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GEOG 3010 > EXAM TWO > Flashcards

EXAM TWO Flashcards

1
Q

what is the equilibrium vapor pressure?

A

another way of expressing saturation vapor pressure

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2
Q

what is the curvature effect?

A
  • water evaporates more easily from a curved surface (requires a higher saturation vapor pressure to main state of equilibrium)
  • requires supersaturation to maintain cloud droplet
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3
Q

what is the solute effect?

A
  • condensation nuclei are hygroscopic (allows condensation at RH well below 100%)
  • liquid water forms solution with condensation nuclei, making it harder to evaporate
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4
Q

what is the collision-coalescence process?

A
  • droplets of difference sizes collide and coalesce into larger droplets
  • warm cloud process (layers above freezing)
  • works like water droplets on a window / windshield
  • falling drops reach terminal velocity – where pull of gravity is balanced by frictional drag
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5
Q

what is the Bergeron process?

A
  • forms precipitation in middle and high latitudes (in clouds or below freezing)
  • clouds are mixtures of ice and water
  • ice crystals grow at expense of surrounding water droplets
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6
Q

what is supercooled liquid water?
at what temperatures does it exist?

A
  • water at temperatures below freezing (but above -40ºC)
  • less pure water = lower freezing point
  • very small droplets freeze at much lower temperatures
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7
Q

what are ice nuclei?

A

particles that act as the nucleus for the formation of an ice crystal in the atmosphere (6-sided formation)

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8
Q

what is accretion? how does it aid in the growth of ice crystals?

A

some supercooled liquid water may collide with ice crystals and the liquid freezes onto the ice: graupel

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9
Q

what is aggregation? how does it aid in the growth of ice crystals?

A

ice crystals colliding and sticking together (only effective above -10ºC)

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10
Q

rain

A

falling drop of liquid water (raindrop shape is fake)

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11
Q

drizzle

A

raindrops less than 0.5 mm

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12
Q

snow

A

frozen water falling from sky (crystal or flake)

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13
Q

virga

A

rain that evaporates before reaching ground

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14
Q

fallstreaks

A

‘virga’ but with frozen precipitation (sublimation) and appear darker than rain because ice scatters sunlight more effectively

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15
Q

cloudburst

A

intense and brief rain shower

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16
Q

flurries

A

light snow, often non-accumulating

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17
Q

snow squall

A

intense but brief period of snow

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18
Q

blizzard

A

low temperatures & strong winds with large amounts of dry, powdery snow

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19
Q

sleet

A

small pellets of ice

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20
Q

freezing rain

A

liquid precip hits the surface and quickly freezes

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21
Q

freezing drizzle

A

droplets less than 0.5 mm diameter

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22
Q

snow grains

A
  • <1 mm, white, opaque grains of ice that are fairly flat or elongated
  • do not bounce or break up on impact
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23
Q

snow pellets

A

white and opaque ice particles that are generally conical or rounded (diameter may be as large as 5 mm)

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24
Q

hail

A

balls of ice
graupel act as embryo in intense thunderstorm

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25
Q

use the ideal gas law to explain relationships between temperature, pressure, and density

A

density is inversely related to temp at same temperature

cold air –> more dense
warm air –> less dense

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26
Q

what is station pressure?
what is sea level pressure?

A
  • station pressure: pressure measured at a station
  • sea level pressure: constant height (a comparable pressure value)
27
Q

how is pressure displayed on upper-level charts?

A

chart is drawn on a constant pressure surface (250 mb, 500 mb, etc). It uses isobars to show how the pressure changes at certain locations at different altitudes

28
Q

how do variations in temperature create variations in upper level isobaric charts?

A

on a constant pressure surface…
- warmer/less dense air have higher heights
- colder/more dense air have lower heights

29
Q

what are ridges and troughs?

A

ridge: an elongated area of high pressure
trough: an elongated area of low pressure

30
Q

be able to diagram each in the southern and northern hemispheres, and understand their connections to warm and cold air

A

in the NORTHERN hemisphere, troughs are U shaped. ridges are N shaped

in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, troughs are N shaped. ridges are U shaped.

(in the US) troughs bring cold air from Canada. ridges bring warm air from the Gulf.

