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Physical Geography Exam I > Exam II > Flashcards

Exam II Flashcards

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1
Q

What part of a gas causes greater air pressure?

A
  1. Pressure
  2. Heat (less important)
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2
Q

What happens to pressure as altitude increases?

A

pressure decreases

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3
Q

What causes molecules to be more densely packed at the surface?

A

Gravity

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4
Q

How can mapping air pressure with isobars help determine wind speeds?

A

Because air flows from areas of high pressure to low pressure.

Steep gradients (the abruptness of pressure change over a distance)
when isobars are close together indicate strong wind speeds.

Coriolis effect also plays a part.

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5
Q

What does a increase in inches on a barometer suggest?

A

That high pressure is moving in.

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6
Q

What does friction of air do to wind speeds and the Coriolis effect?

A

It slows wind speeds which in turn reduce the Coriolis effect

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7
Q

What happens to the frictional influence on wind as altitude increases?

A

It progressively decreases

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8
Q

What causes a Sea breeze?

A

A daytime warming of the land produces relatively low pressure there, which attracts an onshore flow of wind from the sea

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9
Q

What causes a Land breeze?

A

When nighttime cooling over the land causes high pressure there, resulting in an offshore flow of air.

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10
Q

What is the wind pattern of Cyclone?

Is it low pressure or high pressure?

A

Air spirals counterclockwise inward and upward toward a cyclone.

Cyclones converge in low pressure systems.

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11
Q

What is the wind pattern of an Anti Cyclone?

Is it low pressure or high pressure?

A

Air spirals clockwise outward and downward away from an Anti Cyclone

Anti Cyclones are high pressure systems

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12
Q

What is the hypothetical pattern of wind in a non-rotating Earth?

A

The greater amount of solar warming near the equator would cause a low pressure system there and the poles would have high pressure.

Pressure would simply flow down its gradients from both poles.

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13
Q

What are the Hadley Cells?

A

They are vertical convective circulation cells with warm air rising at the ITCZ

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14
Q

What are subtropical highs?

A

They are high pressure cells around 30 degrees north and south of the equator, where air will flow off towards the equator.

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15
Q

What are the trade winds?

A

They are winds that come off the Sub Tropical Highs

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16
Q

What are the horse latitudes?

A

A belt of calm air and sea between the trade winds and the westerlies

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17
Q

Where is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)?

A

It is a zone where the northeast and southeast trades come together around the equator, but it will shift seasonally and varies more over land because the land warms more.

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18
Q

What are the Doldrums?

A

A low pressure area around the equator where prevailing winds are calm.

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19
Q

Since Wayne lies in the heart of the mid latitudes, we live in the path of?

A

The prevailing westerlies

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20
Q

Where are the Polar highs?

A

They are high pressure systems that is above the polar regions.

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21
Q

What are the polar easterlies?

A

They are below the polar highs from 60 degrees latitude to the highs and have characteristically east to west direction.

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22
Q

What is the polar front?

A

Zone between 55-60 latitude and is the meeting ground for the cold winds of the easterlies and the warmer westerlies.

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23
Q

What are jet streams?

A

They are fast flowing, narrow air currents found around 6 miles above earth’s surface

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24
Q

What is the significance of the jet streams?

A

They are significant because the streams flows from the west to the east, so trying to fly from the east is very difficult.

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25
Q

What are Rossby waves?

A

Giant meanders in high altitude winds (e.g jet stream) that have a major influence on weather.

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26
Q

How do Rossby waves influence weather?

A

When the amplitudes of the waves of the polar jet streams drastically increase they may merge with the subtropical jet streams resulting in intensified weather.

If the waves are relatively stable there isn’t a merging of cold and warm air which can cause normal effects

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27
Q

What is meant by a monsoon?

A

Season

A reversal of winds - a general sea-to-land movement called onshore flow and a general land-to-sea movement called offshore flow

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28
Q

What are the causes of monsoons?

A

When a strong thermal (warm surface) low pressure cell generated over the continent pulls oceanic air onshore.

