Chapter 6 Flashcards
Hydrosphere is in a ____.
Steady-state equilibrium.
(There is the same amount of water)
Why is the distribution of Earths water is uneven?
Rapid circulation on/in the surface and in the atmosphere
What is the largest reservoir of water?
Ocean
What is the largest fresh water reservoir?
Glasers/icecaps.
What is the most viable water reservoir?
Ground water.
Water properties
2 hydrogen atoms desire to share one electron each.
Covalent bonds
Bonding through sharing of electrons
(Very strong)
Polarity
Electric charge causing attraction & repulsion
(Ex: Magnet)
Difference between Covalent and hydrogen bonds?
Covalent Bonds are stronger than hydrogen bonds because a covalent bond is an attraction within molecules
Hydrogen bonds are attractions between.
Phase change requires…
Absorption or release of heat energy
(Latent heat)
Sublimation/deposition
Solid to a gas.
Gas to a solid.
Evaporation/condensation
Changing from a liquid to a vapor.
Changing from a vapor to a liquid.
Ratio of humidity (RH)
Water vapor in air/ max water vapor possible
Dry air
Low RH
Wet air
High RH
Max RH saturation
100%
What changes volume of air?
Temperature
Cools - contracts
Warms - expands
More vapor or decrease in air temperature…
Will allow the condensation of water.
Dew-Point Temperature
The temperature at which the air needs to be cooled in order for water to be saturated.
Air Parcels
Body of air with a specific temperature and humidity.
What happens if parcel of air is less dense than surrounding air?
Rises and expands
What happens if parcel of air is more dense than surrounding air?
Sinks and compresses
Stability
Tendency of an air parcel to remain in place or change vertical position.
Temperature of air determines density of the air parcel.
Unstable air…
rises until it reaches an altitude where surrounding air has the same density & temp.
Adiabatic Processes
Temperatures change inside the parcel, but no exchange of heat with surrounding environment.
Raising air cools by…
Expansion
(Reduced pressure at high altitudes)
Falling air heats by…
Compression
(Ex: Santa Ana’s)
Indicate overall atmospheric conditions
Stability
Moisture content
Weather
Cloud Formation Processes
begin as a large mass of moisture droplets
Rain drops
Collision coalescence process
How do we classify clouds?
Altitude (low, middle, high, vertically developed
Shape (flat, puffy, wispy)
Soft, gray cloud masses in lines that look like high fog.
Stratus
Gray, dark low clouds with drizzling rain.
Nimbostratus
Thin to thick clouds, with no halos. Suns outlines just visible through clouds on a grey day.
Altostratus
Clouds like patches of cotton balls, dappled, and arranged in lines or groups.
Altocumulus
CirrusMares tails clouds wispy, feathery, with delicate fibers, streaks or plumes.
Cirrus
Clouds like veils, formed from fused sheets of ice crystals, having a milky look, with sun and moon halos.
Cirrostratus
Sharply outlined, puffy, billowy, flat baed clouds with swelling tops. Associated with fair weather.
Cumulus
Dense, heavy, massive clouds associated with dark thunderstorms, hard showers, and great vertical development, with towering, cirrus-topped plume blow into anvil shaped head.
Cumulonimbus
Fog
- Cloud layer of ground
- Air temperature and dew-point temperature are identical at ground level.
- Moisture droplets are warm
(EX: Above freezing)
Radiation fog
- Moist/wet ground cools at night
-Air temperature reaches dew point temperature - Short duration, often dissipates by afternoon
- Remains in one place
Advection Fog
- Air in one place migrates to where it can condense
- EX: Warms, moist air moves over cooler ocean currents
- Layer of migrating air becomes chilled dew point
- Can last for several days
- Can cover large areas
Upslope Advection Fog
Moist air flows to higher elevation along a hill or mountain - clouds from as air is pushed up
Valley Advection Fog
Cool air is denser than warm air settles in low-lying areas- chilled, saturated layer near ground in valleys
