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Climate Risk Management > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Weather

A

Is the day to day variation in sky condition, temperature, precipitation, wind etc.

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2
Q

Climate

A

the distribution of a particular weather variable over a period of time (normally 30 years)

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3
Q

Troposphere*

A

the lowest layer of the atmosphere
- Contains our weather

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4
Q

Temperature

A

The average amount of heat energy present in a substance

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5
Q

Heat Energy

A

A measure of the kinetic energy of the molecules that make up a substance

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6
Q

Lapse Rate

A

the verticle change in temperature with height in the atmosphere

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7
Q

Closed System

A

Earth is a closed system where energy can move in/out but matter cannot
(barring extreme circumstances)

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8
Q

Open System

A

A leaf, you, a tractor etc. are open systems where both energy and matter can move in/out

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9
Q

Tropopause*

A

Occurs at the top of troposphere; defined by a change in lapse rate from negative to neutral or positive
(bounder between troposphere & stratosphere)

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10
Q

Energy*

A

The ability to do on some type of substance
(simply the ability to do work)

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11
Q

Work*

A

Done on a substance when its pushed, pulled, stretched, compressed, lifted etc.

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12
Q

Heat*

A

Energy in the process of being transferred from one object to another

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13
Q

Earth’s 4 Main Spheres

A

Geosphere

Atmosphere

Hydrosphere

Biosphere

Cryosphere

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14
Q

Cryosphere

A

Not a “main” sphere

Earth’s ice (glaciers, sea ice, Antarctica)

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15
Q

Geosphere

A

Solid Earth - makes up the vast majority of Earth’s mass

Rocks, minerals, landforms

Largest of the spheres

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16
Q

Atmosphere

A

Gaseous Envelope

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17
Q

Hydrosphere

A

All water

(solid, liquid, gas phases)

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18
Q

Biosphere

A

All life on earth

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19
Q

Dalton’s Law

A

If the air in a container is a mixture of gases, the total pressure equals the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas

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20
Q

Ideal Gas Law

A

Relates pressure, volume, number of moles of a substance, a case constant and temperature

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21
Q

How does atmospheric pressure vary with altitude

A

Atmosphere is compressible

Hydrostatic balance determines how think our atmosphere is

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22
Q

How does heat flow?

A

Always flows from the hotter (more energetic) to the cooler (less energetic) object

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23
Q

Where does our weather come from?

A

Pressure and temperature gradients are fundamental energy sources in our atmosphere

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24
Q

Heat Capacity

A

Substances with large heat capacities change temperature more slowly than those small heat capacities

(larger the lake the later it will freeze)

