Atmospheric Science - midterm Flashcards
In which direction does the earth rotate?
Counter clockwise
What is the geographic grid? What does it consist of?
The geographic grid is a spherical coordinate system that consists of circles called parallels (run east-west across Earth) and Meridians (run north-south across earth)
Parallels are lines of ______ and meridians are lines of ______
Latitude, longitude
Where is 0 degrees longitude located? What do we call that line?
Greenwich. England. The Prime Meridian.
The line of 0 degrees latitude is commonly referred to as the ______
equator
What are the three main types of map projections? Briefly describe each
Polar projection - shows just a pole
Mercator projection - common, rectangular projection
Goode projection - looks like a bunch of ovals glued together
How many time zones is the earth divided into?
24
What does the time stamp UTC refer to?
Coordinated universal time - the time in Greenwich, England
Which meridian represents the International Date Line? What is the purpose of this line?
The 180th meridian. Calendars advance by one day when travelling westward across this line and turn back one day when travelling eastward
The orbital motion of the Earth around the sun is termed _____
Revolution
The time where Earth is nearest to the sun is called _____ and occurs on date: _____
Perihelion, January 3rd
The time where Earth is furthest from the sun is called _____ and occurs on date: _____
Aphelion, July 4th
The Earth’s axis is tilted _____ degrees from the plane of the ecliptic (the plane representing earth’s orbit around the sun)
66.5
When do the solstices occur and what happens during a solstice?
Winter/December solstice: December 22nd, North Pole is inclined 23.5 degrees away from the sun
Summer/June solstice: June 21st, South Pole is inclined 23.5 degrees away from the sun
During a _____ the Earth’s axial tilt is neither toward nor away from the sun
Equinox
What are the names and dates of the two equinoxes?
Vernal Equinox - around March 21st
Autumnal equinox - around September 22nd
What is the circle of illumination?
The line on the earth separating the side facing the sun from the dark side
Where is the subsolar point on the June solstice?
23.5 degrees North AKA Tropic of Cancer
Where is the subsolar point on the December solstice?
23.5 degrees South AKA Tropic of Capricorn
At what latitude are the arctic and antarctic circles located?
66.5 degrees north and 66.5 degrees south, respectively
