Climate And Weather Flashcards
What drives atmospheric winds and ocean currents?
Heat imbalances across earth’s surfaces
What is insolation?
Incoming radiation from the sun.
Shortwave radiation (UV light, visible light, near infrared)
We get light and radiation not heat, heat is converted on earth
What causes seasons?
Axial tilt of the earth. 23.5 degrees.
What is Axial parallelism
The parallel alignment of the axis throughout the year
North always points to north star (polaris)
What parts of the earth have more solar insolation? What parts have less.
The equater has the most, the poles have the least.
What is earth’s energy budget?
The inputs of solar radiation
Versus the output of earth’s infrared energy to space.
What is albedo?
The % of of somethings ability to reflect light back out.
Earth’s average is 31%
Frsh snow 80-95%
What reduces insolation once it hits the atmosphere.
Refraction = speed of insolation changing as it passes through different mediums
Reflection/Albedo = shortwave radiation bounced back
Scattering = changing the direction of lights movement
Absorption = absorbed by clouds and particulate matter
What is the difference in effect of cirrus clouds vs stratus clouds
Cirrus = high thin/transparent clouds, let’s light/shortwave radiation in but traps longwave radiation
Stratus = reflects shortwave radiation let’s longwave radiation out
What are local variations that impact insolation?
Mountains = blocking sun
Aspect = direction the surface/slope is facing
Cloud cover = traps longwave radiation and prevents UV radiation
Altitude = higher means more UVs
Ozone layer
What is the average tempersture lapse rate?
Temperature goes down 6.4c for every 1000m gained in elevation.
What is a visible indicator of inversion?
Valley fog
Cool air drains into valley, pushes warm air up, warn air condensed and forms clouds
Mid to low elevation type of inversion
What is radiation cooling?
Type of inversion
Sun sets radiates long wave energy, rises up, gets trapped by mountain features or pollution.
Smoke rising and then flattening out
