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weather and climate > Exam 1 study > Flashcards

Exam 1 study Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three main chemicals in our atmosphere?

A

Nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor

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2
Q

What are two sources for CO2 on earth?

A

humans, forest fires, volcanos

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3
Q

What are two sinks for CO2 on earth?

A

Oceans, plants

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4
Q

Define density

A

Mass of a substance in a given space

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5
Q

Define Pressure

A

the force exerted by a substance over a given area

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6
Q

Why does pressure drop as you go up in the atmosphere?

A

Less weight. There are more molecules within the same size volume of air near earths surface

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7
Q

Name the four layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest

A 
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Tropopause 
Mesosphere 
Thermosphere
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8
Q

Temperature —– in the troposphere and —– in the stratosphere

A

decreases, increases

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9
Q

Whats the difference between weather and climate?

A

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place
climate is the long term average of weather at a given location

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10
Q

What happens at absolute zero?

A

Absolute zero is the temperature at which molecular motion stops. this is the coldest temperature possible (-459F)

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11
Q

What temperature does water freeze in Celsius?

A

0degrees

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12
Q

What temperature does water freeze in Fahrenheit ?

A

32 degree

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13
Q

What temperature does water freeze in Kelvin?

A

273 K

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14
Q

What is the most plentiful greenhouse gas?

A

Water vapor

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15
Q

What are the greenhouse gases from most plentiful to least?

A

Water vapor, CO2, Methane, nitrosoczide, ozone, CFCs

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16
Q

What percentage is nitrogen in the atmosphere?

A

78%

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17
Q

What percentage is oxygen in the atmosphere?

A

21%

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18
Q

What percentage is water vapor in the atmosphere?

A

0-4%

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19
Q

50% of the atmosphere resides below how many miles and kilometers ?

A

3.4 miles, 5.5 KM

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20
Q

99% of the atmosphere is below how many miles and kilometers?

A

19 miles and 31 KM

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21
Q

What are the two main units of pressure in meteorology?

A

Millibars (mb) and hectopascal (hPa)

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22
Q

What are the four layers of the atmosphere from lowest to highest?

A

Troposphere, stratosphere, tropopause, mesosphere, thermosphere

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23
Q

When water changes phases it releases or absorbs what kind of heat?

A

latent heat

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24
Q

What are the three methods for heat transfer in the atmosphere?

A

conduction, convection, and radiation

25
Q

What is conduction?

A

heat transferred between substances that are touching

26
Q

What is convection?

A

transfer of heat by movement of a fluid or atmosphere

27
Q

What is radiation?

A

energy that travels in the form of waves

28
Q

Where is radiation visible?

A

0.4 - 0.7 micrometers

29
Q

UV radiation is considered ___ radiation and infrared radiations is considered___ radiation

A

Shortwave, Long wave

30
Q

Describe the greenhouse effect

A

Selective absorbers in the atmosphere allow shortwave radiation to pass through the atmosphere, but some absorb some of long wave radiation emitted by the earth

31
Q

Why do we have seasons?

A

Changes in the amount of solar radiation received at the surface. Earth is titled on its axis, this causes seasonal changes in the angle the sun strikes the surface and the length of daylight

32
Q

How does the day heat up?

A

Radiation, conduction, convection, heat transfer

33
Q

How does the night cool down?

A

Radiational cooling: the ground and air above cool by radiating infrared energy
Conduction, forced convection

34
Q

What is the prefix for a low cloud?

A

Stratus

35
Q

What is the prefix for a middle cloud?

A

Alto

36
Q

What is the prefix for a high cloud?

A

cirro

37
Q

What is the suffix for layer clouds?

A

Stratus

38
Q

What is the suffix for puffy clouds?

A

cumulus

39
Q

What is the suffix for wispy clouds?

A

Cirrus

40
Q

What is the suffix for rain clouds?

A

Nimbus

41
Q

What is the average air pressure at sea level?

A

1013.25 mb

42
Q

What is lapse rate?

A

the rate at which temperature decreases with increased height

43
Q

What is sensible heat?

A

The heat we can feel, sense, and measure with a thermometer

44
Q

What is latent heat?

A

The heat energy required to change a substance from one state to another

45
Q

What is a selective absorber?

A

An object that only absorbs radiation at certain wavelengths

46
Q

What happens to solar radiation that enters the top of the atmosphere?

A

Absorbed, scattered, and reflected

47
Q

What is albedo?

A

The percent of radiation reflected by a surface

48
Q

What is earths albedo?

A

30%

49
Q

When is summer solstice?

A

June 21st

50
Q

When are the equinoxes?

A

March 20, September 22

51
Q

When is winter solstice?

A

21 december

52
Q

What are the ingredients for a really cold night?

A

Long night, light or calm winds, dry atmosphere, no clouds, snow

53
Q

What are the controls of temperature?

A

latitude, land and water distribution, ocean currents, elevation

54
Q

what is isotherm?

A

The line connecting points with equal temperature

55
Q

what is specific heat?

A

the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius

56
Q

What is humidity?

A

The amount of water vapor in the air

57
Q

What is relative humidity?

A

a measure of how close the air is to being saturated, the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor required for saturation at that particular temperature

58
Q

what is dew point temperature?

A

the temperature to which air would have to be cooled for the air to become saturated

weather and climate (4 decks)

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