CH 2 Physical Envrio Flashcards
Differentiate between weather and climate
weather = short term. current conditions, temperature, precipitation, humidity etc.
climate = long term. based on averages and variation measured over decades
define Albedo
reflectance of incoming solar radiation
What types of things can affect albedo?
angle of the earth
weather (clouds)
color of the surface
ground cover (forests etc)
Does Earth absorb or emit short wavelength radiation?
Earth absorbs short wavelength radiation
Does Earth absorb or emit long wavelength radiation?
Earth emits long wavelength radiation
What is the angle of incidence?
the angle of incidence is the angle between the solar radiation on the earth and the line perpendicular to the surface
Does the angle of incidence increase or decrease as the distance from the equator increases?
it decreases as the distance from the equator increases
define air pressure
the weight of a column of air above you or a refernce point
(decreases with increasing altitude)
How are Hadley cells generated?
They are formed by the uplift of warm air at the equator
How are polar cells generated?
The polar cell is formed by subsidence of cold air at the poles
How are Ferrell cells generated?
they are driven by the movement of Hadley and Polar cells and by the exchange of energy bwtween tropical and polar air masses at the Polar Front
Coriolis effect
when something is not fixed to the earth, the observer will see it appear to move clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter clock wise in the southern hemisphere.
Polar Zone pressure and precipitation
High pressure, sparse precipitation in all seasons
Temperate Zone pressure and precipitation
Low pressure, ample precipitation in all seasons
Tropics pressure and precipitation
Low pressure, abundant precipitation in all seasons
What is the ITCZ?
Why does it migrate throughout the year?
The Intertropical Convergence Zone
As the earth rotates, solar radiation will increase in other areas than directly on the equator. Low pressure zones will “pull” the ITCZ North and South throughout the year
Is Primary production high or low in areas of downwelling?
Primary production is low
Is Primary production high or low in areas of upwelling?
Primary production is high
Define the rain-shadow effect.
What does it result in?
The rain shadow effect is the loss of moisture and the warming of air as it moves down eastern slopes.
This results in lower precipitation and soil moisture on sloped facing away from the prevailing wind and higher precipitation and soil moisture on the windward slopes.
maritime climate characteristics?
where does this occur?
little variation in seasonal temps and often have a higher humidity
Maritime climates occur in coastal terristrial regions that are influenced by an adjacent ocean
Continental climate characeristics?
Where does this occur?
Much greater variation in daily and seasonal temps.
This occurs in areas centered in large continental land masses
How will albedo, sensible heat loss, and latent heat loss be effected by a vegetated region?
Albedo is lower, sensible heat loss is lower (vegetation buffers the wind) and there will be a high latent heat loss
How will albedo, sensible heat loss, and latent heat loss be effected by a deforested region?
High albedo, high sensible heat loss, low latent heat loss (which leads to lower precipitation)
what is Latent heat loss?
the transfer of heat associated with the phase change in water. i.e. evapotranspiration
Earth’s surface releases (more/less/about the same) energy than it receives by solar radiation. Additional energy inputs to Earth’s surface occur in part from back radiation due to (greenhouse gases/evapotranspiration)
Earth’s surface releases more energy than it receives by solar radiation. Additional energy inputs to Earth’s surface occur in part from back radiation due to greenhouse gases
Heat loss due to exchange of kinetic energy by molecules in direct contact with one another is referred to as
conduction
The process by which heat is transferred by movement of a heated fluid such as air or water is reffered to as
convection
T or F
The Coriolis effect has a major impact on determining global patterns of ocean currents as well as winds
True
T or F
The Coriolis effect occurs because points on Earth close to the equator are rotating around Earth’s axis more slowly than points further away from the equator
False
The Coriolis effect occurs because points on Earth close to the equator are rotating around Earth’s axis more quickly than points further away from the equator
