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EAS 373 Climate Systems > Chapter 1 Reading > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Reading Flashcards

1
Q

climate=

A

the synthesis of the weather in a particular region

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2
Q

How can climate be defined quantitatively?

A

by using the expected values of the meteorological elements at a location during a certain month or season

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3
Q

What are climatic elements?

A

the expected values of meterological elements
- include variables like avg temp, precipitation, wind, pressure, cloudiness, and humidity

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4
Q

the distribution of vegetation and soil type over land areas is determined primarily by __ ___

A

local climate

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5
Q

T/F
we are as sensitive now as we have ever been to climate fluctuations and climate change

A

true

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6
Q

Why might climate fluctuations cause serious difficulties for humanity in our modern society?

A

food, water, and energy supply systems are strained to meet demand, and they’re optimized to current climate conditions.
Population is large enough to absorb max agricultural productivity of earth, so starvation is a huge risk during climate fluctuations

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7
Q

The climate of a region depends on __itude, ___itude, and orientation in relation to ___ bodies, ____, and prevailing ___ directions

A

latitude
altitude
water bodies
mountains
prevailing wind directions

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8
Q

Which 2 weather elements are of greatest interest when defining earth’s climate? Why?

A

temperature and precipitation

  • these two factors together largely determine the species of plants/ animals that survive in a particular location
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9
Q

The climate system of earth determines the distribution of ____ and ___ near the surface and consists primarily of: the ______, _____, and _____

A

energy
water
(ie temp and precipitation)

atmosphere
oceans
surface (land)

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10
Q

What is the average temp at the surface of Earth (2016)?

A

288K
15C

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11
Q

What is the global mean lapse rate of the troposphere?

A

6.5K/km

ie the temp decreases 5 Kelvin for every 1km you go up

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12
Q

In the stratosphere, temperature increases with height (up to ~50km). Why?

A

Because of the absorption of solar radiation by ozone

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13
Q

Above the stratosphere, temp ___ with height in the ____

A

decreases
mesosphere

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14
Q

What is the temp range and height of the troposphere

A

15-20km thick

range: ~300K at surface to 190K at top

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15
Q

What is the height and temp range of stratosphere?

A

~30km

190K at bottom, 270K at top

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16
Q

What is the height and temp range of the mesosphere?

A

~85km

270K at bottom, 180K at top

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17
Q

Why does the temp of the atmosphere rapidly increase above about 100km?

A

Because of heating produced by absorption of ultraviolet radiation form the sun, which dissociates oxygen and nitrogen molecules and ionizes atmospheric gases in the thermosphere

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18
Q

Maintaining the Earth’s surface temp is very dependent on the decrease of temp with altitude in the ____

A

troposphere

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19
Q

The further north you are, the ____ the height of the troposphere

A

lower

eg. troposphere is ~18km at equator and ~9km at 80N

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20
Q

T/F

The VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION of temperature varies with latitude and season

A

true

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21
Q

At polar latitudes the tropospheric lapse rate is ____ than at the equator

A

less

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22
Q

Temperature inversion=

give example

A

a region of inverse lapse rate

  • eg. at high latitudes, the temp actually increases with altitude in the troposphere in the winter and spring
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23
Q

Why does a temperature inversion happen in polar regions?

A

because the surface cools very efficiently through emission of infrared radiation in the absence of insolation during winter darkness. The air doesn’t emit radiation as efficiently as the surface, and heat transported poleward in the atmosphere keeps the air in the lower troposphere warmer than the surface

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24
Q

The ___ _____ is the coldest part of the lowest 20km of the atmosphere in annual mean temp

A

tropical tropopause

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25
Q

seasonal variation of troposphere temps is much lower in the southern hemisphere. Why?

A

there is a larger fraction of ocean-covered surface there (water stores heat very effectively)

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26
Q

Rank the mass of the atmosphere, solid earth, and oceans

A

smallest: atmosphere (5.14x10^18 kg)

med: oceans (1.39x10^21kg)

largest: solid earth (5.98x10^24kg)

27
Q

-
-

A

nitrogen (78%)
oxygen (21%)
argon (1%)

28
Q

T/F

The atmospheric gases that are important for absorption/
emission of radiant energy make up less than 1% of the atmosphere’s mass.

A

true!

29
Q

In order of importance for surface temperature, list the 5 main greenhouse gases

A
  1. water vapor
  2. carbon dioxide
  3. ozone
  4. methane
  5. nitrous oxide
30
Q

the atmosphere is composed of gases held close to the surface of the planet by ___

A

gravity

31
Q

The vertical forces acting on the atmosphere are ___, which pulls the air molecules toward the center of the planet, and the ____ ____ ____, which tries to push the atmosphere out into space

A

gravity
pressure gradient force

32
Q

what is the hydrostatic balance?

A

the balance of the force of gravity and the pressure gradient force

33
Q

What is atmospheric humidity and how can is be measured?

