Exam 1 Flashcards
What are the 3 most abundant “permanent” gases in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Argon (Ar)
What percent of the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen?
78%
What percent of the atmosphere is made up of oxygen?
21%
What percent of the atmosphere is made up of argon?
0.9%
What are the 4 most common “variable” gases in the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide (CO2), Dihydrogen monoxide (H2O), Ozone (O3), Methane (CH4)
What does a high dew point mean?
There’s more water vapor in the air
The rise and fall of CO2 in the atmosphere is caused by what?
the growth and death of plants in the Northern Hemisphere
Where does most methane come from?
Wetlands due to decaying, submerged organic matter
What are the major sources of aerosols and particles?
Dust, human pollution, crops/forests, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, salt spray
What does an abundance of aerosols cause?
A reduced amount of energy from sunlight
How long does it take for Earth to make one revolution around the Sun?
365.25 days
When looking down on Earth from the North Pole, which direction does the Earth rotate?
Counter-clockwise
How much of Earth is illuminated by the Sun at any time?
50%
Lines of latitude…
run east - west and never cross
What is the latitude of the North Pole?
90 degrees north
Where does all weather and human existence occur?
The troposphere
What are Greenhouse Gases?
CO2, H2O, CH4
What do Greenhouse Gases do?
Make our planet habitable
Where is the top of the troposphere located?
just above the altitude that most commercial jets fly and where rising clouds stop rising and spread laterally
What is insolation?
the incoming solar radiation, energy from the Sun (EM radiation)
What is an Equinox?
When the Sun directly hits the equator
What is the Summer Solstice?
June 21, when the Sun directly hits the Tropic of Cancer, which is the farthest north that the Sun gets directly overhead
What is the Winter Solstice?
December 21, when the Sun directly hits the Tropic of Capricorn, which is the farthest south that the Sun gets directly overhead
What is the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer?
23.5 degrees north
What is the latitude of the Arctic Circle?
66.5 degrees north
What is the sub-solar point (SSP)?
The latitude that the Sun is directly overhead
What are seasons caused by?
The Sun angle rather than the distance Earth is from the Sun
How much energy is reflected back to space by atmosphere, clouds and surface?
30%
How much energy is reflected back to space by clouds?
17%
How much energy is reflected back to space by the atmosphere?
6%
How much energy is reflected back to space by the surface?
7%
How much energy is absorbed by the surface?
47%
How much energy is absorbed by gases and clouds?
23%
What is the most important factor is temperature?
Latitude
How does elevation affect temperature?
Higher elevation=colder temperatures because of altitude, presence of water, continentality, surface type, advection
What is advection?
The horizontal movement of something warm/cool air masses-wind
What is continentality?
An area inward on land rather than close to the coast, affects air temperature because water has a high specific heat and oceans moderate daily temps
What is temperature range?
The difference between the high and low temperatures in a given day or year
What is the behavior of prevailing winds?
Move west-east in the U.S., east-west at the equator, ocean winds cool, while continental winds heat
What is the behavior of ocean currents?
Northern Hemisphere: oceans spin clockwise
Southern Hemisphere: oceans spin counter-clockwise
The longest wavelengths…
have the least amount of energy and include infrared light
The shortest wavelengths…
have the highest amount of energy and include ultraviolet light
What is the most harmful form of radiation to human life based on wavelength?
Gamma rays
Incoming solar radiation is referred to as…
Shortwave radiation
Outgoing solar radiation is referred to as..
Longwave radiation
When can you expect the greatest temperature change on a summer day?
When the sky is clear during the day and night
When can you expect the smallest temperature change on a summer day?
When the sky is cloudy during the day and night
When is Earth closest to the Sun?
January
When is Earth farthest from the Sun?
July
When are the Equinoxes?
March 22, Sept. 22
The highest the Sun reaches in the sky in Durango is…
76.5 degrees above the horizon
Day length at the Equator…
hardly varies throughout the year
How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celsius?
for every 5 degrees Celsius, add/subtract 9 degrees Fahrenheit
or
1degree Celsius, add/subtract 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit
How do you calculate air pressure?
Every 5 km up in altitude, air pressure decreases by half
What is the primary control of air pressure?
Elevation
What is the secondary control of air pressure?
The passage of high and low pressure systems (stormy/clear weather)
About how old is Earth?
4500 million (4.5 billion) years
What is the elevation of the top of the tropopause?
20km
In the troposphere, temperature…
decreases
In the stratosphere, temperature…
increases
Ozone absorbs what?
In coming ultraviolet light
Greenhouse gases absorb…
Outgoing infrared light
What is the current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere?
420ppm
What is the air pressure of one square inch at sea level?
14lbs in^2
Why is is still cold in the North Pole on the Summer Solstice even with 24hr sunlight?
The sun angle isn’t high enough for the surface to absorb the energy.
