air from the Ferrel cell runs into relatively cold, dry air from the Polar cell

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7
Q

Why is the positioning of the Polar Front important?

A

Weather is variable here

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8
Q

What does ITCZ stand for?

A

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone

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9
Q

Where is the ITCZ located?

A

Near to the equator, where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together

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10
Q

What happens at the ITCZ?

A

Intense sun and warm water warm the air and make it humid. This leads to thunderstorms as the air rises causing it to expand and cool.

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11
Q

How does the ITCZ affect the climate around the equatorial regions?

A

The equatorial regions experience wet and dry seasons rather than hot and cold.

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12
Q

What are the two reasons for seasonal differences in climate across the globe?

A

Spherical shape of the Earth which also leads to large N-S temperature differences.
Tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation

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13
Q

What degree is the tilt of the Earth’s axis?

A

23.5

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14
Q

What are Trade Winds?

A

Equator-ward flowing easterly winds

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15
Q

What is the Jet Stream?

A

Relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper atmosphere. Embedded in Rossby waves.

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16
Q

In which direction does the Jet Stream flow?

A

From west to east

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17
Q

When is the Jet Stream strongest?

A

In Northern and Southern Hemisphere winters

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18
Q

What does the first law of thermodynamics state?

A

Energy can be converted but not created or destroyed.

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19
Q

What is responsible for the formation of weather systems?

A

The transformation of heat into mechanical energy.

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20
Q

What is entropy?

A

The measure of unavailability of heat energy for conversion.

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21
Q

What is the second law of thermodynamics?

A

Entropy increases with time, so overtime the system becomes more disordered

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22
Q

According to the second law of thermodynamics, what will happen to organised atmospheric motion overtime?

A

It will break down

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23
Q

What does medium and large atmospheric motion show?

A

A high degree of stability, suggesting that entropy does not increase with time and that there is a source of low input entropy.

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24
Q

What objects emit radiation?

A

Anything above absolute zero

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25
Q

What determines the intensity of insolation on the ground?

A

The angle of the Sun’s energy

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26
Q

What is temperature?

A

The mean kinetic energy per molecule of an object

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27
Q

What is heat?

A

Measure of total kinetic energy

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28
Q

What happens to molecules at absolute zero?

A

They are at rest

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29
Q

What is latent heat?

A

Heat that is stored and used when a substance changes state.

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30
Q

What is latent heat transfer?

A

Transfer of heat from an evaporating surface to the atmosphere.

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31
Q

What do heat transfer processes include? (2)

A

Conduction and convection

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32
Q

What is insolation?

A

Incoming solar radiation

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33
Q

What are the units of insolation?

A

Wm-2

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34
Q

What does insolation vary by? (2)

A

Latitude and season

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35
Q

Which objects emit more energy at shorter wavelengths?

A

Hotter objects

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36
Q

What is the change in state for sublimation?

A

Solid to gas

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37
Q

What happens to the latent heat in sublimation?

A

Latent heat is absorbed

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38
Q

What is the change in state for deposition?

A

Gas to solid

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39
Q

What happens to the latent heat in deposition?

A

Latent heat is released

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40
Q

What happens to the latent heat if a substance becomes less disordered?

A

Latent heat is released.

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41
Q

What is albedo?

A

How reflective the Earth’s surface is

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42
Q

What will happen to albedo as a result of sea ice decline?

A

Less solar energy will be reflected leading to more absorption by the sea.

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43
Q

What are the two types of radiation?

A

Direct solar radiation or indirect diffuse radiation

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44
Q

What do clouds trap?

A

Radiation

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45
Q

What is net radiation?

A

The difference between incoming and outgoing radiation

46
Q

Where is there an energy deficit?

A

At high latitudes

47
Q

Where does heat transfer move surplus energy?

A

From low to high latitudes

48
Q

What does radiation not require to travel?

A

Radiation

49
Q

What structures does radiation have?

A

Both a wave and photon structure

50
Q

What wavelength is solar radiation?

A

Shortwave

51
Q

What wavelength is terrestrial radiation?

A

Long wave

52
Q

How does temperature control the amount of radiation emitted?

A

The higher the temperature, the more radiation emitted

53
Q

What does the global water balance constantly cycle between?

A

Stores

54
Q

What part of the hydrological cycle contains little water?

A

The atmopshere

55
Q

What part of the hydrological cycle is responsible for the largest flow of water?

A

The atmosphere

56
Q

What is humidity?

A

The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere

57
Q

What type of air can hold more water vapour?

A

Warm air can hold more water vapour than cold air

58
Q

What is relative humidity?

A

Saturated air

59
Q

What happens to air as it rises?

A

It cools and becomes saturated

60
Q

What is the dew point?

