Chapter 2 Flashcards
Climate
A scientist traveling on a boat from Alaska to Antarctica took daily atmospheric pressure measurements. At which latitudes were the lowest pressures found?
Subpolar (~60) and tropical (~0) latitudes
As air rises over a mountain, it….
cools and tends to lose moisture in the form of precipitation
In contrast with north-facing slopes, south-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere are characterized by… (and why?)
Greater soil moisture
Due to warm, wet air from tropics and ocean coming over south-facing slopes and losing moisture via precipitation. This keeps soil moist.
Seasonal variation in solar radiation, temperature, and day length is due to the…
tilt of Earth’s axis
Solar radiation in December is greatest at…
90degree latitude in the Southern Hemisphere
The transformation of water from a liquid state to a gaseous state is called
Evaporation
The two major atmopshere gases that absorb energy from the Sun are
Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor
Where is temperature variation the greatest?
In the temperate regions
Why do beaches often have less extreme temperature variation than inland areas?
The ocean moderates the temperature
Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would…
be much colder than it currently is.
Define weather
Occurs at a specific time/place and is the combination of any given atmospheric conditions
Define Climate
Long-term average pattern of weather. Shows patterns presented over decades
Define microclimate
Small regions in climates that may have slight variations from each other.
Define solar radiation
Also known as electromagnetic energy. Are the wavelengths the sun emits (from UV to visible to infrared)
What is the difference between short and long wavelengths?
Shorter wavelengths = higher energy
Longer wavelengths = lower energy / slower
Hotter object = shorter of a wavelength emitted
What can the energy emitted from Earth’s Surface do? (2 things)
- Go back into space (short wavelengths such as visible and UV typically)
- Be absorbed by atmospheric gases (longer waves typically)
What type of wavelengths do greenhouse gases absorb?
Long wavelengths such as thermal radiation (far infrared)
What are the main 3 greenhouse gases
Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, Methane
What happens when short wavelengths strike Earth?
Incoming shortwave radiation easily passes through the atmosphere and strikes the Earth. This transmits it’s energy and causes it to lose some of it’s energy -> longer wavelengths.
These longer wavelengths get “stuck” in the greenhouse gases (some does escape) and keeps our planets at a consistent climate temperature.
How can the atmosphere absorb infrared radiation? What does this radiation do to the molecules?
Due to the atmosphere containing electrically charged molecules (e-) and charged molecules (dipoles on water, etc.) which allows them to absorb energy from infrared radiation.
The absorption of infrared radiation causes thes molecules to move and bounce around.
~90% of infrared radiation can be absorbed
Why is there a decrease in the amount of solar (shortwave) radiation hitting Earth’s surface (when u move from the equator to the poles)
Because light travels straight. Essentially, light shoots out from any part of the sun in a straight line and hits the surface of the Earth unevenly. So at higher latitudes, solar radiation hits the surface at a steeper angle -> sunlight is spread over a larger area at the poles than at the equator.