Ch 1 vocab Flashcards
1
Q
atmosphere
A
life-giving blanket of air. In one way or another influences everything we see and hear (thermal regulator)
2
Q
outgassing
A
the constant outpouring of gases from the interior of the earth (which came from the eruption of volcano) this provided a rich supply of water vapor which formed clouds
3
Q
nitrogen
A
occupies about 78 percent of dry air
4
Q
oxygen
A
occupies 21 percent of dry air
5
Q
water vapor
A
Most significant variable gas in atmosphere. Water vapor can represent 4% of gases and all the way down to .1%
6
Q
Carbon dioxide
A
is a natural component f the atmosphere and occupies a small perctenage of dry air. It comes from fossil fuels, volcanic eruptions and a few other things. Plants take CO2 out of the air during photosynthesis
7
Q
ozone
A
majority of ozone (97) percent is found in the upper atomoshpere. It is formed naturally by oxygen atoms combining with oxygen molecules. It absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun
8
Q
What are the permanent gases of the atmosphere?
A
Argon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Neon, Helium, Hydrogen Xenon
9
Q
First processes of oxygen production
A
Photo-dissociation
10
Q
Photo-dissociation
A
Process of sun splitting water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen. Because hydrogen is lighter, it escaped into space while oxygen stayed in the atmosphere
11
Q
Second process of oxygen production
A
photosynthesis
12
Q
photosynthesis
A
blue-green algae was the first organism to in the cycle. Led to a gradual build up in oxygen. Photo dissociation created water and the presence of sunlight on blue green algae created oxygen
13
Q
permanent gases
A
gases that have remained relatively unchanged for the passed 250 million years
14
Q
variable gases
A
gases that are affected by spacial and temporal variations (water vapor, carbon dioxide)
15
Q
Greenhouse effect
A
This adds as a barrier to block some of the energy that is going toward the earth
16
Q
What are the variable gases of the atmosphere?
A
water vapor, carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous-oxcide, ozone
17
Q
Carbon Dioxide (Natural sources)
A
Deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, (sink is in the ocean)
18
Q
Methane (Natural sources)
A
Natural wetlands, termites, planting of rice patties, cows burping, permafrost melting in the arctic regions
19
Q
Nitrous Oxide (natural sources)
A
burning of fossil fuels, chemical industry, burning of forests. (sink is in upper atmosphere)
20
Q
Air Density
A
determined by mass of atoms and molecules and the amount of space between them. Tells us how much matter is present in a specific volume area. It is greater at ground level than it is way up in the sky
21
Q
Air Pressure
A
measures the weight of air
22
Q
Heterosphere and Homosphere
A
Heterosphere- 80km-480km—permenant gases are not uniform
Homosphere- ground level to 80km–permenant gasses are uniform
23
Q
Troposphere
A
contains pretty much all the water vapor, and active weather phenomena or taking place. Ground level to 18km
24
Q
subsidence
A
when air is sinking over a region (causes anti cyclones)
25
Anti-cyclones
happens when air is sinking, which forces surface air density to increase and surface air pressure to rise
26
cyclones
If air is rising over a region, surface air density decreases and surface air pressure drops
27
convection
ascending air currents (causes cyclones)
28
Tropopause
boundary between trophosphere and stratosphere. (NOTconstant everywhere) (18km at equator, 8km at poles) Equator is higher because Strong convective movements push the Tropopause at a higher altitude above the ground.
29
Stratosphere
- This is a warm layer. Contains most of the atmospheric ozone.
- Absorbs UV light from the sun to act as a protection from UV hitting the earths surface.
- Temperature increases with height. (because air is less dense and so it is exposed to higher levels of radiation)
- Usually clear sky and high isolation
30
Normal Lapse rate for trophosphere temperature
3.5 degrees f. per 1000 ft.
31
Actual lapse rate (environmental lapse rate)
This differs from the normal lapse rate depending on what kind of weather is going on
32
Advective process
happens is stratosphere. (This is the jet stream) Located at the interference of troposphere and stratosphere
33
Sink for man made pollutants?
This occurs in the stratosphere.
34
What is the ionsphere and where is it located?
It is can electrified region. It is located in the lower region of the Mesosphere all the way through the thermosphere
35
What is ionization?
atoms and air molecules lose electrons because of the incoming sun energy. This creates aurora boreails.
36
When is ionization more active?
during periods of solar flares
37
what is the tropopause?
the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere.
38
Where is the altitude of maximum concentration of ozone?
In the Stratosphere about 23-25 km above ground
39
What is an isothermal layer?
An area of the atmosphere that does not change. This occurs in the lower Stratosphere.
