Meteorolgy Flashcards
Which 2 gases dominate the atmosphere?
Nitrogen and Oxygen
The proportional volume of gas composing dry air
Atmosphere
3 variable components of the atmosphere
Water vapour, aeorsols, and ozone
How high up is the atmosphere’s makeup very stable worldwide?
About 80 km
What does ozone abosrb?
UV
What variable component absorbs, reflects, and scatters solar radiation?
Aerosols
What variable component can absorb and transfer heat?
Water vapour
4 atmospheric layers in ascending order
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
Does the temperature increase or decrease with altitude in the Stratosphere?
Increases
Does the temp increase or decrease with altitude in the Mesosphere?
Decreases
Does the temp increase or decrease with altitude in the Thermosphere?
Increases
Which atmospheric layer holds the highest concentration of ozone?
The stratosphere
True or False: Air pressure changes with altitude
True
Does the number of molecules increase or decrease with height in Earth’s atmosphere?
Decrease
Where are the majority of gases that make up the atmosphere located?
Near Earth’s surface
3 ways that energy flows
Conduction, Convection, and Radiation
How much of solar radiation is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere?
20%
A fraction of total radiation that is reflected by a surface
Albedo
Albedo
Fraction of total radiation that is reflected by a surface
Some outgoing, long-wave radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases, which reradiate some energy Earthward
Greenhouse effect
What is the approximate albedo of snow?
50-90%
What is the approximate albedo of asphalt?
5-10%
What type of radiation does water vapour absorb?
Infrared
What type of radiation does Oxygen and Ozone absorb
UV
What 3 factors influence amount of solar radiation received in different places around the globe?
Latitude, Season, and Time of day
Gas to liquid
Condensation
Liquid to Gas
Evaporation
Gas to Solid
Deposition
Solid to Gas
Sublimation
What does the saturation of air with water vapour depend on?
Temperature
Temperature at which a parcel of air reaches saturation
Dew point
What does air become when dew point is above freezing?
Dew, fog, or cloud
What does air become when dew point is below freezing?
Frost
Occurs without the transfer of heat or mass between a system and its environment
Adiabatic temperature changes
When air is forced to rise over a mountainous barrier
Orthographic lifting
When warmer, less dense air is forced over cooler, denser air
Frontal lifting
Air parcels meet and pile up, resulting in upward movement
Convergence
Unequal surface heating causes localized pockets of air to rise because of their buoyancy
Localized convective lifting
How clouds are classified
By how they appear when viewed from Earth
What is the ultimate energy source for most wind?
Solar radiation
Result of horizontal differences in air pressure
Wind
Air flows from areas of…
…higher pressure to areas of lower pressure
3 factors that control wind
Pressure gradient force, Coriolis Effect, and friction
When air is subjected to unequal pressures on different sides, the imbalance produces a force directed from the region of higher pressure toward the area of lower pressure
Pressure gradient force
What lowers windspeed and reduces the Coriolis Effect?
Friction
Lines connecting places of equal air pressure (on a map)
Isobars
Where is friction at a minimum?
Over water
Where is friction at a maximum?
Over mountainous regions
In which hemisphere is circulating air diverted to the right?
The northern hemisphere
In which hemisphere is circulating air diverted to the left?
The southern hemisphere
