Climatology

Question 1

Name four layers in atmosphere

Answer 1

TSMTE

Question 2

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 2

A layer of gases held by gravity that protects us from meteoroids and harmful sun rays, trapping heat and allowing life and liquid water to exist on Earth’s surface.

Question 3

What is the composition of pure dry air?

Answer 3

N2 (78%) > O2 (21%) > Argon (0.93%) > CO2 (0.03%) > H2 > He > O3

Question 4

What role does CO2 play in the atmosphere?

Answer 4

Contributes to the greenhouse effect and is emitted from burning fossil fuels.

Question 5

What is the function of ozone in the atmosphere?

Answer 5

Filters out harmful UV rays.

Question 6

Where is water vapor more prevalent in the atmosphere?

Answer 6

More in warm, wet tropics; less in dry, cold areas.

Question 7

What are dust particles in the atmosphere sourced from?

Answer 7

Sea salts, fine soil, smoke-soot, ash, pollen, dust, meteor particles.

Question 8

What is the troposphere?

Answer 8

The lowest layer of the atmosphere, 8-18 km high from ground, containing dust and water vapor, where all weather phenomena occur.

Question 9

What is the normal lapse rate?

Answer 9

Temperature decreases with altitude.

Question 10

What is the stratosphere and its significance?

Answer 10

Extends from the tropopause to 50 km, contains the ozone layer, and has a constant temperature up to 20 km.

Question 11

What is lapse rate of mesosphere ?

Answer 11

Temperature decreases with altitude, reaching -100°C at 80 km.

Question 12

What is the ionosphere?

Answer 12

A layer from 80-400 km containing charged particles that reflect radio waves back to Earth.

Question 13

What characterizes the exosphere?

Answer 13

The uppermost layer with very little known about it and an extremely thin atmosphere.

Question 14

What is the source of Earth’s energy balance?

Answer 14

The Sun through short wavelengths (insolation of solar radiation).

Question 15

What is aphelion?

Answer 15

The farthest point from the Sun, occurring on July 4th.

Question 16

What is perihelion?

Answer 16

The closest point to the Sun, occurring on January 3rd.

Question 17

What are the main factors affecting variations in insolation?

Answer 17

• Earth’s rotation on its axis
• Length of day
• Transparency of atmosphere
• Angle of inclination of the sun’s rays

Question 18

What is conduction in heat transfer?

Answer 18

Heat transfer by direct contact between objects.

Question 19

What is convection?

Answer 19

Heat transfer via movement of a substance, occurring in liquids and gases.

Question 20

What is advection?

Answer 20

Horizontal movement of air masses that transfers heat.

Question 21

What is terrestrial radiation?

Answer 21

Direct heating of the body by transmission of heat waves.

Question 22

What is the Earth’s heat budget?

Answer 22

The balance of incoming and outgoing heat that maintains a stable temperature.

Question 23

What happens to heat losses after reaching the Earth’s surface?

Answer 23

Total Outgoing Heat: 65 units (17 from Earth + 48 from atmosphere).

Question 24

What are the factors controlling temperature distribution?

Answer 24

• Latitude
• Altitude
• Distance from the sea
• Air masses and ocean currents

Question 25

What is temperature inversion?

Answer 25

Cold air trapped below warm air, often causing fog and pollution buildup.

Question 26

What is atmospheric pressure?

Answer 26

The weight of air pressing down on Earth's surface, measured in millibars.

Question 27

What causes wind movement?

Answer 27

Air moves from high pressure to low pressure.

Question 28

What are the main pressure belts around the world?

Answer 28

* Equatorial Low * Subtropical Highs * Subpolar Lows * Polar Highs

Question 29

What is the Coriolis Force?

Answer 29

Deflects wind due to Earth's rotation, affecting wind direction but not speed.

Question 30

What is geostrophic wind?

Answer 30

Wind that flows parallel to isobars when pressure gradient and Coriolis force balance.

Question 31

What is Hadley Cell?

Answer 31

A circulation pattern where rising air starts at the equator due to high insolation and low pressure.