31
Q

what are cyclones and anticyclones?
what are their characteristics in terms of general weather, and how is the air flow around them in each hemisphere?

A
  • cyclones: low pressure. ounterclockwise in NH (clockwise in SH). louds and ppt.
  • anticyclones: high pressure. clockwise in NH (counterclockwise in SH). clear and no ppt
32
Q

understand and be able to express mathematically through vectors how the pressure gradient force act to produce wind variations aloft, at the surface, and in both hemispheres

A

idfk

33
Q

what is the Coriolis force, and how does it differ in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?

A

deflection of objects due to rotation of the Earth
in the NH it deflects RIGHT
in the SH it deflects LEFT

34
Q

what is Newton’s first law of motion and how does it relate to atmospheric motions?

A

LAW: an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion as long as no force is executed on the object (F=ma)
- relates to atmospheric motions by acceleration such as the pressure gradient force, Coriolis force, friction, and centripetal accelerations

35
Q

what are geostrophic and gradient winds, where are they found (surface or aloft, or both), what conditions are necessary for their formation, and what forces come into balance in each? what forces play a role in surface winds?

A
  • geostrophic: constant speed. aloft. forms by the PGF moving from high to low pressure, and the Coriolis force deflecting opposite to it. geostrophic winds move tangent to these forces, following parallel to isobars. the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force balance each other out.
  • gradient: constant winds blowing parallel to curved isobars. no friction. only Coriolis force, pressure gradient force, and centripetal force
  • surface: pressure gradient force, Coriolis force, friction
36
Q

what is meant by meridional and zonal flow?

A

meridional: wind flowing in a N/S pattern (vertical)
zonal: wind flowing parallel W/E pattern (horizontal)

37
Q

understand the vertical air motions associated with high and low pressure centers

A
  • low: air rises. convergence at SURFACE. divergence ALOFT.
  • high: air sinks. divergence at SURFACE. convergence ALOFT.
38
Q

what is microscale?

A
  • less than a few meters high
  • last minutes to seconds
  • eddies
39
Q

what is mesoscale?

A
  • 2-100 km high
  • thunderstorms, tornados, land/sea breezes, mountain/valley breezes
  • last minutes to days
40
Q

what is synpotic?

A
  • high/low pressure, hurricanes
  • fronts
  • last days to weeks
41
Q

what is the difference between mechanical and thermal turbulence?
what conditions lead to strong turbulence (each individually, or both together)?

A
  • mechanical: variations in terrain and surface roughness generate eddies; wind gusts.
  • thermal: strong heating causes vertical air motions; may extend through the troposphere. strongest by mid-day (warmest)
  • surface heating, strong wind speeds, and rough/ hilly terrain can lead to strong turbulence.
42
Q

what are eddies?

A

wind gusts

43
Q

what is the planetary boundary layer?
how high is it typically?

A
  • lowest boundary layer of the atmosphere
  • 1km high
44
Q

how are winds defined / described?

A

direction (from which it is blowing)
speed / velocity
gustiness

45
Q

what is meant by prevailing winds, and how are these generally determined (i.e., what plot or graph would help us see the prevailing wind)?

A

the wind direction that is frequently observed during a time period. determined by a wind rose

46
Q

what are thermal circulations, and what drives them initially?

A
  • heating & cooling of the atmosphere above ground creates cold high, warm low pressure cells
  • wind travels from high to low pressure and rises until it cools and begins to sink
47
Q

be able to describe land / sea breezes and mountain / valley breezes, at the surface and aloft, and how they change from day to night

A
  • land: In the day, warm air from land blows into the sea. at night, the cooler land blows onto sea
  • sea: In the day, cool air blows onto land. at night, warm air blows onto land
48
Q

where in the U.S. do sea breezes have a significant impact, and why?

A

coastlines near large bodies of water because their proximity to the water

49
Q

what is meant by a monsoon circulation, and where are they common?

A
  • monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region
  • they’re most common eastern India and SE Asia
50
Q

what are katabatic, Chinook, foehn winds? What makes the Chinook wind warm, and how might precipitation on the windward side of the mountain range influence the intensity of a Chinook wind?

