Ch. 28 Flashcards
troposphere
a layer extending an average of 12 km above Earth’s surface
temperature inversion
occurs when air temperature increases with altitude and the air becomes stable
greenhouse effect
a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere warm a planet as they absorb and emit infrared radiation
How are the atmospheric layers divided?
Composition and temperature
What gas makes up the majority of the atmosphere?
Nitrogen 78%
Which is the second most common gas in the atmosphere?
oxygen 21%
What is the remaining 1% of the atmosphere made up of?
trace gases (majority argon)
Within the troposphere does the temperature increase or decrease with altitude?
decreases
How many layers are in the atmosphere?
5
What are the names of the atmospheric layers closest to the surface then going up.
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere,
Which layer is the ozone found in?
stratosphere
Within the stratosphere, does temperature increase or decrease with altitude?`
Increase
Does the temperature increase or decrease in the mesosphere?
Lower mesosphere decreases
higher mesosphere increases
Do the thermosphere and exosphere impact weather?
no
Where does 100% of solar radiation come from?
sun
What percent of solar radiation is absorbed by Earth’s surface?
50%
What percent of solar radiation is reflected off of Earth’s surface?
5%
What percent of solar radiation is absorbed by particles in the atmosphere?
20%
What percentage of solar radiation is reflected by particles in the atmosphere?
25%
What are the three basic cloud shapes?
stratus, cumulus, and cirrus
Describe stratus clouds
layered, sheet-like clouds associated with rain
Describe cumulus clouds
puffy in shape and occur in fair weather
Describe cirrus clouds
wispy, high-altitude clouds
jet stream
a narrow band of fast-moving, high-altitude air
Coriolis effect
the apparent deflection of an object due to Earth’s rotation
weather fronts
zones where air masses interact
air mass
a large volume of air with uniform moisture and temperature throughout
how many jet streams are there in the world
4
How many pressure systems are there
2
Low-pressure system
High-pressure system
What is a low pressure system known as?
Low (L)
Which direction does a Low rotate?
Counterclockwise
What are some results of Low pressure systems
air rises clouds form and creates precipitation
What is a high pressure system known as?
High (H)
Which direction does a High rotate
Clockwise
What is the result of a high pressure system?
Air sinks and creates clear skies
What are the 4 weather fronts
cold, warm, stationary, occluded
How are cold fronts created?
cold air forces warm air in a fast and chaotic manner
How are cold fronts represented on a weather forecast?
blue triangles
How are warm fronts created?
Warm air rises gently above cold air
How are warm fronts represent on a weather format?
red semi-circles
How is a stationary front created?
Where cold and warm air mass meet and stay
How are stationary fronts represented on a weather forecast?
alternating red semi-circles (on top) and blue triangles (on bottom)
maritime climate
a climate that is strongly affected by an ocean
continental climate
a climate that is not directly affected by an ocean
sea breeze
a breeze that blows from over the water toward land in afternoon
What is climate?
long term average of weather conditions
What is weather?
day to day outside conditions
What are the 5 spheres that make up the earth’s system?
Atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere
What is the atmosphere?
The air around us
What is the biosphere?
everything organic
What is the hydrosphere?
liquid water
What is the cryosphere?
Frozenwater- snow, ice, glaciers
What is the lithosphere?
Earth’s outermost layer
What is the primary factor that influences climate at any given location?
latitude
Where is solar radiation most intense on Earth’s surface?
equator
At what degrees do the sun rays hit the tropical zones?
90 degrees
At which degrees do the sun rays hit Earth in the temperate zones
45 degrees
At which angle do the sun’s rays hit the polar zones
30 degrees
Which zone is Lamar CO located in?
temperate
What factors determine climate?
Precipitation, mountains, water
What is the windward side conditions like?
cool and wet with lots of vegetation
What are the conditions like on the leeward side?
warm and dry with little vegetation
What is a land breeze?
wind blowing from land to sea
Which climate zone and which type of vegetation does Lamar CO have?
warm and semi-arid and grassland
How are occluded fronts created?
a fast moving cold front overtaking a slow warm front
How are Occluded fronts represented on forecast?
triangles and semicircles together alternating
Which hemisphere experiences summer?
The hemisphere tilted towards the sun
What was the period called when most of Earth’s surface was covered in ice?
Ice Age
How long ago did the world’s climate reach it’s current pattern?
3,000 years ago
What are some factors that can cause climate change?
The tilt of Earth’s axis, the shape of the orbit, and the distance from the sun.
How can humans change the atmosphere?
energy consumption, deforestation, and industrial and agricultural practice
What is deforestation?
The clearing of large areas of forest land.
global warming
an increase in the average temperature
el nino
the warming of the pacific ocean off the coast of the western america that occurs every 3-5 years
la nina
the opposite of el nino which occurs when tradewinds in the pacific are unusually strong
Is earth a perfect sphere?