40
Advection
Strong horizontal winds (the jetstream) located at the interference of the troposphere and stratosphere
41
Order of the atmosphere
1. Troposphere (0-18 km)
2. Stratosphere (18-50 km)
3. Mesosphere (50-80 km)
4. Thermosphere (80-480 km)
42
homosphere vs heterosphere
Homosphere: 0 to 80 km and the concentration of permanent gases is uniform
Heterosphere: 80-480 km and the concentration of permanent gases is not uniform
43
Where is air density the greatest in the atmosphere?
at ground level
44
climatology
This deals more with analyzing long term climatic developments. Viewing trends and stuff like that
45
meteorology
focuses on weather processes and forecasting
46
descriptive climatology
x
47
quantitative climatology
a way in which weather elements can be measured and quanified from one day to the next. Allows statistical assessment of that region
48
barometer
invented in 1643 by Evangelista Torricelli air pressure
49
anemometer
1450 by Leon Batista Alberti wind speed
50
hygrometer
invented in 1400 by Leonardo da Vinci humidity
51
psychrometer
invented in 1825 by Ferdinand August humidity
52
What is the 30 year climatic normal?
A measure of a particular ten years by comparing it to the 30 years before that to see if those ten years were "above" or "below" the normal
53
first two weather instruments?
rain gauge and wind vale
54
regional climatology and koppen's classification system
These both came from climatic normal. (Regional climatology has to do with the 6 groups in Missouri that are separated from each other.
55
Polar Front Theory
Proposed that the main inflow into a cyclone was concentrated along two lines of air
convergence, one ahead of the low and another trailing behind the low.
56
Which improvements to weather maps are connected to the polar front theory?
Norwegian cyclone model
57
what is a radiosonde and what is it used for?
it is a balloon thing. As the radiosonde rises, sensors measure vertical profiles of
pressure, temperature, and
relative humidity. Dew point and wind flow informations can be estimated
58
What is the purpose of using
| radar in weather and climate?
to determine the movement of storms, the areas of heavy precipitations and their distance from the radar
59
infra-red images
cold clouds (high clouds) are represented by white color. warm clouds (low clouds) are represented by grayish color
60
water vapor images
white images indicate moisture while darker areas indicate little or no moisture
61
visual images
This covers smoke from forest fires, pollution, clouds, water etc.
62
climatic database. composed of:
1. ) surface-based observations (weather stations)
2. ) upper air data (radiosonde)
3. ) Satellite observations (wide areal coverage of the globe)
63
First order weather station
specialized climatic measurements.
64
Second order weather station
This is the most common and is where temperature, rainfall, and humidity are calculated
65
Satellite data (3rd in climatic database)
This is a satellite that orbits the earth and is key for areas like the ocean and polar regions where there are no other ways to find out the weather.
66
Geo-stationary satellites
These orbit the earth and the same rate that the earth spins so they are always in the same spot
67
polar orbiting satellites
These provide much more detailed pictures because they are closer to the earth. can take photos of the polar regions
68
climate system
five major components: the atmosphere,
| the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the land surface and the biosphere
69
Energy exchanges
This has to do with the net radioactive budget between the earths surface and the atmosphere. (Deforestation is an example) and this can lead to regional climate change
70
Mass exchanges
This is the availability of water vapor in the atmosphere, and the return in the form of precipitation to the ground
71
climatic modeling (role)
to predict the effects of change and interactions within the climate system
72
key issue in climate system
When it is disturbed, and altercation in mass and energy takes place
73
energy
ability to do work on some form of matter
74
internal energy
determines how much work an object is capable of doing
75
Potential energy
represents the ability to do work
76
Kinetic Energy
a moving substance possesses energy of motion (in weather this can be wind and temperature)
77
Heat Energy
This is a type of kinetic energy where atoms and molecules are colliding with one another
78
Radiant energy
This is energy that is generated by the sun (short wave radiation)
79
specific heat
defined as The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. (if there were one gram of water on the stove, it would take 1 calorie to raise it a degree Therefore, the specific heat of water is 1)
80
Latent heat
This is the heat energy required to change a substance from one state to another (liquid to gas, etc.)
81
Conduction
Refers to the transfer of heat from molecule to molecule (Heat flowing along a stick will eventually burn hand)
82
Convection
Refers to the vertical transfer of heat by the mass movement of air
83
Radiation
the energy that is emitted from the sun. This energy travels in the form of waves. (electromagnetic waves)
84
Electromagnetic waves
waves that have electro and magnetic waves. (Radiant energy is an example)
85
What kind of waves does the earth give off? The sun?