A
  • Atabatic: heavy, dense, cold wind rushes down evaluated slopes (usually weak)
  • Chinook: dry, warm air descending on the leeward side of an orographic barrier. eastern slope Rockies. warms up after descending off of leeward side
  • Foehn: dry, warm air descending on the leeward side of an orographic barrier. Europe
51
Q

what are Santa Ana winds?
how do they form, and where are they common?

A
  • warm, dry wind that blows downhill from the east or northeast into southern California
  • winds develop as a region of high pressure builds over the Great Basin
52
Q

what are semi-permanent pressure systems?
in what season are some of these semi-permanent pressure systems marked?

A
  • systems that barely move throughout the year
  • summer
53
Q

know the names of some major semi-permanent pressure centers and their approximate location in the NH: Aleutian Low, Icelandic Low, Hawaiian High, Bermuda High, Canadian High, Siberian High, Mascerene High

A

Aleutian Low: along the Aleutian Islands
Icelandic Low: between Greenland and Iceland in Atlantic
Hawaiian High: over Hawaii
Bermuda High: slightly west of Spain / Portugal
Canadian high: over southern Canada / very north USA
Siberian High: primarily over Russia / Asia continent
Mascarene High: west of Australia / just east of South Africa

54
Q

how does the general circulation influence global precipitation patterns?

A
  • areas where low pressure systems dominate will typically receive more ppt while areas where high pressure systems dominate typically don’t
55
Q

how do the pressure patterns vary by latitude aloft?

A
  • in July, the winds are seen to be more easterly at the equator
  • winds are faster aloft in the winter
56
Q

what are jet streams?

A
  • established by steep temperature and pressure gradients between circulation cells
  • between tropical/mid-latitude cell (subtropical) and mid-latitude/polar cell (polar)
  • gradients greatest at polar jet
  • play a major role in meridional (north/south) transport of heat
57
Q

what are the key features of the subtropical and polar front jet?
where are they located (in latitude approximately) and in the 3-cell model?

A

subtropical: ~30 degrees N/S SUMMER. Hadley cell
polar: 40-60 degrees N/S WINTER. Polar front / ferrel cell

58
Q

what factors lead to the formation of the two jets?

A

steep temperatures
pressure gradients between circulation cells

59
Q

be able to explain the concept of conservation of angular momentum, and particularly, how it relates to the strength of the subtropical jet.

A

driver of the subtropical jet
as air rises poleward, the radius (r) decreases. causes the speed of air to increase as it continues poleward

60
Q

what are air masses and source regions?
what two variables are used to classify air masses?

A
  • extremely large bodies of air where temperature and humidity are similar horizontally and vertically. Classified by both moisture (m or c) and temperature (P;T;A;E)
  • source regions: area where air mass originates; usually flat and uniform composition with light surface winds
61
Q

know the main types of air masses, their source regions, and key features of each

A
  • cP and cA: N Canada, Alaska (dry, cold, stable –> cA more extreme)
  • mP: North Pacific, North Atlantic (cool, humid, unstable)
  • mT: Gulf of Mexico, S Atlantic, Caribbean, SE Pacific (wet, warm, unstable; most moisture and near subtropical high; atmospheric rivers)
  • cT: SW US, Mexican Plateau (hot, dry, conditionally unstable)
62
Q

what are fronts, and what features are used to identify them on weather maps?

A
  • transition zone between two air masses of different densities
  • blue triangles, red half-circles, combination of triangles and half circles that are alternating, and purple triangles and half circles
63
Q

know the main types of fronts, what types of weather are expected with them, how steep their vertical slopes (qualitatively) are, and how winds are generally orientated behind and in front of them

A
  • stationary front: no movement. variable weather. parallel but opposite wind
  • cold front: cold, dry stable air (cP) replaces warm, moist unstable air. winds have a southerly component ahead and westerly behind. thunderstorms, squall lines
  • warm fronts: warm, moist unstable air overrides cold, dry stable air. frontal inversion almost always (warm air over cold)
  • occluded: cold front catches up to and overtakes a warm front. warm air is cut off from the surface
64
Q

what is the difference between a warm and cold occlusion?

A

for a cold occlusion, cold air BEHIND cold front
for a warm occlusion, cold air AHEAD of warm front

GEOG 3010 (12 decks)

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