meteorology Flashcards
what is 78% of the atmospheric composition
nitrogen
what is 21% of the atmospheric composition
oxygen
what is almost 1% of the atmospheric composition
argon and carbon dioxide
what percent of the atmosphere is within 32km
99%
what percent of weight is in the first 5.5km of the atmosphere
50%
lowest layer thickness depends on latitude 18km thick at equator 8km thick at poles weather occurs here ends at tropopause
troposphere
second layer clear and dry moisture is unable to rise beyond the tropopause ozone layer is in this layer ends at stratopause
stratosphere
third layer
very little atmosphere
ends at mesopause
mesosphere
top layer very thin contains a small amount of oxygen and nitrogen ionosphere auroras form here radio waves are reflected
thermosphere
air is highly ionized
ionsphere
solar wind interacts with magnetic fields
auroras
protects us from UV radiation
changes thickness due to pollution
located in stratosphere
90% located between 10-50km above earths surface
ozone layer
aerosol cans, hair spray, etc
Montreal protocol
banned use in most countries
thinnest over South Pole
CFC- chlorinated fluorocarbons
list the dangers of CFC
increase in UV radiation at earths surface
results in an increased risk of skin cancer
increase damage to crops
List the primary greenhouse gases causing global warming
water vapor Carbon dioxide methane nitrous oxide HFC
which greenhouse gas is causing the biggest issue
Carbon dioxide
daily changes
weather
historical changes
climate
changes seen in meteorological records that deviate from the historical norms
currently temps are rising faster than ever before
climate change
when carbon goes up..
so does the temp
why is the temp rising
Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
temp decreases with what in the troposphere
height
what influences temperatures
uneven heating of the earths surface water vs land day vs night equator vs poles earths tilt
land heats faster than water and..
cools faster than water
water heats slowly but…
remains warm longer
warmest part of the day is…
early afternoon
coolest part of the day is…
just before dawn
absorbed heat radiates where
into space
what receives the most direct sunlight
equator
where receives the least sunlight
the poles
during our winter do we receive more or less sunlight
less
weight of the atmosphere
measured in millibars or inches of mercury
barometer is the device used to measure this
air pressure
the most atmosphere
sea level
how does air pressure change
altitude
air expands with height
expansion leads to less dense air
meteorologists use a formula to ..
correct for altitude
what causes changes in density
the temperature of the air and moisture content of the air
caused by uneven heating
what causes wind
pressure
differences in pressure are caused by…
uneven heating of earths surface
if the esrth did not rotate, the earth would have winds that simply flowed from the poles to the equator
winds from high pressure (the poles) to low pressure (the equator)
wind belts
apparent force caused by the earths rotation
winds are deflected or turned to the right in the northern hemisphere
winds are turned to the left in the Southern Hemisphere
Coriolis effect
narrow, fast-moving “river” of air near the tropopause
about 200mph
pulls or pushes air masses
“steers” our weather
jet stream
less than 0° C or 32° F
ice
between 0 and 100° C or 32-212° F
water
over 100° C or 212° F
water vapor (gas)
energy is released into the environment
heating effect
liquid to solid
freezing
gas to liquid
condensation
gas to solid
deposition
energy is taken from the environment
cooling effect
liquid to gas
evaporation
solid to gas
sublimation
the amount of water vapor that has been evaporated
moisture content
dry air has..
low moisture content
moisture content is measured by…
specific humidity
relative humidity
Dew point
actual amount of water vapor
measured in grams of water
specific humidity
increases the AVC
evaporation
decreases the AVC
condensation
describes how much moisture the air can potentially absorb
dependent on the temp of the air
the warmer the air, the greater the energy to evaporate water into water vapor, therefore the greater capacity of that air
saturation vapor capacity (SVC)
ratio of the AVC to the SVC
AVC divided by SVC times 100
no more liquid water can be evaporated
saturated
air can absorb more water
unsaturated
what happens to relative humidity (RH) if AVC increases
the humidity goes down
the temp at which the air is saturated
when the actual amount of water vapor in the air is equal to the airs capacity
the moisture condenses. the moisture leaves the gas state and becomes liquid
AVC=SVC
dew point
study of the earths atmosphere
metrology
the airs temp what but the actual content stays the same
decreases
what happens when air reaches the dew point
the water condenses on objects and is called dew
if a dew point is 32° or lower it is called frost
if the condensation happens in the air it is called fog or clouds if it is higher
RH=
100%
very small water droplets or ice crystals from condensed water vapor
contain tiny particles from condensation to occur
dust, dirt, pollen, ice crystals
clouds
high cloud
wispy, feathery clouds, made of ice crystals
common on nice days
cirrus
very thin
made of ice crystals
sun or moon produces a halo
cirrostratus
layer clouds
small “puffs”
middle clouds
altocumulus
middle clouds
no layer is produced
altostratus
low clouds
layer clouds
fair weather clouds
cumulus
rain/snow clouds
layered cloud
nimbostratus
vertically developed cloud
thunderstorm clouds
very tall
1000-4000 feet tall
cumulonimbus
air rises when it is warmer than the surrounding air
convection
air rises when it is forced upwards by winds
convergence
air rises when 2 air masses collide
frontal lifting
air rises when it is forced over a mountain
orographic
air that is not saturated cools at what temp per 1000 feet
5.5°
air that is saturated cools at what temp per 1000 feet
3.5°
cloud base is the height when …
temperature = dew point
cloud top Is the point when the air is…
no longer buoyant
