GEO_Vocab_GP4_Atmosphere and Climate Flashcards
1
Q
Convection
A
Transfer of thermal energy by the circulation of a fluid (air or liquid)
1
Q
Greenhouse Effect
A
This occurs when the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere trap thermal energy and keep the planet warm.
2
Q
climate
A
average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. Primarily determined by temperature and precipitation
2
Q
Mediterranean climates (Chaparral)
A
cool wet winters and hot dry summers. Plants are mainly drought resistant evergreen shrubs.
2
Q
a stratus cloud that is formed when water vapor condenses near the ground
A
fog
3
Q
front
A
the boundary formed when two air masses with different characteristics collide
4
Q
biome
A
a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and the plants and animals that live there
4
Q
wind created by
A
differences in air pressure; the greater the air pressure difference the stronger the wind.
4
Q
cool wet winters and hot dry summers. Plants are mainly drought resistant evergreen shrubs.
A
Mediterranean climates (Chaparral)
4
Q
The layer closest to the earth’s surface from 0-16km in altitude. It contains about 90% of the atmosphere’s air. CO2, water vapor, clouds, air pollution and weather all reside in this layer.
A
Troposphere
4
Q
The layer that is 16-50 km in altitude and is very thin except for the upper portion which contains a large amount of ozone.
A
Stratosphere
5
Q
Transfer of energy from one thing to another by direct contact.
A
Conduction
6
Q
weather which causes property damage or harm to people.
A
severe weather
7
Q
monsoon
A
a wind reversal which causes changes in air pressure and precipitation in a particular area.
7
Q
Radiation
A
Transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves.
7
Q
fog
A
a stratus cloud that is formed when water vapor condenses near the ground
7
Q
strato
A
prefix for clouds that form at low altitudes
7
Q
snow
A
the most common form of solid precipitation; it is made up of ice crystals when water freezes very quickly.
8
Q
Tropical rain forests
A
Forests which are wet year-round
10
Q
occurs when cold air displaces warm air, pushing it up and often creating thunderstorms , rain or snow, followed by cold weather
A
cold front
11
Q
global winds
A
move across the entire Earth in specific directions.
12
Q
prefix for clouds that form at high altitudes
A
cirro
13
Q
Convection current
A
A circular movement of air caused by the continual process of rising and falling air.
14
Q
Transfer of thermal energy by the circulation of a fluid (air or liquid)
A
Convection
15
Desert
Dry climates which receive less than 25cm of rain per year.
15
air mass
a large body of air with a similar temperature and humidity throughout; characteristics depend on where they form
15
sound waves caused when lightning strikes releasing energy which causes air to expand rapidly moving faster that the speed of sound
thunder
15
A circular movement of air caused by the continual process of rising and falling air.
Convection current
15
This occurs when the gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap thermal energy and keep the planet warm.
Greenhouse Effect
16
alto
prefix for clouds that form at middle altitudes
16
occurs when cold and warm air meet and stay fairly still. Weather can be similar to that of a warm front
stationary front
17
Forests which are wet year-round
Tropical rain forests
18
Carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane
greenhouse gases
20
taiga (Boreal Forest)
are found just south of the tundra. This area experiences long cold winters an short warm summers. Conifer forests and little else grow here.
21
Atmosphere
A mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth
23
Wetlands
Seasonally or permanently saturated with water - some of these are freshwater, some are saltwater
23
hail
lumps of ice which form in layers high up in the air; the ice will fall towards the ground until an updraft brings it higher where it will freeze, then fall again and repeat the process many times
23
Deserts which tend tostay above freezing while experiencing a large daily temperature range
Tropical Deserts
23
differences in air pressure; the greater the air pressure difference the stronger the wind.
wind created by
24
cirro
prefix for clouds that form at high altitudes
25
a large rotating tropical weather system with wind speeds of at least 119 km/hr.
tropical cyclone
26
The layer from 50-80km and is a cold, thin layer with heavy winds.
