Lecture 2: Climate Flashcards
- is the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, cloudiness, and other atmospheric conditions
- occurring at a specific place and time
- Short-term
Weather
is the long-term average pattern of weather and may be local, regional, or global
Climate
- the electromagnetic energy emanating from the
Sun - travels more or less unimpeded through the vacuum of space
until it reaches Earth’s atmosphere.
Solar radiation
The hotter the object is, the _____ _____ the emitted photons and the _____ the wavelength
- more energetic
- shorter the wavelength
The quantity of shortwave radiation reflected by a surface is a function of its reflectivity
Albedo
Global annual averaged albedo
approximately 0.30
Which color relflects more (albedo)
white, and bright colors
Which color relflects less (albedo)
-black and dark colors
is a measurement from of how reflective a surface is.
Albedo
How much albedo does black objects have?
<0.1 (less the 10% of its infrared energy is reflected)
How much albedo does white objects have?
> 0.80 ( more than 80% of infrared energy is reflected)
net shortwave radiation absorbed by the surface formula
Net shortwave radiation absorbed by the surface = Incoming shortwave radiation – reflective shortwave radiation
some of the energy absorbed by Earth’s surface (both land and water) is emitted back out into space is called
terrestrial longwave radiation
If the amount of incoming shortwave radiation exceeds the amount of outgoing longwave radiation = ______
Surface temperature increases
if the quantity of outgoing longwave radiation exceeds the incoming shortwave radiation = _______
surface temperature decreases
Average temperature of our planet is…..
approximately 15°C
Why is it hotter in the equator than the poles?
= At higher latitudes, solar radiation hits the surface at a steeper angle, spreading sunlight over a larger area
=solar radiation that penetrates the atmosphere at a steep angle must travel through a deeper layer of air
What gives rise to seasons on earth?
IT IS BECAUSE EARTH DOES NOT STAND UP STRAIGHT BUT RATHER TILTS TO ITS SIDE
two distinct motions of earth
- rotation
- revolution
While it orbits the Sun, Earth rotates about an axis that passes through the North and South Poles, giving rise to the brightness of day followed by the darkness of night
The Diurnal cycle
Earth travels around the Sun in an
Ecliptic plane
Earth’s axis of spin is not perpendicular to the ecliptic plane but tilted at an angle of ____
23.5-24 degrees
resulting convergence of winds from the north and south in the region of the equator
Intertropical convergence zone, or ITCZ
Spin of the earth is?
Counterclockwise, from west to east
part of the earth that has largest circumference
the Equator
Speed of rotation and how wide is the circumference of the equator?
the speed of rotation is 1674 km per hour, the circumference is at 40,176 km)
circumference and speed of 60 degrees North and South
Half of the equator (20,130 km circumference) and 839 km per hour (speed of rotation)
all moving objects in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected to the
Right (clockwise motion)
air masses and all moving objects in the Southern Hemisphere to the
Left (counterclockwise motion)
deflection in the pattern of air flow is the
Coriolis effect
The coriolis effect, named after the 19thcentury French mathematician
G. C. Coriolis
How many cells does the earth have?
Six Cells, 3 on each hemisphere (North and south)
what are the 3 cells?
- Polar cell
- ferrel cell
- hadley cell
- The global pattern of prevailing winds plays a crucial role in
determining major patterns of surface water flow in Earth’s oceans. - These systematic patterns of water movement are called
Currents
- Each ocean is dominated by two great circular water motions or
Gyres
Within each gyre, the ocean current moves _____ in the Northern Hemisphere and _____ in the Southern Hemisphere
- Clockwise in Northern hemisphere
- Counterclockwise in southern hemisphere
Formula for finding Celsius, given Fahrenheit
°C = (°F-32)* 5/9
Formula to find Fahrenheit, given Celsius
°F = °C × (9/5) + 32
Formula to find kelvin given celsius
Kelvin = Celsius + 273
Formula to find kelvin given fahrenheit
- convert fahrenheit to celcius
- Celsius + 273=Kelvin
Whenever matter, including water, changes from one state to another, energy is _______________
either absorbed or released
amount of energy released or absorbed (per gram) during a change of state
Latent heat
Latent heat from latin
latens, means “hidden”
In going from a more ordered state (liquid) to a less ordered state (gas), energy is _______
absorbed
going from a less ordered to a more ordered state, energy is _______
Released
, the transformation of water from a liquid to a gaseous state, requires 2260 joules (J) of energy per gram of liquid water to be converted to water vapor
Evaporation
evaporation requires _______ of energy per gram of liquid water
2260 joules (J)
the transformation of water vapor to a liquid state, releases an equivalent amount of energy.
Condensation
- The amount of pressure that water vapor exerts independent of the pressure of dry air
- defined in units of pascals (Pa)
Vapor pressure
The water vapor content of air at saturation
saturation vapor pressure
- The saturation vapor pressure, also known as the water vapor capacity of air _________
cannot be exceeded
If the vapor pressure exceeds the capacity, ___________
condensation occurs
Saturation vapor pressure varies with temperature, ____________________________
increasing as air temperature increases
Warm air has greater ______ for water vapor than does _______
capacity; cold air
The amount of water in a given volume of air
Absolute humidity
A more familiar measure of the water content of the air
relative humidity
At saturation vapor pressure, the relative humidity is ____________
100 percent
If air cools, while the actual mositure content stays constant then……
Relative humidity increases as the saturation vapor pressure declines
If the air cools to a point where the actual vapor pressure is equal to the saturation vapor pressure, moisture in the air will ____________
condense
As it rises, it cools, and as it cools, the _____________________
relative humidity increases
When the relative humidity reaches 100 percent, water vapor condenses and forms _______
Clouds
As soon as particles of water or ice in the air become too heavy to remain suspended _____
precipitation falls
- For a given water content of a parcel of air (vapor pressure), the temperature at which saturation vapor pressure is achieved (relative humidity is 100 percent) is
dew point temperature
