Chapter 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.
What is the atmosphere mainly made up of???????
Nitrogen (78%)
How are the atmospheres divided into different layers?????????
They are divided into layers based on differences in composition and temperature.
What is the second most abundant gas in the atmosphere???????
Oxygen (21%)
What is the one remaining percent in the atmosphere????????
Trace Gases (majority is Argon)
Within the troposphere does the temperature increase or decrease in the atmosphere??????????????
The temperature decreases.
How many layers are in the atmosphere??????
There exactly 5 layers.
What are the names of those layers??????????????(from earth to highest)
Troposphere,Stratosphere,Mesosphere, Thermosphere,Exosphere
Which layer is the Ozone found in?????????????????
The Ozone is found in the second layer (Stratosphere).
In the Stratosphere does the temperature decrease or increase with altitude??????????
Increase
Does the temperature increase or decrease in the mesosphere??????????
Decreases in the lower parts of the mesosphere, but in the higher parts it increases.
Does the thermosphere and Exosphere impact our weather??????????????
No
What percent of solar radiation gets absorbed by Earth´s surface???????????
50%
What percentage 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 percent of solar radiation reflected back by clouds and other particles?????????
25%
What are the three basic cloud types??????
Stratus,Cumulus, and Cirrus
What are layered, sheet like clouds associated with rain??????????
Stratus clouds
What are puffy in shape and occur in fair weather??????????
Cumulus clouds
What are wispy, high-altitude clouds??????????
Cirrus clouds
What are the steps to the water cycle??????
Evaporation, Transpiration, Condensation, Precipitation, Runoff, Infiltration
Jet Stream
A narrow band of fast-moving, high-altitude air.
Coriolis Effect
The apparent deflection of an object due to Earth´s rotation.
Air Mass
A large volume of air with uniform moisture and temperature throughout.
Weather Fronts
Air masses that interact in zones.
How many jet streams are there????????????????
There are 4 jet streams
How many pressure systems are there??????????
There are 2 pressure systems
What is a low pressure system known as??????????
Low (L)
Which direction does the low pressure system flow?????????????????????
Counterclockwise
What are some results of a low pressure system????????????
Since air rises clouds will form and precipitation can happen.
What is a high pressure system known as??????????
High (H)
what is the air flow for high systems????
clockwise
What are some results of a high pressure system????????????
It will cause the air to sink which results in clear skies.
What are the four weather fronts????????????
Cold Fronts
Warm Fronts
Stationary Fronts
Occluded Fronts
How are cold fronts created?????????????
Cold air forces warm air upward in a fast and chaotic manner.
What represents a cold front on a forecast???????????????
Blue Triangles
How are warm fronts created????????????????
Warm air rises gently above cold air.
What represents a warm front on a forecast??????????????
Red Half Circles
How are stationary fronts created????????????????????????
Cold and warm air masses meet and neither front advances over the other.
What represents a stationary front on a forecast??????????????
Both Red Half Circles and Blue Triangles
How are occluded fronts created?????????????????
A fast-moving front overtakes a slow warm front.
What represents a occluded front on a forecast??????????????
Purple Alternate Half Circles and Triangles
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
The water toward land in the afternoon, when the land is warmer than the water.
What is Climate???????????
The long term average of weather conditions.
What is Weather??????????????????
Day to Day outside conditions.
What are the five Spheres that make up Earths system??????????????????
Atmosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere Cryosphere
What is the Atmosphere????????????????????????
Includes the air around us.
What is the Biosphere???????????????????????
Everything living or organic.
What is the Hydrosphere?????????????????
Liquid water
What is the Cryosphere?????????????????????
Frozen water in snow, ice, and glaciers.
What is the Lithosphere???????????????????????????????
Earths outermost layer.
What is the primary factor that influences climate at any given moment??????????????????
Latitude
At which location does Earth receive the most intense radiation??????????????????
Equator
At what degrees does the sun raise hit Earth in the tropic zone???????????
90 degrees
At what degrees does the sun raise hit Earth in the Temperate zone???????????
45 degrees
At what degrees does the sun raise hit Earth in the polar zone???????????
30 degrees
Which of these zones would Lamar fall under??????????????
Temperate Zone
What are other factors that determine climate????????????????
Precipitation, Mountains, Water
What is it like on a windward side of a mountain????????????????
The air is cool and wet and there is a lot of vegetation.
What is it like in a Leeward side of a mountain?????????????????????
Warm and dry, little to no vegetation.
What is land breeze??????????????????????????
Air blowing from land to water. ( This happens during Night)
In Lamar Colorado what climate zone are we in?????????????
Warm Semi-arid
In Lamar Colorado what vegetation do we have?????????????
Grassland
Global Warming
An increase in the average temperatures on Earth.
El Nino
The warming of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of western South America that occurs every 3 to 10 years.
La Nina
Occurs when trade winds in the Pacific are unusually strong and surface water is colder.
What are the 2 changes the Earths climate undergo????????????
Seasonal
Long-Term
How do seasonal changes happen???????????????????
They happen due to the Earth revolving around the sun.
In general which hemisphere is in summer??????????????????
Which ever one is tilted towards the sun.
What is the period called when the Earths surface was covered in a sheet of ice?????????????????????????????
Ice Age
How long ago did the world climate change reach its current pattern.
3,000 years ago
What are some factors that can change climate???????????????????
The tilt in Earths access, The Earths shape, and The distance from the sun.
How do humans effect climate????????????????????
Consumption of Energy
Deforestation
Industrial and Agricultural Practice
What is deforestation????????????????????????
Its clearing of large area of trees.
What are 2 ways the carbon cycle can be affected???????????????
deforestation and loss of vegetation.
What are the two factors that affect gravitational pull???????????????
Masses of each object and the distance between them.
Which diameter pole to pole through the equator is the greatest??????
The Equator (12,756)
What does the magnetic field protect earth from?????????????/
Radiation from the Sun
Which magnetic pole is located in the northern hemisphere?????????????????
The south magnetic pole
At what degrees is Earth axis tilted at?????????????????
11.7 degrees
Do the magnetic poles switch???????????????????????
Yes
What are the large scale movements called where the magnetic poles reverse????????????????????????????????????
Magnetic Reversals
How often do Magnetic reversals occur????????????????
every 200,000 years
When did the last Magnetic Reversal occur?????????????????????
780,000 years ago
What part of Earth´s magnetic field protects Earth from the sun???????
Magnetosphere
What are the two scientific names for northern lights and southern lights?????????????????????
Northern Lights- Aurora Borealis
Southern Lights- Aurora Australis
How are the Auroras created???????????????????????
Electrically charged particles from the sun collide with atoms in the atmosphere and emit light.
What month are we closest to the sun????????????????????
January (147 million km away)
What month are we furthest from the sun????????????????????
July (152 million km away)