No. The diameter along the equator is longer than pole to pole
What are two factors that affect gravitational strength?
masses and distance
What does the magnetic field protect Earth from?
radiation from the sun
Which hemisphere is the south magnetic field located in?
northern hemisphere
At what degrees does Earth’s axis tilt?
11.7 degrees
Can the magnetic poles change
yes
What is the name of the large scale movements where magnetic poles switch?
magnetic reversals
how often do magnetic reversals occur
every 200,000 years
Which part of Earth’s magnetic field deflects harmful radiation from the sun
the magnetosphere
What are the two scientific names for the southern and northern lights
N- aurora borealis
S- aurora australis
How are the auroras created
electrically charged particles collide with atoms in the atmosphere and emit lights
When is Earth closest to the sun?
January (147 km away)
When is Earth farthest from the sun?
July (152 km away)
time zone
an area 15 degrees wide in which the time is the same
rotation
the spinning of Earth on its axis
revolution
the motion of Earth in an elliptical orbit around the sun
eliptic
the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun
solstice
occurs when Earth’s rotational axis is tilted directly toward the sun or away from the sun
equinox
Earth’s rotational axis is perpendicular to a line drawn from the center of Earth to the center of the sun
Who devised a method of timekeeping around 3000 B.C.?
babylonians
What was the symbol for degree taken for?
the sun
How many degrees does the earth spin in one day?
360 degrees
How many hours does it take the earth to make one full rotation?
24 hours
How many degrees does the earth spin in one hour?
15 degrees
What direction does the sun rise?
East
What direction does the sun set?
West
True or False. All time zones are the exact same size.
False
How many time zones are there in the world?
24
What direction do you move to add hours at a time?
east
Which direction do you move to subtract hours from the time?
west
How many time zones are there in the United States?
6
What are the names of the time zones?
Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Hawaiian, Atlantic (Alaskan)
What is a solar day?
the movement of Sun from noon one day til noon the next day
What is a sidereal day?
the time required for the Earth to rotate once relative to the background of the stars
What are the two main reasons for seasons?
The revolution and the tilt of the axis
Which 2 seasons have a solstice?
summer and winter
Which month is the summer solstice?
June
Which two seasons are equinoxes?
spring and fall
Which month is the spring equinox?
March 20 or 21
Which month is the fall equinox?
September 22
When is the longest day of the year?
Summer solstice june 21
When is the shortest day of the year?
winter solstice December 21
When are the days almost 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night?
equinoxes March 21 and December 21
tide
a rise or fall in the ocean surface
moon phase
reflects the change in appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth
solar eclipse
occurs when the Moon moves directly between the sun and Earth and casts a shadow on Earth
Lunar eclipse
occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon and casts a shadow on the moon
Maria
dark-colored flat lava-filled regions on the Moon’s surface
Regolith
a layer of dusty lunar material produced by collisions between asteroids and comets and the moon
How many days does it take the moon to revolve around the earth?
27.3 days
A complete lunar phase cycle takes 29.5 days, what is this called?
synodic month
Do we ever see the back side of the moon?
no
What causes a tide to rise or fall?
gravitational pull from the sun and the moon
What is the rise of sea level called?
high tide
After the sea level rises how many hours does it take for the sea level to drop?
6 hours
Which is farther from the earth, the sun, or the moon?
sun
Does the moon or sun cause a greater effect on Earth’s tides?
moon
How are the sun, the earth, and the moon aligned for a spring tide?
straight line ( S, E, M)
How are the sun, the earth, and the moon aligned for a neap tide?
90 degree angle (S, E up M)
What does the phase of the moon you see depend on?
depends on how the sun , earth , and moon are relative to each other
When does a new moon occur?
When the moon is between the sun and Earth
How many phases of the moon are there?
8 phases
What is the definition of waxing phases?
the illuminated portion of the moon gets larger
What is the definition of waning phases?
the illuminated portion of the moon gets smaller
What are the moon phase names?
new moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, waning crescent
Where is the word month derived?
moon
How is the earth, moon, and sun aligned during a lunar eclipse?
Sun Earth Moon
How is the earth, moon, and sun aligned during a solar eclipse?
Sun Moon Earth
What is an umbra?
the darkest portion of the Moon’s shadow
What is a penumbra?
Lightest part of the Earth’s shadow
How are the depressions on the moon formed?
by meteorites,asteroids, and comets that strike surfaces
Are there mountains on the moon?
yes
Which side of the moon is thicker?
far side (dark side)
Is the mantle of the moon a solid or liquid?
solid
What did the Clementine spacecraft do? (two things)
- confirmed that the crust on the back side of the moon is thicker
- provided info on the mineral content
What did the Lunar Prospector do? (3 things)
took photographs of the moon surface
confirmed the moon has a small iron rich core
collected evidence that supports the water-ice ratio on the moon
What is the Giant Impact Theory?
Where a Mars sized object collided with Earth sending debris into orbit. The debris condensed forming a large mass also known as the moon.
