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GEOG 1180 > Chapter 6 > Flashcards

Chapter 6 Flashcards

1
Q

Driving force behind wind

A

Winds are driven by: the imbalance between equatorial energy surpluses and polar energy deficits

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2
Q

Atmsopheric Circulation is Categorized at ___ levels.

A

3 levels

  1. primary circulation
  2. secondary circulation
  3. tertiary circulation
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3
Q

Primary circulation

A

consists of general worldwide circulation (saharan dust for example)

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4
Q

Secondary Circulaton

A

consists of high pressure and low pressure systems

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5
Q

Tertiary Circulation

A

consists of local winds and temporal weather patterns

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6
Q

Meridional flows

A

Winds moving principally North or South along meridians of longitude

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7
Q

Zonal Flows

A

Winds moving East or West along parallels of latitude

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8
Q

Air Pressure

A

weight of the atmosphere described as force per unit area

  • air molecules create air pressure through their motion, size and number. this pressure is exerted on all surfaces in contact with air.
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9
Q

Wind

A
  • The horizontal motion of air across Earth’s surface

- produced by differences in air pressure (Density) between one location and another produce wind

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10
Q

Winds are named for the direction from ________

A

which they originate!!!

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11
Q

Driving Forces behind wind speed and direction of wind within the Atmosphere

A
  1. Earth’s Gravity
  2. Pressure Gradient Force
  3. Coriolis Force
  4. Friction Force
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12
Q

Pressure and Density _____ with altitude

A

decrease

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13
Q

Why does the experience of “thin air” occur?

A

caused by the smaller amount of oxygen to inhale. (fewer air molecules mean less oxygen)

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14
Q

Symptoms of acute mountain sickness (thin air)

A
  • shortness of breath
  • headaches
  • disorientation
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15
Q

Why is hot air less dense than cold air?

A
  • Heating air increases molecular activity and temperature.
  • Increase in molecular activity results in greater spacing between molecules, decreasing density and air pressure
  • cold air is heavy and dense, so sinks and increases pressure
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16
Q

How does water vapour in air affect density?

A
  • Moist air is lighter
  • Because the molecular weight of water is less than that of the molecules making up dry air
  • As water vapour in the air increases, density decreases, so humid air exerts less pressure than dry air.
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17
Q

warm, humid air is associated with _____ p____ and cold, dry air is associated with ______ p____

A

warm, humid air is associated with low pressure

and cold, dry air is associated with high pressure

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18
Q

Another word for wind

A

Atmospheric Circulation

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19
Q

Barometer

A

Any instrument that measures air pressure

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20
Q

Mercury Barometer

A
  • A device that measures air pressure using a column of mercury in a tube
  • One end of the tube is sealed, the other end is inserted in an open vessel of mercury
  • if the pressure is high the air pressure will push the liquid mercury and the higher the mercury will rise inside that glass tube
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21
Q

Millibar

A

a measure of force per square metre of a surface area.

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22
Q

Standard of normal sea-level pressure

A

at 1013.2 mb or 29.92 in. of mercury (Hg).

In Canada and other countries, normal air pressure is expressed as

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23
Q

Standard of normal air pressure in Canada and some other countries is expressed as

A

101.32 kPa (kilopascal; 1 kPa = 10 mb)

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24
Q

Anemometer

A

An instrument that measures wind velocity.

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25
Q

Wind vane

A

Instrument that measures wind direction

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26
Q

Wind’s two principal properties

A

Speed and Direction

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27
Q

How does Gravity affect wind?

A
  • The pressure that Earth’s gravitational force exerts on the atmosphere is virtually uniform
  • Gravity equally compresses the Earth’s atmosphere, with density decreasing as altitude increases
  • The gravitational force counteracts the outward centrifugal force acting on Earth
  • Without gravity, there would be no atmospheric pressure—or atmosphere, for that matter
28
Q

How does Pressure Gradient Force affect wind?

A
  • drives air from areas of higher barometric pressure to areas of lower barometric pressure, causing winds
29
Q

Why do High and Low pressure areas occur on Earth?

A
  • Principally because the Earth is unequally heated
  • Cold, dry, dense air at the poles exerts greater pressure than warm, humid, less-dense air along the equator
  • when masses of air are near each other, a pressure gradient develops and leads to horizontal air movement
30
Q

High pressure is associated with…

A

Strongly subsiding and diverging air

31
Q

Low Pressure is associated with…

A

Strongly converging and rising air

32
Q

Isoline

A

A line along which there is a constant value

33
Q

Isobar

A

An isoline connecting all points of equal atmospheric pressure.

