Meteorology

Question 1

What’s the difference between weather and climate?

Answer 1

Weather: the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place.
Climate: The atmospheric conditions averaged over time and space

Question 2

What is the atmosphere made out of?

Answer 2

78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
0.934% Argon
0.0400% Carbon Dioxide

Question 3

What are the variable components of our atmosphere?

Answer 3

Ozone, Water Vapor, Aerosols

Question 4

What are the main 3 things that we measure in out atmosphere?

Answer 4

Humidity, Temperature, and Atmospheric pressure

Question 5

What causes the seasons?

Answer 5

The earths axis of rotation going around the sun tilting at different angles.

Question 6

Know the temperature and moisture conditions of the different air masses.

Answer 6

Mp (maritime polar) wet and cold
Cp (continental polar) dry and cold
Mt (maritime tropical) wet and hot
Ct (continental tropical)dry and warm

Question 7

Describe the Winter and summer weather patterns in Florida.

Answer 7

Winter- warm > rain> colder

Summer - high 90s and afternoon showers

Question 8

What causes these patterns in Florida?

Answer 8

Warm air rises and as it cools it leads to condensation and eventually rain.

Question 9

How is the Earth heated?

Answer 9

Short wavelength radiation ( light ) reaches earth from the sun
Most passes through the atmosphere.
Thr radiation is absorbed by the surface.
Greenhouse gasses trap the heat.

Question 10

What are the feedbacks that are causing the earth to warm faster than we expected? How do they work?

Answer 10

Albedo ( ice) - as the ice melts it becomes darker and starts to absorb light.
Water vapor- as co2 raises thr temperature more water evaporates to become greenhouse gas
Methane- greenhouse gas

Question 11

What are the consequences of warming Earth?

Answer 11

Rising sea lvl, more bad weather, more fires, animals migrating

Question 12

What are prevention, medication, and adaption with respect to climate change?

Answer 12

P-stop it
M- if you cant stop it lessen it
A-live with it

Question 13

What are beach drift and longshore current?

Answer 13

BD- sediment being moved by breaking waves.

LC- currents within the surf zone that move parallel to shore. Moves material from one side to the other.

Question 14

What is the effect of placing jetties at inlets?

Answer 14

Jetties cause sediment to accumulate on the upsteam side and erosion on the downstream side.

Question 15

What are the 2 reasons sea level is rising?

Answer 15

Glaciers are melting

Thermal expansion of water - (expands when warm and contracts when cold)

Question 16

What is the effect of placing sea walls, groins and breakwaters on a beach?

Answer 16

Sea walls - cause beach erosion
Groins- (in the water) trap sediment on one place and starve it on another
Breakwater- (walls that run parallel to shore) shut down wave energy

Question 17

What is the effect of launch for a current on barrier islands?

Answer 17

Barrier islands move. The long shore current moves material from one side of the barrier islands to the other

Question 18

What is beach renourishment? What are its issues?

Answer 18

Renourishment- pumping new sand on the beach.

Costly, hard to get right, temporary

Question 19

What is soft stabilization?

Answer 19

Using natural materials to prevent beach erosion. It’s environmentally friendly but not effective if the beach is too far gone.