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29
Q

What are the significance of monsoons?

A

More than half of the world lives in areas with monsoon controlled climates. They’re lives depend on these seasonal changes

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30
Q

Where are there monsoons?

A

South Asia

East Asia

West Africa

Southwest US

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31
Q

What is an El Nino?

A

It is periodic warming of the ocean surface of the west coast of south africa.

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32
Q

What are the significance of El Nino?

A

They can change world weather patterns, causing heavy rain in some areas and droughts in others.

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33
Q

What state is most atmospheric moisture in?

A

Water vapor (gas)

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34
Q

What is required to convert water to its different phases?

A

Latent heat

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35
Q

What is latent heat?

A

The energy released or absorbed during a phase change.

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36
Q

Is latent heat a form of atmospheric energy?

A

YES!

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37
Q

What is evaporation generally?

A

A cooling process that takes heat away from a surface

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38
Q

What is evapotranspiration?

A

Water conveyed to the atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration from plants.

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39
Q

Define Absolute Humidity

A

The actual water vapor content in the air.

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40
Q

Why is absolute humidity higher near the equator?

A

Because warmer air has the ability to hold more moisture and the air near the equator is warmer.

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41
Q

Define Relatively Humidity.

A

The amount of water vapor as a percent of the amount needed for saturation.

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42
Q

Why are air temp and relatively humidity inversely related?

A

Because when temperature is high there is a low percent of water vapor compared to what is needed for saturation.

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43
Q

Define Dew Point

A

Dew point is the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled for water vapor to condense

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44
Q

What does a high dew point mean?

A

There is a lot of moisture in the air

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45
Q

What are condensation nuclei?

A

They are particle of dust smoke pollen etc that act as collection points for water molecules during condensation.

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46
Q

What is supercooled water?

A

They are droplets that are important for condensation because they promote the growth of ice particles in cold clouds

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47
Q

What are the two conditions necessary for condensation to occur?

A
  1. Condensation Nuclei
  2. Supercooled water
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48
Q

What does adiabatic process mean?

A

means it is a process that occurs without gaining or losing heat

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49
Q

Explain how adiabatic warming of descending air occurs.

A

There is compression in the lower atnmosphere

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50
Q

Explain how adiabatic cooling occurs in rising air.

A

As a parcel expands molecules make less contact

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51
Q

What are the three types of classifying clouds?

A
  1. Cirrus
  2. Stratus
  3. Cumulus
52
Q

Unstable air is buoyant and associated with?

A

Updrafts and vertical clouds

53
Q

How does nature make it rain?

A

In the adiabatic processes,

a parcel of warm moist air must be forced to rise, expand, cool, condense and precipitate

54
Q

What are the four types of ways that it can precipitate?

A
  1. Convective lifting
  2. Orographic lifting
  3. Frontal/convergent lifting
  4. Convergence
55
Q

What is Orographic precipitation?

A

When air runs into a mountain, rises expands, cools, condenses, and precipitates

56
Q

What is fog?

A

When a cloud in the sky comes in contact with the ground

57
Q

In what season does Nebraska typically receive its highest amount of precipitation?

A

Late spring early summer

June

58
Q

Why does the southeast experience such high amounts of average annual precipitation?

A

The Southeast generally experiences warm and humid weather for much of the year. Warm air can hold more moisture than cooler air. When warm, moisture-laden air masses collide with cooler air or encounter topographic features such as mountains, they can be forced to rise, cool, and condense, resulting in precipitation.

59
Q

What are the regions of high annual precipitation?

A
  1. ITCZ/Trade wind uplift
  2. Tropical monsoon regions
  3. Coastal areas in the Westerlies
60
Q

What are the regions of low annual precipitation?

A
  1. Areas of subtropical highs
  2. Interior of continents
  3. High latitude regions
61
Q

Why do deserts experience the highest precipitation variability in the world?

A
  1. Lack of Moisture Sources: Deserts typically lack significant moisture sources such as oceans or large bodies of water.
  2. High Pressure Systems: Deserts are often located in regions dominated by high-pressure systems, which inhibit the uplift of air necessary for the formation of clouds and precipitation.
62
Q

What must air be like for fog to occur?