Earth: long wave radiation
Sun: short wave radiation
86
The sun and earth radiation distribution
44% between .4 and .7 micrometers
49% total inferred
7% UV
87
Plancks Law
States that a wavelength from a body depends on the temperature of that emitting body. (sun v earth example. the sun emits much shorter wave lengths because it is so much hotter)
88
Wein's law
this law determines at which wavelength the radiation intensity is maximized. (Maximum peak emission of the sun is .48 which gives us a blue sky)
89
Stephan-Boltzmann’s Law
This law determines the total amount of energy emitted by a radiating body. The total energy of a body is temperature raised to the fourth power
90
Black body
an object that absorbs almost all of the energy (and later emits that energy) These surface have a very low albedo rate. (reflection rate)
91
Why is the atmosphere a selective absorbor of the atmosphere?
Because it absorbs some wavelengths from the sun, and is transparent to others.
92
Gases transparent to short wave radiation
water vapor and carbon dioxide
93
Which gases absorb UV rays?
Oxygen and ozone
94
atmospheric window
the bandwidth between 8 and 11 um where LW (IR) radiation emitted from the surface escapes upward through the atmosphere and out into space
95
When the atmospheric window is open what is maximized?
Radiational cooling because the warm air from the earth is going up into the atmosphere
96
Transparency
The ability of the atmosphere to allow isolation to reach the surface
97
what is isolation
Isolation is the SW radiation coming from the sun
98
Isolation is affected by what three factors?
Absorption, Reflection, Scattering
99
Absorption
a process of isolation (SW radiation) being taken and absorbed by atmosphere. This causes the earth to heat up. Takes place in the air and clouds.
100
What is scattering?
this takes place because of gas molecules and and particles in the sky that forces sunlight to disperse in many different directions
101
diffuse reflection (Upward scatter)
energy might be lost to the earth's system (because its being reflected)
102
diffuse radiation (downward scatter)
energy absorbed by the surface
103
Direct shortwave radiation
goes through the atmosphere untouched and unaltered
104
Diffuse shortwave radiation
goes through clouds or is affected by scattering s
105
Net SW radiation budget equation
K*= (Q+q) (1-a)
106
vertical movement from air
transport of sensible heat from ground up. (conduction an convection)
107
Earth-Atmosphere energy balance comprises two important components..what are they?
net radiative budget (radiative transfers) and (non-radiative transfers) which are vertical heat transfers
108
non-radiative transfers
these consist of convection and latent heat transfers
109
radiative transfers
Exchange of SW and LW transfers from the earth's surface and to the atmosphere
110
solar output
Nuclear reactions within the core of the sun produce energy
111
photosphere
Radiant energy that reaches the earth is emitted from here
112
What is solar Lumunosity?
The amount of energy the sun radiates into space per second
113
Solar constant
This refers to the average average insolation received at the top of the atmosphere when the earth is at its average distance from the sun
114
What are sunspots
Slightly cooler regions of the suns photosphere
115
How are sunspots created?
Intense magnetic storms on the surface of the sun
116
What is the sunspot cycle?
follows a periodicity of 11 years.
117
Maunder minimum
this is a prolonged period of time when low temperatures that are associated with low sunspot activity (the ice age)
118
Rotation
earths spinning rotation on its own axis. (occurs over a period 23 hrs 56 min)
119
Revolution
The earth moving around the sun over a period of 365.25 days
120
Aphelion
distance between sun and earth in the summer
121
perihelion
distance between sun and earth in the winter
122
sub polar point
point on earths surface where the sun is directly overhea (usually around noon)
123
declination of the sun
latitude of sub polar point at noon
124
spring equinox
all parts of the earth get 12 hours of daylight and nighttime
125
winter equinox
north gets zero sunlight while south gets all sunlight
126
What does day length directly depend on (2 things)
Latitude and revolution of planet earth around the sun
127
what region of the earth is receiving the highest amount of insulation at the summer solstice? the lowest?
The north pole is the highest and equator the lowest at the summer solstice
128
What parts of the earth receive annual surplus energy? what about deficit of energy?
Tropical regions= surplus
| Polar regions=deficit
129
Four reasons why water heats and cools more slowly than land
1. transparency
2. specific heat
3. mixing processes
4. evaporation
130
annual thermal amplitude
The difference between month with the highest monthly average temp and the month with the lowest average temp.
131
isotherms in summer vs winter
in summer they bend toward the poles while in the winter they bend toward the equator
132
growing degree-days
This is a guide to agriculture planting. Approximates when plants should be harvested and planted
133
Cooling degree-days
These are helpful in indicating when buildings should have the ac on as opposed to the heat