  • denotes steepness in the pressure gradient.
  • lines of equal atmospheric pressure
  • intervals always at 4
34
Q

The pattern of isobars provides a portrait of?

A

the pressure gradient between an area of higher pressure and one of lower pressure

35
Q

The spacing between isobars indicates?

A

The intensity of the pressure difference, or pressure gradient.

36
Q

What does Earth’s atmospheric circulation transfer?

A
  • thermal energy
  • air
  • water masses

using:

  • waves
  • streams
  • eddies
37
Q

Geostrophic Wind

A

A wind characteristic of upper tropospheric circulation, moving between areas of different pressure along a path parallel to the isobars. A product of the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis Force

38
Q

Coriolis Force

A

The apparent deflection of moving objects (wind, ocean currents, planes) from travelling in a straight path, in proportion to the speed of Earth’s rotation at different latitudes.

  • Northern Hemisphere: to the right
  • Southern Hemisphere: to the left
  • maximum at poles, zero along equator
  • effect of Earth’s rotation
39
Q

The Extent of Surface Friction extends to about ??? and varies with ???

A

500m

varies with:

  • surface texture
  • wind speed
  • time of day/year
  • atmospheric conditions
40
Q

Effects of Surface Friction

A

Decreases Wind Speed

Reduces Effect of Coriolis Force

Causes winds to move across isobars at an angle

41
Q

If the Earth did not rotate…

A

there would be a simple wind flow from poles to the equator. A Flow caused solely by pressure gradient.

42
Q

Coriolis Force

A

A Deflective force that makes wind travelling in a straight path appear to be deflected in relation to Earth’s rotating surface.

43
Q

Why use mercury in a barometer?

A

Mercury is about 14 times denser than water

44
Q

Aneroid Barometer

A

An instrument that measures air pressure without liquid.

45
Q

Normal sea-level pressure

A

760 mm mercury

  1. 2 mb (millibars)
  2. 32 kPa (kiloPascals)
46
Q

Normal sea-level air pressure

A

760 mm mercury

  1. 2 mb (millibars)
  2. 32 kPa (kiloPascals)
47
Q

Easterly wind

A

winds coming from the east

48
Q

Pressure Gradient Force

A

differences in pressure that exist across a horizontal distance

49
Q

In the northern hemisphere, the Coriolis force ..

A

acts at 90 degrees to the right of the object in motion

50
Q

in the southern hemisphere, the Coriolis force…

A

acts at 90 degrees to the left of the object in motion

51
Q

Difference between geostrophic and surface wind

A

Greater frictional force and resulting slow wind speeds mean that surface winds are less affected/deflected by Coriolis force.

52
Q

In high pressure systems, wind moves __ward in a ____wise motion. and wind is directed _____ward

A

outward, clockwise, downwards.

53
Q

In low pressure systems, wind moves __ward in a ____wise motion. and is directed ____ward

A

inward, counterclockwise, upwards.

54
Q

Hadley Cells

A

Circulation between 0 and 30 degrees

55
Q

Ferrell Cell

A

Circulation between 30 and 60 degrees

56
Q

Polar Cell

A

Circulation between 60 and 90 degrees

57
Q

Land Vs Water in terms of rate of heating?

A

land heats up faster

58
Q

Sea Breeze

A

High pressure over water, low pressure over land.

Wind blows towards the land. generally during the day.

59
Q

Land Breeze

A

Low pressure over water, low pressure over land.

Wind blows towards the sea, generally occurs during the night.

60
Q

Land Vs Water in terms of rate of cooling

A

Land cools faster

61
Q

Valley Breeze

A

As air becomes warmer during the day, warm air rises up from a valley (during the day).

62
Q

Mountain Breeze

A

As air cools during the night, the colder air sinks down into the valley (during the night)

63
Q

Katabatic wind

A

Only happens in Antartica and Greenland.

cold, permanent snow/ice on land masses surrounded by water. Cold, fast air tends to sink toward the warm ocean. this is due to the pressure gradient being very high.

64
Q

Santa Ana Winds

A

California.

Conditions that occur in the fall and winter time. High to low pressure gradient causes a dry wind flow to the pacific ocean, funnelled through mountains. This increases speed and warmth of the air.

Warm fast dry wind. Causes fires.

65
Q

Winter Monsoon

A

High pressure develops over continental Asia, with wind flowing down to low pressures. Associated with cold and dry air.

66
Q

Summer Monsoon

A

Wind is going from the ocean to the continent. Warm and wet conditions.

67
Q

Monsoon

A

Seasonal reversal of wind

GEOG 1180 (12 decks)

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