Question 32

What is the Hadley Cell?

Answer 32

A circulation pattern in the atmosphere where rising air at the equator leads to sinking air at approximately 30° N & S latitudes.

Question 33

What initiates the rising air in the Hadley Cell?

Answer 33

High insolation and low pressure at the equator.

Question 34

What phenomenon occurs at the convergence of trade winds?

Answer 34

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

Question 35

What are the surface winds that flow as westerlies?

Answer 35

Winds flowing from the subtropical highs towards the equator.

Question 36

What defines the Ferrel Cell?

Answer 36

Sinking cold air from the poles and rising warm air from subtropical highs.

Question 37

What type of winds blow from the poles towards the middle latitudes?

Answer 37

Polar easterlies.

Question 38

What are planetary winds?

Answer 38

Winds that are consistent throughout the year due to latitudinal differences in air pressure.

Question 39

True or False: Trade winds blow from the poles towards the equator.

Answer 39

False.

Question 40

What are monsoon winds?

Answer 40

Seasonal reversal of wind direction that modifies the planetary wind system.

Question 41

What is a sea breeze?

Answer 41

A daytime phenomenon where land heats faster than water, creating a pressure gradient that pushes wind from sea to land.

Question 42

Define land breeze.

Answer 42

A nighttime phenomenon where land cools faster than water, resulting in wind blowing from land to sea.

Question 43

What are valley breezes?

Answer 43

Daytime winds that occur when mountain slopes heat up and air rises up the slope.

Question 44

What is the definition of local winds?

Answer 44

Winds resulting from local temperature and pressure differences affecting small areas.

Question 45

What is the jet stream?

Answer 45

High-speed winds in the mid-latitudes that blow from west to east near the tropopause.

Question 46

What are the conditions for air mass formation?

Answer 46

Large landmass or water body, evenly distributed insolation, large scale subsidence of air.

Question 47

List the five major air mass types.

Answer 47

* Maritime tropical (mT) * Continental tropical (cT) * Maritime polar (mP) * Continental polar (cP) * Continental arctic (cA)

Question 48

What is frontogenesis?

Answer 48

The process of formation of fronts, occurring in mid-latitudes with steep gradients in pressure and temperature.

Question 49

Describe a cold front.

Answer 49

Cold air moves towards warm air, often causing storms and a sharp drop in temperatures.

Question 50

What characterizes a warm front?

Answer 50

Warm air mass moves towards cold air, leading to moderate precipitation and gradual temperature changes.

Question 51

What is an occluded front?

Answer 51

A front where an air mass is fully lifted above the land surface, resulting in complex weather.

Question 52

What are extra-tropical cyclones?

Answer 52

Cyclones that occur in mid and high latitudes, causing abrupt weather changes.

Question 53

What is the central eye of a tropical cyclone?

Answer 53

The calm region at the center of the cyclone with subsiding air.

Question 54

What are the necessary conditions for the formation of tropical cyclones?

Answer 54

* Large sea surface * Temperature > 27°C * Coriolis force * Small variation in vertical wind * Low pressure area * Upper divergence above sea level

Question 55

What distinguishes an extra-tropical cyclone from a tropical cyclone?

Answer 55

Extra-tropical cyclones have clear frontal systems, while tropical cyclones do not.

Question 56

What are the three forms of water in the atmosphere?

Answer 56

* Gaseous (water vapor) * Liquid * Solid

Question 57

What is evaporation?

Answer 57

The process where water transforms into water vapor, adding moisture to the atmosphere.

Question 58

What is condensation?

Answer 58

The process where water vapor changes back into liquid water, withdrawing moisture from the atmosphere.

Question 59

What are the four types of clouds based on height?

Answer 59

* Cirrus * Cumulus * Stratus * Nimbus

Question 60

What type of rainfall occurs due to rising heated air?

Answer 60

Convectional rain.

Question 61

What is orographic rainfall?

Answer 61

Rainfall that occurs when a saturated air mass rises over a mountain, leading to condensation.

Question 62

Where does rainfall typically decrease?

Answer 62

From the equator to the poles.