A

= the amount of water vapor carried in the air

can be measured as vapor pressure, mixing ratio, or specific humidity

34
Q

specific humidity=

A

the ratio of vapor mass to total air mass

35
Q

mixing ratio=

A

the ratio of the mass of vapor to the mass of dry air

36
Q

the partial pressure of water vapor in the atmosphere ____ very rapidly with altitude

A

decreases

37
Q

the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at the equator is ~__x ____(< or >) than at the poles

A

10x greater

38
Q

The rapid upward and poleward decline in water vapor abundance
in the atmosphere is associated with the strong ____dependence
of the saturation vapor pressure

A

temperature

39
Q

The temperature dependence of saturation pressure of water vapor over a water surface
is governed by the ______-________ _____

A

Clausius–Clapeyron relationship

40
Q

First law of thermodynamics=

A

energy is conserved, so that for a unit mass of gas, the applied heat is equal to the sum of the change in internal energy and the work done

41
Q

Adiabatic process=

A

Adiabatic refers to a process in which no heat is transferred into or out of a system, and the change in internal energy is only done by work

42
Q

When moisture is present in air and an air parcel is raised adiabatically, the parcel can become _____such that the water vapor
condenses and latent heat is _____.

A

supersaturated
released

43
Q

The saturated adiabatic lapse rate is generally ____(more/ less) than the dry adiabatic lapse rate, and becomes _____ (</>)as the temperature rises.

A

less
smaller

44
Q

When moisture is present in air and an air parcel is raised adiabatically, the parcel can become ___ such that the water vapor condenses and latent heat is released

A

supersaturated

45
Q

As a saturated parcel rises, water ___, latent heat is released, and the parcel ___ more slowly with increasing ____ than an unsaturated (dry) parcel

A

condenses
cools
altitude

46
Q

What is Equivalent Potential Temperature?

A

the temp that would be obtained by a moist air parcel is it were first raised moist-adiabatically until all of its water compressed out, and then brought back adiabatically to a reference surface pressure

47
Q

T/F

If the equivalent potential temp increases with height, then the parcel is absolutely stable

A

true

48
Q

If the equivalent potential temp decreases with height, then the air parcel is absolutely unstable

A

false!
only conditionally unstable
It’s unstable only if it becomes saturated

49
Q

List the following in order from higher fraction of the total water in the climate system to the least

Lake/ streams
atmosphere
oceans
icecaps/glaciers
groundwater
soil moisture

A
  1. oceans 97%
  2. icecaps and glaciers 2.2%
  3. groundwater
  4. lakes and streams
  5. soil moisture
  6. atmosphere has the least! (0.0009%)
50
Q

ocean currents move heat ___ward to cool the ___and heat the extratropics

A

pole
tropics

51
Q

The world ocean is the reservoir of water that supplies atmospheric water vapor for rain and snow over land. What is the world ocean?

A

Since all of the oceans are connected to some degree, we can think of them collectively as one: the world ocean

52
Q

T/F

the ocean plays a key role in determining the composition of the atmosphere through the exchange of gases and particles across the air-sea interface

A

true

53
Q

The ocean ___ CO2 from the atmosphere and produces molecular ______

A

removes
molecular oxygen

54
Q

thermocline=

A

a region of rapid temp change with depth in the first km or so of the ocean. Below the thermocline is a deep layer of almost uniform temp

55
Q

T/F

A thin, mixed surface layer of the ocean is stirred by winds, so the temperature and salinity are almost independent of depth

A

true

56
Q

Variations in the ____ of seawater drive the deep-ocean circulation.
This is critical for __ storage and recirculation of important _____

A

density
heat
nutrients

57
Q

In the deep ocean, salinity
variations are much smaller than near the surface. Why?

A

because the sources and sinks of freshwater are at the surface and the deep water comes from a few areas in high latitudes

58
Q

In subtropical latitudes (10-30 deg), the surface salinity is large. Why?

A

Because evaporation exceeds precip. and leaves the saltwater enriched in salt

59
Q

Why are surface ocean salinities quite low in mid-high latitudes?

A

precipitation of freshwater exceeds evaporation

60
Q

T/F

near the equator, a thin layer of very saline water sits atop less salty water below

A

false
the opposite is true

a thin layer of fresh water from precip. sits atop more saline water below

61
Q

T/F

The Atlantic is much less salty than the Pacific, so the deep ocean is much colder in the Pacific

A

false

Atlantic saltier than Pacific
so cold, salty water that can sink to the bottom is much more common in the Atlantic

62
Q

T/F + explain why

For climate, it is not often the mass of ice that is of primary importance, but the surface area that is covered by ice (of any depth)

A

true!

b/c surface ice (of any depth) is a more effective reflector of solar radiation than the underlying surface.
Also, sea ice is a good insulator and allows air temperature to be very different from that of the seawater under just a few meters of sea ice

63
Q

Presently, about ___% of earth’s land area is in the Northern hemisphere

A

68%

much more land here than in S hemi!

64
Q
A

EAS 373 Climate Systems (4 decks)

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