Mesosphere
27
Warm summers and cold winters - with too little rain for tress
Temperate Grasslands
28
occluded front
occurs when a cold fron overtakes a wanr front forcing the warm air up. This type of front bring cold temperatures and a lot of precipitation.
29
large electrical discharge between two oppositely charged surfaces
lightning
30
Thermosphere
Highest layer from 80-600 km, and is a thin layer with a high temperature.
30
Warm temperature year round with a short rainy season
Tropical Grasslands
31
experience four seasons with warm summers, and cold winters, and high precipitation. Some are deciduous while others are coniferous.
temperate forests
32
sleet
freezing rain; the liquid water droplets freeze as they fall to Earth
34
Temperate Grasslands
Warm summers and cold winters - with too little rain for tress
36
Forests which expereince drought part of the year
Tropical dry forests
36
Upper part of the mesosphere and the lower part of the thermosphere make up this layer. This layer absorbs x-rays and gamma rays. This energy can create ions which make colorful displays called auroras.
Ionosphere
37
a dry environment with long cold winters and short cool summers. The top layer of soil freezes during the winter and thaws during the summer and beneath this layer is constantly frozen permafrost.
tundra
38
local winds
move short distances and can blow in any direction
40
stationary front
occurs when cold and warm air meet and stay fairly still. Weather can be similar to that of a warm front
41
lumps of ice which form in layers high up in the air; the ice will fall towards the ground until an updraft brings it higher where it will freeze, then fall again and repeat the process many times
hail
43
a small rotating column of air that has high wind speeds and low central pressure that touches the ground
tornado
44
The height of an object above the Earth's surface
Altitude
45
temperate forests
experience four seasons with warm summers, and cold winters, and high precipitation. Some are deciduous while others are coniferous.
46
Tropical Forests
Warm year round and the only seasons they experience are wet and dry seasons.
48
thunderstorms
localized intense weather systems that produce thunder, lightning, strong winds and rains. Occur when warm moist air rises quickly, frequently along cold fronts, and creates cumulonimbus clouds.
49
cirrus clouds
thin feathery clouds made of ice that form at high altitudes.
49
Deserts which tend to be cold with freezing temperatures at night
Temperate deserts
51
Conduction
Transfer of energy from one thing to another by direct contact.
52
Transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves.
Radiation
54
stratus clouds
form in layers and cover wide areas.
56
a wind reversal which causes changes in air pressure and precipitation in a particular area.
monsoon
58
Ozone layer
This absorbs UV light and protects the Earth. Part of the stratosphere.
60
localized intense weather systems that produce thunder, lightning, strong winds and rains. Occur when warm moist air rises quickly, frequently along cold fronts, and creates cumulonimbus clouds.
thunderstorms
61
Tropical dry forests
Forests which expereince drought part of the year
62
weather
the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place. Formed and defined by many different characteristics such as temperature, hunidity, precipitation and air pressure.
62
This absorbs UV light and protects the Earth. Part of the stratosphere.
Ozone layer
63
lightning
large electrical discharge between two oppositely charged surfaces
64
form in layers and cover wide areas.
stratus clouds
66
Temperate deserts
Deserts which tend to be cold with freezing temperatures at night
67
a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and the plants and animals that live there
biome
68
the boundary formed when two air masses with different characteristics collide
front
69
occurs when a cold fron overtakes a wanr front forcing the warm air up. This type of front bring cold temperatures and a lot of precipitation.
occluded front
70
cold front
occurs when cold air displaces warm air, pushing it up and often creating thunderstorms , rain or snow, followed by cold weather
72
Prairies, steppes, veldt, pampas and savannas
Other terms for Grasslands
74
freezing rain; the liquid water droplets freeze as they fall to Earth
sleet
75
Mesosphere
The layer from 50-80km and is a cold, thin layer with heavy winds.