A

You need stable air

63
Q

Why does the American southwest experience less fog overall than any other region of the US?

A

Available atmospheric moisture is limited and winds are strong

64
Q

What is an air mass?

A

A large body of air with generally uniform temperature and humidity.

65
Q

How large are air masses?

A

1000 miles in diameter

66
Q

How do large air masses originate?

A

When a mass of air stagnates for a few days over uniform land or sea surface and it acquires its temp and humidity

67
Q

What is the cP air mass?

A

Continental Polar (cold, dry air)

68
Q

What is the cT air mass?

A

Continental tropical (hot dry air

69
Q

What is the mP air mass?

A

Maritime Polar (cool wet air)

70
Q

What is the mT air mass?

A

Maritime Tropical (warm wet air)

71
Q

Describe the wind direction and speed, temperature, humidity, and potential for precipitation for Cold Front

A

Direction of wind is up and forward, and winds are fast,

precipitation is more intense but short lived

Humidity is higher

72
Q

Describe the wind direction and speed, temperature, humidity, and potential for precipitation for Warm fronts.

A

Wind direction is forward and a gradual uplift.

precipitation is much more broad spectrum

73
Q

Explain Stationary Fronts

A

When a cold air mass meets a warm air mass but they both stall and the boundary between is called the stationary front

Precipitation is lower than that of a warm front

74
Q

Explain Occluding fronts.

A

When a cold front overtakes a warm front.

75
Q

What is a mid-latitude cyclone, and where do they occur?

A

They are low pressure systems (tornado, hurricane etc.) They occur between 30N and 70N

76
Q

What happens in Cyclogeneisis?

A

When upper Trophosphere conditions in the vicinity of the polar jet stream allow for birth of a a cyclone.

77
Q

How do fronts form where air masses meet?

A

Fronts form where air masses meet due to differences in temperature, humidity, and density between the two air masses.

78
Q

Why does the warm sector winds of a mid-latitude cyclone typically come from the south?

A

Because either the cT or the mT is from the south.

79
Q

How does the weather change with the passing of a warm front?

A

The passage of a warm front tends to bring gradual changes to weather conditions, including increasing temperatures and the potential for light precipitation and pressure decreases

80
Q

How does the weather change with the passing of a cold front?

A

the passage of a cold front results in more abrupt weather changes, including thunderstorms, followed by cooler and drier conditions and pressure increases.

81
Q

What is an Occlusion?

A

When the cold front overtakes the warm front and the warm sector at the ground is displaced so when the occlusion actual forms warm air is no longer contacting the surface

82
Q

Why do occlusions signal the death of a mid-latitude wave cyclone?

A

Because the warm air can no longer rise and it weakens the pressure gradient shutting off the storms energy and air lifting mechanism

83
Q

On average, how many mid-latitude cyclones are swirling in the midlatitudes?

A

5-15

84
Q

What are the characteristics of anticyclonic high pressure systems?

A

Air is converging into it from above subsiding and diverging at the surface

There are no fronts

May be strong winds at the eastern end of the anticyclone

They move at the same rate as a cyclone, but can remain stagnant

They are characteristic of low temps in the winter

85
Q

What type of weather does an anticyclone bring?

A

Brings clear stable and dry weather

86
Q

Do Cyclones follow in the wake of anticyclones?

A

No other way around?

87
Q

Do anticyclones or cyclones move faster?

A

Cyclones move slightly faster

88
Q

Tropical cyclones in the US are called what?

A

Hurricanes

89
Q

What are hurricanes called in other parts of the world?

A

Typhoon, Cyclone, Baguio

90
Q

What are the categories of tropical disturbances?

A
  1. Tropical Depression
  2. Tropical Storm
  3. Hurricane etc.
91
Q

What winds are typical of a tropical depression?

A

less than 38mph

92
Q

What winds are typical of a tropical storm?

