Atmospheric Science - midterm Flashcards

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1
Q

In which direction does the earth rotate?

A

Counter clockwise

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2
Q

What is the geographic grid? What does it consist of?

A

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)

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3
Q

Parallels are lines of ______ and meridians are lines of ______

A

Latitude, longitude

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4
Q

Where is 0 degrees longitude located? What do we call that line?

A

Greenwich. England. The Prime Meridian.

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5
Q

The line of 0 degrees latitude is commonly referred to as the ______

A

equator

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6
Q

What are the three main types of map projections? Briefly describe each

A

Polar projection - shows just a pole
Mercator projection - common, rectangular projection
Goode projection - looks like a bunch of ovals glued together

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7
Q

How many time zones is the earth divided into?

A

24

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8
Q

What does the time stamp UTC refer to?

A

Coordinated universal time - the time in Greenwich, England

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9
Q

Which meridian represents the International Date Line? What is the purpose of this line?

A

The 180th meridian. Calendars advance by one day when travelling westward across this line and turn back one day when travelling eastward

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10
Q

The orbital motion of the Earth around the sun is termed _____

A

Revolution

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11
Q

The time where Earth is nearest to the sun is called _____ and occurs on date: _____

A

Perihelion, January 3rd

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12
Q

The time where Earth is furthest from the sun is called _____ and occurs on date: _____

A

Aphelion, July 4th

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13
Q

The Earth’s axis is tilted _____ degrees from the plane of the ecliptic (the plane representing earth’s orbit around the sun)

A

66.5

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14
Q

When do the solstices occur and what happens during a solstice?

A

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

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15
Q

During a _____ the Earth’s axial tilt is neither toward nor away from the sun

A

Equinox

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16
Q

What are the names and dates of the two equinoxes?

A

Vernal Equinox - around March 21st

Autumnal equinox - around September 22nd

17
Q

What is the circle of illumination?

A

The line on the earth separating the side facing the sun from the dark side

18
Q

Where is the subsolar point on the June solstice?

A

23.5 degrees North AKA Tropic of Cancer

19
Q

Where is the subsolar point on the December solstice?

A

23.5 degrees South AKA Tropic of Capricorn

20
Q

At what latitude are the arctic and antarctic circles located?

A

66.5 degrees north and 66.5 degrees south, respectively