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Air and atmospheric Sciences > Final Exam > Flashcards

Final Exam Flashcards

1
Q

Primary Circulation

A

general global circulation: average air flow around globe and created by unequal heating of earth’s surface

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2
Q

Secondary Circulation

A

related to pressure belts migratory high pressure and low pressure systems

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3
Q

Tertiary Circulation

A

includes local winds and temporal weather patterns

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4
Q

General Atmospheric circulation

A

reason there is different weather patterns, jet streams, deserts, and prevailing winds; caused by rotation of Earth and amount of heat different parts of Earth receive.

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5
Q

Air mass

A

a large body of air with similar temperature and moisture characteristics in any horizontal direction

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6
Q

Air mass and Earth’s surface

A

each area of Earth’s surface impacts its temperature and moisture characteristics to overlaying air; Effect of the surface on the air creates regional air masses w/ homogenous mix of temperature, humidity, and stability

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7
Q

Classification of air masses

A

air masses are classified moisture and temperature

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8
Q

Moisture

A

“m” for maritime (wet) & “c” for continental (dry)

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9
Q

Temperature

A

“A” for arctic, “P” for polar, “T” for tropical, “E” for equatorial, & “AA” for antartic

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10
Q

Four categories for the classification of air masses

A

(cP, mP, cT, mT)

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11
Q

cP

A

continental polar: air masses form only in Northern Hemisphere and developed in cold weather conditions; displaces moist and warm air: producing lifting, cooling and condensation

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12
Q

mP

A

maritime polar: air masses in the Northern Hemisphere exist over the northern oceans

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13
Q

mT

A

maritime tropical: two maritime tropical air masses that influence North America

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14
Q

mT Gulf/ Atlantic:

A

unstable and active in spring and fall

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15
Q

mT pacific:

A

stable to conditionally unstable and generally lower in moisture content and available energy

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16
Q

cT

A

continental tropical: hot dry unstable at low levels, stable at upper levels, over Mexican plateau region

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17
Q

If air mass is colder than surface over which it is moving

A

“k” is added

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18
Q

If air mass is warmer than the surface over which it is moving

A

“w” is added

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19
Q

Zonal flows (winds)

A

move east or west along parallels of latitude

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20
Q

Meridional flows (winds)

A

move north or south along meridians or parallels to lines of longitude

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21
Q

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A

Where northeast trade winds in the northern hemisphere and the southeast trade winds in the southern hemisphere meet

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22
Q

NE and SE Trade winds

A

comes from the east located between the equator and 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres

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23
Q

Doldrums

A

another name for intertropical convergence zone

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24
Q

Horse latitudes

A

around 30 degrees latitude, sinking air creates a belt of high pressure which causes weak winds

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25
Q

Pacific High

A

moves northward during summer, during winter moves south allowing precipitation to SW US

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26
Q

Bermuda High

A

transports warm, moist subtropical air to US and southern Canada, air can be unstable

27
Q

Cyclones

A

Southwestern pacific ocean

28
Q

Lightning

A

Gigantic electrostatic discharge between the cloud and the ground, other clouds, or within a cloud

29
Q

Chinook winds

A

Dry winds blowing down on the lee-side of the mountains ranges

30
Q

Thermocline

A

o Layer within a body of water or air where the temperature changes rapidly with depth
o Thermos= heat
o Cline= slope

31
Q

El nino

A

refers to eastward movement of warm water from the western equatorial pacific to the eastern equatorial pacific

32
Q

La Nina

A

after El Nino phase, la Nina occurs; Unusually cold weather that is found in eastern Pacific Ocean; cold episodes

33
Q

a tropical line

A

A trough or cyclonic curvature maximum in the trade wind easterlies

34
Q

a dry line and its symbol

A

A boundary separating moist and dry air masses and lies north-south across the central and southern high plains states

35
Q

a trough and its symbol

A

An elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure

36
Q

a squall line and its symbol

A

A line of active thunderstorms either continuous or with breaks

37
Q

a cold front and its symbol

A

o Transition zone where a cold air mass is replacing warmer air mass
o Move from northwest to southeast

38
Q

a warm front and its symbol

A

o Transition zone where a warm air mass is replacing a cold air mass
o Move from southwest to northeast

39
Q

Occluded front and its symbol

A

Occurs when a fast-moving cold front overtakes a warmer front; cold air wedges the warm front upward = precipitation

40
Q

Frontolysis Process

A

Fronts can weaken with time

41
Q

Microburst

A

a sudden, powerful, localized air current, especially a downdraft.

42
Q

Oceans and their properties

A

Regulate climate, cycle mass, and transfer energy around the globe

43
Q

Isothermal

A

Equal or constant temperature; not present at high latitudes

44
Q

Midlatitude Westerlies

A

global wind system that comes from the west

45
Q

Polar easterlies

A

global wind system that comes from the east

46
Q

Icelandic lows

A

Observed average surface pressure and winds during January

47
Q

Aleutian lows

A

genesis region for cyclones impacting pacific NW
Observed average surface pressure and winds during January

48
Q

Trend technique

A

o Rate x time = distance
o If phenomenon is in a steady state or is moving at a constant speed

49
Q

Surface winds, flowing into Low, out of High, crossing isobars

A

When low or high pressure develops more locally, the resulting high and low pressure regions are cell-like systems, and isobars describe the patterns of air pressure will include one or more closed circular isobars

50
Q

Polar front

A

The boundary at which air flowing away from the polar regions collides with the warmer air from the lower latitudes

51
Q

Polar jet stream

A

jet stream that can bring down cold weather conditions from the north

52
Q

Polar high

A

Zone of high atmospheric pressure at high latitudes

53
Q

Distribution of precipitation globally

A

Equator:

  • Higher temperatures (more rising, cooling air

masses, which results in precipitation)

Poles:

  • Lower temperatures (less rising, cooling air masses)
54
Q

convergence

A

the state of separate elements joining or coming together

55
Q

divergence

A

the act of moving away in different direction from a common point

56
Q

subtropical deserts

A

A biome prevailing at approximately 30° N and 30° S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation.

57
Q

subtropical jet stream

A

jet stream that can bring up warm weather conditions from the south

58
Q

seasonal variations of Hadley cells

A

convection cells in the atmosphere through which warm air rises, releases its moisture, and returns poleward as cool, dry air.

59
Q

poleward energy transport atmospheric

A

Air moving equatorwards over the surface of the Earth takes up heat from the oceans and continents

60
Q

poleward energy transport oceanic

A

Heat is transferred in a northward, heat is absorbed by the tropical waters and is then transferred to the high latitudes, where it is finally given up to the atmosphere.

61
Q

temperature inversions

A

atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth’s surface

62
Q

tornado and its scale

A

localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground

63
Q

thunderstorms (causes of birth)/ locations

A

1: Sun heats surface during the day, warms air and starts to rise (updraft); if air is moist, it condenses into a cumulonimbus cloud

2: Becomes to large and water becomes heavy, cool dry air starts to enter the cloud, cool air is heavier and starts to descend the cloud; down draft pulls the water down making rain

Location: Florida gulf coast and colorado

Air and atmospheric Sciences (1 decks)

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