Exam 2 Flashcards
Where is the most of earths fresh water?
Glaciers and ice caps (68.7%)
What is an Atom?
building blocks of all matter
What are the three types of subatomic particles?
- Protons
- Neutrons
- Electrons
What is a molecule?
Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds
What are the two types of chemical bonds?
Intramolecular
Intermolecular
what is the components of intramolecular bonds?
Between atoms
•Type 1: Covalent bonds
•Type 2: Ionic bonds
what is the components of intermolecular bonds?
Between molecules
•Type 1: Hydrogen bonds
what are the properties of liquid water?
- Hydrogen bonding
- Universal solvent
- Heat capacity
what are the three phases of water?
Solid, liquid and gas phase
what is latent heat?
energy for a phase change
what is density?
Density = mass/unit volume
is freshwater more or less dense than sea water?
less dense
is cold or hot water more dense?
cold water
what is salinity?
Salinity: Total amount of dissolved solids in water including dissolved gases
how does salinity increase?
–Sea ice formation
–Evaporation
how does salinity decrease?
–Runoff, melting icebergs, melting sea ice
–Precipitation
what is a pycnocline?
a layer in an ocean or other body of water in which water density increases rapidly with depth.
what is a Halocline?
an increase in salinity
what are the three types of heat transfers?
Conduction
Radiation
Convection
seasonal variations: what area is tropics region at?
Between 23.5N and 23.5 S
seasonal variations: Arctic circle
– North of 66.5 degrees north latitude – No direct solar radiation during Northern Hemisphere winter
seasonal variations: Antarctic circle
– South of 66.5 degrees south latitude- – No direct solar radiation in Southern Hemisphere winter
what is albedo? how is it measured?
– Reflectivity of a surface
– Average for Earth is 30%
measured in percents 0-100
atmosphere composition, Relatively constant
components:
Nitrogen, Oxygen,
Argon, CO2, Plus trace
amounts of others
variable components of atmosphere
- Water vapor
- Dust
- Ozone
weather is generated in the…
troposphere
what is a convection cell?
a circular-moving loop of air by warm air rising and cool air sinking
what is pressure
pressure= force/ area
The Coriolis Effect definition
• Deflects path of moving object
from viewer’s perspective
High pressure zones –
descending air
Subtropical highs
30 degrees
latitude
High pressure zones –
descending air
Polar highs
90 degrees latitude
Low pressure zones – rising air
Equatorial low
equator
Low pressure zones – rising air
Subpolar lows
60 degrees latitude
what are the circulation cells?
– Hadley Cell: 0– 30 degrees latitude – Ferrel Cell: 30– 60 degrees latitude – Polar Cell: 60– 90 degrees latitude
Coastal environments include:
Estuaries and deltas
Isostatic sea level changes are____ in contrast to eustatic changes which are____
Local, global
Hydrogen bonds form because water is a slightly_____ molecule
Polar
It takes___ energy to boil water then to melt ice
More
An alternative to constructing a barrier to prevent coastal erosion includes….
Beach replenishment where sediment is added
Sea water contains…
Water, dissolved ions (salt) and gases
Water has the highest density when…
Liquid
T/F
The presence of water prevents high latitudes from freezing and the equator’s water from boiling off
True
What is weather?
The current or particular time or place
What is climate?
The long term average
What is an air mass?
Large volumes of air with distinct properties
What is the boundary between air masses called?
Front
What is a storm?
Atmospheric disturbances with strong wind and precipitation
How are cyclones classified?
By max sustained wind speed
What are the process in storm development?
Tropical depression
Topical storm
Cyclone