A

between 38 and 78 mph

93
Q

What winds are typical of a hurricane?

A

over 78mph

94
Q

In what parts of the world are hurricanes common?

A

east of Philippines
west of southern Mexico

gulf of mexico

95
Q

When are hurricanes most common

A

end of summer- fall

96
Q

What are named storms?

A

when a storm changes from a tropical depression to a tropical storm

97
Q

How do hurricanes originate?

A

When there is warm water above the equator (coriolis effect) and easterly winds can provide low level convergence and lifting

98
Q

What are the characteristics and movement patterns of hurricanes?

A

Low pressure centers, steep pressure gradient, there are no fronts unlike mid latitude cyclones

Movement patterns are generally east to west, (easterlies) but can curve prominently poleward

99
Q

What is an easterly wave?

A

A weak low pressure system moving East to West that may become a hurricane

100
Q

What are hurricane tracks?

A

Movements of hurricanes

101
Q

What is the lifespan of hurricanes and how do they die?

A

Usually about one week with a max of four weeks.

Hurricanes die when they move over land or when they move into the mid-latitudes

102
Q

How do we classify hurricane strength?

A

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale which is primarily based on wind speeds

103
Q

What causes the most fatalities in a hurricane?

A

Flooding (drowning)

104
Q

What is a storm surge of a hurricane?

A

When the low pressure in the center of a storm allows the ocean surface to bulge up and wind driven waves cause the water to rise even more.

105
Q

What happens when a hurricane makes landfall?

A

Flooding will happen, high winds usually happen and the large hurricane can spawn tornados

106
Q

How might hurricanes change if some predicted versions of climate change occur?

A

There could be a greater number of hurricanes, and possibly fewer hurricanes but of greater intensity

107
Q

Where are the most thunderstorms in the US?

A

In central Florida and the gulf coast.

108
Q

What are the hazards to humans that are associated with hurricanes?

A

Lightning
High winds
tornados

109
Q

Why do so many tornados form in the US?

A

the combination of geography, atmospheric conditions, weather patterns, and detection capabilities makes the United States particularly prone to tornado formation

110
Q

Where else do tornados form in the world?

A

Argentina

Europe

Bangladesh

Australia

South Africa

111
Q

How is the strength of a tornado measured?

A

EF scale EF0-EF5

Enhanced Fujita Scale

112
Q

When is the measurement of a tornados strength done?

A

By observing the damage after the storm

113
Q

How much of the water on earth is concentrated in the oceans?

A

97%

114
Q

How much of the worlds freshwater is found in glaciers?

A

75%

115
Q

What is the hydrologic cycle?

A

The continuous circulation of water in the atmospheric system

116
Q

How is energy transferred around the earth in the hydrologic cycle?

A

By processes like evaporation transpiration etc anything that gives off latent heat or takes it in

117
Q

How much of the world is covered by water?

A

71% mainly in oceans

118
Q

What drives the movement of surface ocean currents?

A

Wind and the Coriolis Effect

119
Q

What drives the movement of deep ocean current?

A

They are powered by thermohaline circulation beginning in polar regions

120
Q

What is the Cryosphere?

A

All of the frozen water on earth.

121
Q

Where is the ice on earth found?

A

Can be found floating in liquid water, or on land which is more common

122
Q

What is permafrost?

A

Permanently frozen ground

123
Q

Why would the thawing of the world’s permafrost have an impact on global temperature?

A

Because it destabilizes things that we have built, also we can’t find oil as much as we want now.

More it is exposing the amount of microorganisms in the soil, and it would lead to quicker decomposition of organic matter leading to more CO2 in the atmosphere.

124
Q

After glaciers, where is most of the worlds fresh water found?

A

In the groundwater

125
Q

What is the water table?

A

The underground boundary between the zone of aeration and zone of saturation.

126
Q

What can excessive pumping from wells produce?

A

A cone of depression in the zone of stauration.

127
Q

What is the Ogallala Aquifer?

A

A part of the high plains aquifer which is a very important source of irrigation water.

Physical Geography Exam I (4 decks)

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