Earth Science, Tarbuck Chapter 16 Flashcards
What does the ozone layer do
absorbs UV rays
What is the troposphere
Lowest layer of atmosphere
What is the outer boundary of the troposphere called
Tropopause
Does temperature decrease or increase in the troposphere as altitude increases
decreases
What is the stratosphere
2nd layer of the atmosphere
Does temperature decrease or increase in the stratosphere as altitude increases
Temperature increases, as concentrated amounts of ozone absorb UV radiation from the sun
What is the mesosphere
3rd layer of atmosphere
Does temperature decrease or increase in the Mesosphere as altitude increases
Decrease
What is the thermosphere
4th layer of the atmosphere
Does temperature decrease or increase in the thermosphere as altitude increases
increases, due to sun radiation
list the layers of the atmosphere and boundaries
Troposphere, Tropopause, Stratosphere, Stratopause, Mesosphere, Mesopause, and Thermosphere
What are the two principal motions of the earth
Rotation on its axis and Orbit around the sun
What is the circle of Illumination
line separating the dark half of Earth from the
lighted half
What is perihelion
the position where the earth is closer to the sun than any other time due to the elliptical orbit of earth around the sun
When is perihelion usually
Jan 3rd
What is aphelion
the position where the earth is farther to the sun than any other time due to the elliptical orbit of earth around the sun
When is aphelion usually
July 4th
What are the primary factors in seasonal temperature changes
Changes in daylight hours and Changes in the Suns angle
How does Changes in daylight hours cause seasonal temperature changes
longer days in summer lead to more solar energy reaching the earth
How does Changes in the Suns angle cause seasonal temperature changes
higher sun angles in the summer lead to more concentrated solar radiation and lower sun angles in the winter lead to less intense and concentrated solar radiation
Where will the sun hit the earth at a 90 degree angle
1 line of latitude and everywhere north and south of this line will have lower angles
What causes the fluctuations of sun angle and daylight hours throughout the year
Earth’s axial tilt
what is the summer solstice
Earths axis is tilted the maximum toward the sun, marks the beginning of summer in northern hemisphere and winter in the Southern .Longer sunlight hours in the Northern and shorter in the Southern
When is the summer solstice
June 21-22
Where does sunlight directly strike on the summer solstice
Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees north of the equator
What is the winter solstice
Earths axis is tilted the maximum toward the sun, marks the beginning of summer in Southern hemisphere and winter in the Northern. Longer sunlight hours in the Southern and shorter in the north
When is the Winter solstice
December 21-22
Where does sunlight directly strike on the summer solstice
Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees North of the equator
What are the equinoxes
Earths position cause the sun rays to strike the equator, resulting in equal day and night hours worldwide
Locations further north experience _____days during the summer solstice.
longer, meaning the further north you are relative to the equator, the more hours the sun will be visible. Its vice versa for the winter solstice
What is conduction
The transfer of heat through direct contact between objects.
What is convection
The transfer of heat through the movement of fluids (liquids and gases). Where Warmer, less dense fluids rise, while cooler, denser fluids sink
connection of convection and our atmosphere
convection drives the vertical movement of air
What is radiation
radiation travels out in all directions from its source. Unlike conduction and convection,
which need a medium to travel through, radiant energy
readily travels through the vacuum of space.
What is the electromagnetic spectrum
A form of energy that travels through space as waves.
Includes a wide range of types, from radio waves to gamma rays.
All forms travel at the speed of light.
Lowest to highest frequency electromagnetic waves
Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible light, Ultraviolet, X-rays, and Gamma
All objects emit ________
Radiation
hotter objects emit ____ energy
More
Hotter objects emit ______ wavelengths
shorter
Good Absorbers of radiation are _____ emitters
Good
What are the different conclusions solar radiation end at when it reaches earth’s atmosphere
Absorption, Transmission, Reflection/scattering
What is the fate of solar radiation on earth given in percentages
50% absorbed by Earth’s surface, 30% reflected back to space by the atmosphere, clouds, and reflective surfaces, and 20% Absorbed by Clouds and atmospheric gasses
What is reflection
Occurs when light bounces off a surface at the same angle it strikes it.
What is scattering
light is redirected in various directions after interacting with particles in the atmosphere
Key factor determining whether reflection or scattering occurs
Size of particles, smaller particles tend to cause scattering and Larger particles tend to cause reflection
What is albedo
The fraction of solar radiation reflected by a surface.
What is the Earth’s albedo
30%
More clouds generally ______ albedo
Increase
Different surfaces have different Albedos, T/F
True
What are the 2 effects of scattering in the atmosphere
Diffused light, which is allowing light to reach areas not directly exposed to sunlight, and Blue sky, which is the fact that the sky is blue due to scattering of blue light by atmospheric molecules, as shorter wavelengths, like blue are scattered more effectively than longer ones
Approximately ______of the solar radiation absorbed at Earth’s surface arrives as diffused light,
half
How is the atmosphere heated
The atmosphere is indirectly heated, as Earth’s surface absorbs solar radiation, warms up, and then transfers this heat to the atmosphere through processes like conduction and convection.
What is reradiation of the earth
absorbed solar energy is reradiated back into space as longwave (infrared) radiation.
How does the Greenhouse Effect connect with reradiation of the earth
It is transparent to incoming shortwave solar radiation but absorbs outgoing longwave radiation, leading to warming of the atmosphere.
What are isotherms
Lines on a map connecting points with the same temperature. Used to visualize the spatial distribution of temperature over a region.
Difference between how temperature is absorbed on land vs in water
Land heats up and cools down faster than water, causing more variable air temperatures over land.
Why is there smaller temperature changes in the southern hemisphere
southern hemisphere is more water than the northern
Describe Windward Coast climates, where Prevailing winds blow from the sea to the land
Experience a more moderate climate due to prevailing winds blowing from the ocean onto the land. This brings cool summer temperatures and milder winters
Describe Leeward Coast climates, where Prevailing winds blow from the land to the sea
Experience more continental climates with greater temperature extremes due to prevailing winds blowing from the land towards the ocean, limiting the moderating influence of the ocean.
wClouds have high albedo but they also do what that
Act as a blanket, trapping heat near the surface, as They absorb longwave radiation emitted by Earth and re-radiate a portion back to the surface. This causes a reduction in the daily temperature range by lowering daytime maximums and raising nighttime minimums.
Mountains usually act as what to wind
barriers, blocking the flow of air and influencing local temperatures.