A

The temperature of saturation

61
Q

What happens after the dew point is reached?

A

Condensation occurs, dew forms and it may rain

62
Q

What decreases as temperature increases?

A

Relative humidity

63
Q

What happens as a gas expands?

A

Its volume increases and its pressure and temperature decrease

64
Q

What does the adiabatic lapse rate do?

A

Quantify how the temperature of air decreases as it rises

65
Q

What can cause the adiabatic lapse rate to differ?

A

Wet and dry masses have different rates

66
Q

What happens to the dew point as air rises?

A

The dew point decreases

67
Q

What is the dominant process for transferring heat?

A

Convection

68
Q

What do temperature variations occur with?

A

Vertical motions

69
Q

What is meant by the term adiabatic process?

A

Energy is transferred in the form of work to or from the system

70
Q

What does mass balance dictate?

A

Some air masses must rise and some must fall

71
Q

Where does overturning occur?

A

In the troposphere

72
Q

What is overturning?

A

The constant turning of the atmosphere

73
Q

What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate?

A

Rate of temperature fall with height

74
Q

What is dry adiabatic lapse rate measured in?

A

C/Km

75
Q

What is the saturated adiabatic lapse rate?

A

Rate in the presence of condensation

76
Q

When is the complete earth- atmosphere system in thermal equilibrium?

A

Over long time scales

77
Q

Where is heat energy transferred to?

A

From the tropics to the poles

78
Q

What transfers heat energy from the tropics to the poles?

A

The north-south circulations in the atmosphere and oceans

79
Q

What is airflow almost parallel to?

A

Isobars

80
Q

Where is airflow not almost parallel to isobars?

A

Near the surface and the equator

81
Q

At what angle should air move to the isobars?

A

90 degrees

82
Q

Why doesn’t air move at 90 degrees to the isobars?

A

Due to the Earth’s rotation

83
Q

What are geostrophic winds?

A

Deflected winds that are more than 1km above the surface

84
Q

What is speed proportional to in geostrophic winds?

A

Speed is proportional to pressure gradient and strength of Coriolis effect

85
Q

In which direction is air flow for geostrophic winds?

A

Anti-clockwise around low pressure in the Northern Hemisphere and clock wise in the Southern Hemisphere

86
Q

What are Rossby waves the result of?

A

Smooth westward flow of upper air westerlies

87
Q

Where do Rossby waves develop?

A

At the Polar Front- they form convoluted waves that eventually pinch off

88
Q

What mechanism are Rossby waves for?

A

They are the primary mechanism for poleward heat transfer

89
Q

What creates low pressure?

A

Pools of cool air

90
Q

What is the Jet Stream caused by?

A

Sharp temperature differences

91
Q

Where is the subtropical westerly jet stream?

A

Poleward boundary of the tropical Hadley cell, just below the tropopause

92
Q

What does the subtropical westerly jet stream divide around in winter?

A

It divides around the Tibetan Plateau

93
Q

When does the equatorial easterly jet stream develop?

A

It develops in summer when the northern subtropical westerly jet stream is less developed and moves poleward.

94
Q

What is the equatorial easterly jet stream connected with?

A

The formation of a high pressure, upper level system over Tibet

95
Q

What is the Polar front jet stream associated with?

A

Warm and cold fronts of temperate latitude depressions.

96
Q

Which jet stream has considerable day to day variations?

A

The Polar front jet stream

97
Q

What is the climate system based on?

A

Ocean-atmosphere interactions

98
Q

What are 3 ocean- atmosphere interactions?

A

Albedo, moisture circulation and energy transfer

99
Q

What allows ice to form on the surface of oceans when warmer air resides below?

A

Density profiles of water

100
Q

What does ice influence?

A

Albedo and surface winds

101
Q

What does the North Atlantic circulation bring?

A

A continuous supply of heat and moisture to Western Europe

102
Q

Why is the North Atlantic circulation more noticeable in winter?

A

The area is milder than other areas in the same latitude

103
Q

What is El Nino Southern Oscillation?

A

An air exchange between South Pacific high and Indonesian equatorial low

104
Q

How long is the ENSO cycle?

A

2-8 years

105
Q

What happens to the trade winds during La Nina?

A

They are intense

106
Q

What happens to the western tropical Pacific during La Nina?

A

The warm tropical waters converge

107
Q

What happens to the eastern tropical Pacific during La Nina?

A

It is cold and dry

108
Q

What happens to the trade winds during El Nino?

A

They relax

109
Q

Where do warm waters move in El Nino?

A

Eastwards

110
Q

What happens in the Western Tropical Pacific in El Nino?

A

Drought

111
Q

What does the Eastern Tropical Pacific receive during El Nino?

A

Heavy rainfall and floods

GEO1020 (16 decks)

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