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25
Specific Heat
Amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1°C (water has the highest specific heat)
26
Sensible Heat
the heat energy that humans can feel and that can be **measured** with a thermometer
27
Latent Heat
Energy required to be absorbed/released to change a substance from **one form to another** Without changing temperature\* (Putting energy into the ice **without** changing the temp but turning to water)
28
Conduction
Molecule to molecule transfer | (grabbing a hot pan with your hand)
29
Convection
Heat energy transferred by movement
30
Radiation
Transfer of heat by the movement of electromagnetic waves
31
Properties of Waves Wavelength
Crest to crest distance
32
Properties of Waves Amplitude
Height of wave
33
Properties of Waves Frequency
Number of wavelengths per unit time (seconds)
34
Shortwave Radiation
Wavelength shorter than 3um Visible, UV, X-rays Emitted from the sun
35
Longwave Radiation
Wavelengths longer than 3um Thermal, microwave, radar, radio waves Emitted from Earth
36
What determines Short and Longwave Radiation
Temperature
37
Stefan Boltzmann Law
Gives the amount of radiation emitted by an object, based on its temperature
38
Greenhouse Gases
Gases in our atmosphere absorb long wave radiation well but do not absorb shortwave radiation very well or at all
39
Energy Losses in the Atmosphere
Transmitted Scattered Reflection Absorption
40
Transmitted
Passes without interactions
41
Scattering
Energy sent in many directions | (smoke or dust in the air)
42
Reflection
Bounced off at an angel to incidence
43
Absorption
Absorbed by gases, particulates or ground (plant use)
44
Albedo
Ratio of the amount of energy reflected by a surface to the amount that is incident (50% of the incident radiation is reflected)
45
Radiation Surplus
When more radiation comes in than goes out
46
Radiation Deficit
When less radiation comes in than goes out
47
Zenith Angle
Angle between directly overhead and the sun at solar noon
48
Sun Angle
Angle of the sun above horizon at solar noon (between the sun & horizon)
49
Solar Declination
Latitude above which sun is directly overhead
50
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
Area of low level convergence that moves north and south about the equator with the seasons
51
Westerlies
Stronger flow to the north of the subtropical high Mid-Latitude
52
Polar Easterlies
Poleward of 60° Cold, high pressure winds turned to the east by the Coriolis Force as they move equator ward
53
Doldrums
Weak winds near equator
54
Tradewinds
Equatorward of 30° Cooler, drier air moving towards equator
55
Horse Latitude
Weak winds near subtropical highs
56
Air Mass
Large body of air that has relatively uniform temperature and moisture characteristics
57
Polar Front
“Boundary” or transition region between polar and tropical air masses in mid-latitude
58
Jet Stream
“Currents” of fast moving air thousands of kilometers long and hundreds of kilometers wide but only a few kilometers thick
59
Polar Jet
Usually located between 30°N and 70°N depending on the season (Occurs around the US & Canadian Boarder)
60
Subtropical Jet
Forms on poleward edge of Hadley cell at about 25°N (Mainly a wintertime phenomenon)
61
Wind
Movement of air from one location to another (**Caused by differences in air pressure**)
62
How does wind move
**Always** moves from high pressure to low pressure
63
Humidity
Amount of water vapor influences density (Density decreases)
64
Cyclone
**Low** pressure system | (counterclockwise flow)
65
Anticyclone
**High** pressure system | (clockwise flow)
66
Trough
Elongated region of low pressure | (Low Jet stream)
67
Ridge
Elongated region of high pressure | (High jet stream)
68
Gravity
Force directed perpendicular to the Earth's surface Cold air pools/"drains" toward low spots in your fields, mountain, valleys
69
How does the wind blow with Pressure Gradient Force?
Blows from higher to lower pressure
70
Pressure Gradient
The change in pressure over distance
71
Coriolis Force
**Apparent force** that influences wind direction
72
What causes the Coriolis Force
A change in the total wind speed (Earth's rotation + wind speed) A change in the distance from Earth's axis
73
Coriolis Force Summary
Always directed at right angles to direction of airflow Affects wind direction The stronger the wind, the greater deflecting Coriolis Force Strongest at poles and nonexistent at equator To the right in the N. hemisphere and to the leaf in the S. hemisphere
74
Friction
Resistant air movement, largely determined by how rough the Earth's surface is
75
Planetary Boundary Layer
the lowest `1km of the atmosphere, directly affected by the surface through reduced wind speeds and presence of turbulence
76
Scales of Atmospheric Phenomena Macroscale
Weeks or longer Ex. Westerlies, Trade Winds
77
Scales of Atmospheric Phenomena Synoptic
Days to Weeks Ex. Mid latitude cyclones, anticyclones
78
Scales of Atmospheric Phenomena Mesoscale
Minutes to Hours Ex. Thunderstorms
79
Scales of Atmospheric Phenomena Microscale
Seconds to Minutes Ex. Gusts
80
Advection
Movement of air | (Cold air moving into a warm air)
81
Convergence
Air coming together
82
Divergence
Air going apart/away
83
Why do meteorologist use pressure surfaces as a preferred altitude coordinate
Weather moves along pressure surface
84
Pressure Surfaces
All pressure surfaces change height
85
What causes the difference in air pressure
Temperature
86
Horizontal Temperature Differences High
Colder Temperature → Increased Density → Increased Pressure
87
Horizontal Temperature Differences Low
Warmer Temperature → Decreased Density → Decreased Pressure
88
cP
Continental Polar Forms over Canada and Alaska
89
mT
Maritime Tropical From Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Western Atlantic Ocean Often Unstable Responsible for much of the precipitation in central and eastern US
90
cT
Continental Tropical Only source that affects US is in the desert southwest Unstable but little moisture so few clouds and no precipitation
91
mP
Maritime Polar From North Atlantic only rarely affects the northeast US

Climate Risk Management (6 decks)

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