77
global warming
throughout history humans have burned fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, natural gas) which release carbon dioxide into the air. This increase in greeenhouse gases has caused the Earth's climate to warm at a rate faster than ever before. This warming of the earth is called _____ \_\_\_\_\_.
79
Highest layer from 80-600 km, and is a thin layer with a high temperature.
Thermosphere
80
cumulonimbus clouds
thunderstorms
81
move across the entire Earth in specific directions.
global winds
82
Troposphere
The layer closest to the earth's surface from 0-16km in altitude. It contains about 90% of the atmosphere's air. CO2, water vapor, clouds, air pollution and weather all reside in this layer.
83
Ionosphere
Upper part of the mesosphere and the lower part of the thermosphere make up this layer. This layer absorbs x-rays and gamma rays. This energy can create ions which make colorful displays called auroras.
84
cumulus clouds
big, white, puffy cloudswith flat bottoms. When they get saturated they get dark and can produce thunderstorms (cumulonimbus clounds)
84
throughout history humans have burned fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, natural gas) which release carbon dioxide into the air. This increase in greeenhouse gases has caused the Earth's climate to warm at a rate faster than ever before. This warming of the earth is called _____ \_\_\_\_\_.
global warming
85
liquid precipitation
rain
86
Seasonally or permanently saturated with water - some of these are freshwater, some are saltwater
Wetlands
88
big, white, puffy cloudswith flat bottoms. When they get saturated they get dark and can produce thunderstorms (cumulonimbus clounds)
cumulus clouds
89
prefix for clouds that form at middle altitudes
alto
90
fossil fuels
petroleum, coal, natural gas
92
a large body of air with a similar temperature and humidity throughout; characteristics depend on where they form
air mass
93
severe weather
weather which causes property damage or harm to people.
95
occurs when warm air mass slowly moves ofer and replaces cold air creating drizzly precipitation and warm weathe rafter it has passed
warm front
96
thunderstorms
cumulonimbus clouds
97
tropical cyclone
a large rotating tropical weather system with wind speeds of at least 119 km/hr.
98
thunder
sound waves caused when lightning strikes releasing energy which causes air to expand rapidly moving faster that the speed of sound
100
rain
liquid precipitation
101
tundra
a dry environment with long cold winters and short cool summers. The top layer of soil freezes during the winter and thaws during the summer and beneath this layer is constantly frozen permafrost.
102
Warm year round and the only seasons they experience are wet and dry seasons.
Tropical Forests
103
Tropical Grasslands
Warm temperature year round with a short rainy season
105
average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. Primarily determined by temperature and precipitation
climate
106
Altitude
The height of an object above the Earth's surface
107
prefix for clouds that form at low altitudes
strato
108
are found just south of the tundra. This area experiences long cold winters an short warm summers. Conifer forests and little else grow here.
taiga (Boreal Forest)
109
Other terms for Grasslands
Prairies, steppes, veldt, pampas and savannas
111
A mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth
Atmosphere
112
the condition of the atmosphere at a particular time and place. Formed and defined by many different characteristics such as temperature, hunidity, precipitation and air pressure.
weather
113
tornado
a small rotating column of air that has high wind speeds and low central pressure that touches the ground
114
the most common form of solid precipitation; it is made up of ice crystals when water freezes very quickly.
snow
115
Tropical Deserts
Deserts which tend tostay above freezing while experiencing a large daily temperature range
116
thin feathery clouds made of ice that form at high altitudes.
cirrus clouds
117
greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane
118
Dry climates which receive less than 25cm of rain per year.
Desert
119
petroleum, coal, natural gas
fossil fuels
120
Stratosphere
The layer that is 16-50 km in altitude and is very thin except for the upper portion which contains a large amount of ozone.
121
move short distances and can blow in any direction
local winds
122
warm front
occurs when warm air mass slowly moves ofer and replaces cold air creating drizzly precipitation and warm weathe rafter it has passed
