meterorology Flashcards
what is earths atmosphere made of
79% Nitrogen (N), 21% Oxygen (O), 1% trace gases
where does oxygen come from?
photosynthesis of ancient bacteria (cyanobacteria or blue-green algae
lowest lower of the atmosphere. contains all weather. temperature decreases as you go up
troposphere
second layer and contains the ozone layer, which blocks UV radiation. temperature increases as you go up.
stratosphere
third layer where meteors burn up. temperature decreases as you go up, the coldest
mesosphere
forth layer that contains the ionosphere and exosphere. temperature increases as you go up
thermosphere
there is no distinct line where the atmosphere ends and space begins
outer space
what is insolation
the amount of solar heat that makes it into a specific area
what is conduction
transfer of heat from one substance to another by touching
what is convection
heat circulates within a substance like with currents.( liquid and air)
(most common in this class)
what is radiation
heat travels in all directions. comes from the sun
how does air movement work
as air is heated the molecules move faster and spread out. this causes air to be less dense and to rise
define weather
daily atmospheric conditions that can change by the minute
define climate
typical weather patterns for a given area,
-takes many years to change
-average temp and rainfall each month
what do you use to measure temperature
thermometer ( fahrenheit or celsius)
what do you use to measure air pressure
barometer, unit is in millibars
what do you use to measure wind speed
anemometer, units is in mph
what do you use to measure wind direction
wind vane/weather vane; cardinal directions
what do you use to measure humidity
psychrometer; percentage
what do you use to measure precipitation
rain gauge or meter stick, in inches
how to measure dew point
temperature
how do you measure visibility
visibility sensor; unit is miles
what is air pressure caused by
it is caused by the weight of air molecules above
what is dew point
the temperature that water condenses (goes from gas to liquid)
what is relative humidity
the measure of how much water is in the air divided by how much water it can hold
what causes wind
wind is caused by the uneven heating of earth and pressure systems
jet stream
-narrow zone of strong winds in the stratosphere
-bring different weather depending on the origin of the jet stream
sea breeze
-comes from the sea.
-when near a large body of water during the day and the land warms up faster than the water.
-warm air over the land rises, and the cool air over the water sinks
land breeze
-when near a large body of water at night the land cools off faster and the air rises over the water and sinks over the land.
-breeze comes from the land
what are cumulus clouds
“fair weather clouds” , puffy cotton like clouds formed from vertical rising air
what are cumulonimbus clouds
towering storm clouds, anvil shape top, can generate tornadoes
when do thunderstorms occur
inside warm, moist air masses and fronts.
when warm air cools quickly and condenses cumulonimbus
when does thunder occur
occurs from rapid heating around lightning. the cooling expansion of that air can be heard as thunder
when does lightning occur
forms when the static electricity builds up within the cloud
tornado
-narrow funnel shaped column of wind
that have formed along a front
-measured with the Fujita scale
hurricane
intense tropical low- pressure area with sustained winds of 74mph that forms over warm tropical oceans
eye of hurricane
central portion of the hurricane where the weather is calm
eye wall
outer edge of the eye where the greatest wind speeds are reached
what is doppler radar
bounces microwaves off clouds to produce images
what is modeling
computers have multiple models to predict what might happen
