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earth science > Earth Science, Tarbuck Chapter 17 > Flashcards

Earth Science, Tarbuck Chapter 17 Flashcards

1
Q

What is latent heat

A

the heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapor, or a liquid into a vapor, without change of temperature.

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2
Q

When melting occurs, does latent heat cause heating or cooling

A

Cooling

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3
Q

When freezing occurs, does latent heat cause heating or cooling

A

Heating

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4
Q

What is sublimation

A

conversion of a solid directly to a gas, without passing
through the liquid state

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5
Q

What is vapor pressure

A

increase in pressure in the air due to evaporation

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6
Q

What does it mean when the air is saturated

A

When the air cannot hold anymore water vapor

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7
Q

What does increasing vapor pressure cause

A

more water vapor molecules to return to being liquid

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8
Q

What is the mixing ratio

A

the mass of water vapor in a unit of air compared to the remaining mass of dry air

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9
Q

How to determine mixing ratio

A

Mass of water vapor /mass of dry vapor

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10
Q

What is Relative humidity

A

ratio of the air’s actual water-vapor content to the
amount of water vapor required for saturation at that
temperature

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11
Q

A decrease in temperature leads to what reaction in relative humidity levels if water vapor stays constant

A

relative humidity rises

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12
Q

What happens when water vapor is added but saturation is already at 100 percent

A

Water condenses

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13
Q

What is the dew point

A

temperature at which water vapor starts to condense

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14
Q

For every _____ increase in dew-point temperature, air holds about twice as much water vapor

A

10 Celsius or 18 Fahrenheit

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15
Q

Why does dew often occur during the night?

A

Temperatures are cooler, dew temperature is cooler, relative humidity is increased

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16
Q

What is adiabatic temperature changes

A

When air is compressed, the temperature rises. When air is expanded, it cools down. Heat energy is not added or taken away

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17
Q

What is the dry adiabatic rate

A

Ascending air cools at a constant rate of 10 c for every 1000 meters, and descending air heats at the same rate. Only applies for unsaturated air.

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18
Q

What is the wet adiabatic rate

A

Ascending air cools at a constant rate of 5 c for every 1000 meters, and descending air heats at the same rate. Only applies for saturated air. Occurs at higher elevations once air reaches dew point and water condenses

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19
Q

Why is the wet adiabatic rate slower than the dry adiabatic rate

A

Latent heat is released when water condenses

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20
Q

Air tends to _______ vertical movement

A

resist

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21
Q

4 processes that can cause air to rise

A

Orographic lifting, Frontal lifting, convergence, and localized convective lifting

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22
Q

What is orographic lifting

A

elevated terrain, like a mountain range, acts as a barrier to the flow of air, causing it to ascend the mountain and undergo adiabatic cooling

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23
Q

What is a rainshadow desert

A

When air undergoes orographic lifting, when it reaches the leeward side of the mountain or elevated terrain, most of the water vapor is already lost and it heats adiabatically as it goes down the mountain or elevated terrain.

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24
Q

What is frontal lifting

A

when warm and cool air masses collide, they create fronts. Cool air acts as a barrier to the warm air, which rises.

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25
Q

What is convergence in air masses

A

When air masses meet, air escapes upward

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26
Q

What are thermals

A

air parcels that rise due to being warmer

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27
Q

what is localized convective lifting

A

When air in a small area is warmed by the sun, it rises

28
Q

What are sun showers

A

mid-afternoon rains caused by localized convective lifting

29
Q

What is stable air

A

Air that resists upward movement

30
Q

When does air stop rising

A

When it reaches an altitude where temperature is equal to that of its surrounding air

31
Q

What is unstable air

A

Air that doesn’t stop rising until temperature is equal to surrounding air

32
Q

What is environmental lapse rate

A

The rate at which the air temperature changes with height in the atmosphere surrounding a cloud or a rising parcel of air

33
Q

stable air creates what type of clouds

A

widespread and little vertical thickness

34
Q

unstable air creates what type of clouds

A

towering thunderstorms

35
Q

What are cloud condensation nuclei

A

Surfaces for water-vapor condensation at high elevations

36
Q

What are hygroscopic nuclei

A

Water absorbing Cloud Condensation Nuclei

37
Q

3 basic forms of clouds

A

Cirrus, Stratus, Cumulus

38
Q

Define Cirrus clouds

A

clouds that form delicate, veil-like strands. Very thin and light

39
Q

Define Stratus clouds

A

clouds consisting of sheets or layers

40
Q

Define Cumulus clouds

A

Clouds that consist of globular cloud masses

41
Q

The term “Nimbus” added to the name of a cloud means what

A

Cloud is a major producer of precipitation

42
Q

Composition of High Clouds

A

Ice crystals or super cooled water droplets

42
Q

Composition of Middle Clouds

A

Water droplets or Ice crystals

42
Q

Composition of low clouds

A

Water droplets

42
Q

Cloud types that make up the high cloud family

A

Cirrus, Cirrostratus, CirroCumulus

43
Q

What are thermal inversions in air masses

A

When a warm air mass overlays a cool one, it stops the cooler air mass from rising, trapping pollutants

43
Q

Middle clouds family

A

Altocumulus, Altostratus

43
Q

What does “Alto” mean when added to a cloud

A

Belongs in Middle Cloud family

43
Q

Clouds with Vertical Development

A

Cumulus, Cumulonimbus

43
Q

Low clouds family

A

Stratocumulus, Stratus, Nimbostratus

44
Q

What is fog defined as

A

Cloud with base at or near the surface

45
Q

Why does fog dissipate a few hours after sunrise

A

Fog is evaporated

46
Q

Different Ways fog can be created

A

Radiation Fog, Advection Fog, Upslope Fog, Steam Fog, Frontal Fog.

47
Q

How is radiation fog created

A

ground cooled by radiation cools surrounding air, leading to it to meet its dew point and water condenses.

48
Q

How is Advection fog created

A

Warm, moist air blows over a cold surface, leading to water to condense

49
Q

How is Upslope Fog created

A

When an air mass goes up a elevated surface, say a mountain for example, it cools adiabatically and can sometimes form fog

50
Q

How does steam fog form

A

When cool unsaturated air moves over a warm body of water,enough moisture may evaporate to saturate the air above, forming fog that rises.

51
Q

How does frontal fog form

A

raindrops falling from relatively
warm air above the frontal surface evaporate in the
cooler air below, causing it to become saturated

52
Q

Water droplets take a long time to drop through the sky, what usually happens to them

A

Evaporated into unsaturated air

53
Q

2 processes responsible for precipitation

A

Bergeron Process and Collision-Coalescence Process

54
Q

Liquid Water below freezing is called what

A

Supercooled

55
Q

Supercooled water does what when in contact of a solid

A

Freezes

56
Q

Describe the Bergeron Process

A

Supercooled water comes in contact with Cloud Condensation Nuclei, freezing. More Super cooled water builds on this frozen ice crystal until it is heavy enough to fall down as snow or rain(if melted).

57
Q

Describe Collision-Coalescence Process

A

When warm clouds, where supercooled water is not found, water on hygroscopic nuclei, such as sea salt, form larger droplets, which fall and collide with other small droplets, eventually falling as rain.

Note that Hygroscopic Nuclei is required for this to occur

58
Q
A

earth science (20 decks)

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