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GEOG 272 > Midterm 2 > Flashcards

Midterm 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Air Pressure

A
  • air molecules produce pressure
  • exerted on all surfaces that air contacts
  • sea level atmospheric average is 1 kg/cm^2
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2
Q

Air Pressure: Gravity & Altitude

A
  • gravity makes air denser at surface

- air pressure decreases with altitude

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3
Q

Measurements of Air Pressure

A
  • barometer
  • mercury: tube counterbalanced by mass of air around it
  • exerts equivalent pressure on mercury in vessel
  • normal sea level is 1013.2 millibars
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4
Q

Air Pressure & Density

A
  • pressure and density DECREASE with altitude

- low density, molecules are further apart, less collisions there lower pressure

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5
Q

Air Pressure and Temperature

A
  • air is heated, activity increases and temp increases
  • increased activity, increased space between molecules
  • density LOWER, pressure LOWER
  • warmer air is LESS DENSE and exerts LESS PRESSURE
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6
Q

Wind: General

A

-horizontal motion of air across Earth’s surface

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7
Q

Vertical Wind

A
  • updrafts
  • downdrafts
  • micro- and macro-bursts of air turbulence
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8
Q

Wind: How?

A

-differences in air pressure from one location to another

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9
Q

Wind Speed Measurement

A
  • anemometer
  • km/h, mph, m/s, knots
  • knot is nautical Mph, covers 1 minute of Earth’s arc in an hour
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10
Q

Wind Direction Measurement

A
  • wind vane
  • 10 m from ground
  • determined from source direction
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11
Q

Isobar

A

line denoting equal pressure

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12
Q

Isobaric Maps

A

show weight of atmosphere

help predict aridity and precipitation

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13
Q

Pressure Gradient Force

A

air moves from areas of high to low pressure

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14
Q

Pressure of North America in January

A
  • low pressure over ocean (Pacific & Atlantic)
  • high pressure over land
  • extreme low temperatures
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15
Q

Pressure of North America in July

A
  • pressure switch locations
  • low pressure over land
  • W coast, less precipitation
  • E coast, summer showers and high humidity
  • land heats rapidly due to low heat capacity
  • high pressure over water
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16
Q

Coriolis Force

A
  • spinning of Earth deflects path of objects
  • different latitudes, different speeds
  • equator: 1 675 km/h, poles: 0 km/h
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17
Q

Coriolis Force: Increased Speed

A

-faster objects create greater deflection

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18
Q

Coriolis Force: Wind and Ocean

A
  • causes deflection to right in Northern Hemisphere

- causes deflection to left in Southern Hemisphere

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19
Q

High Pressure Area

A

Diverging

Descending

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20
Q

Low Pressure Area

A

Ascending

Converging

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21
Q

Close Isobars

A
  • steep PGF

- strong wind, high speeds

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22
Q

Spaced Isobars

A
  • gentle PGF

- gentle breeze, slow wind speed

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23
Q

Equatorial Low Pressure Trough

A
  • low pressure band around equator
  • lots of energy from the Sun
  • warm, light, less dense, ascending & converging
  • ITCZ
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24
Q

Heating and Converging Air

A
  • forces air up

- air is moist & full of latent heat energy

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25
Q

Subtropical High Pressure Zone

A
  • hot, dry air
  • diverging and descending air at outer end of Hadley cells
  • deflected POLE-WARD by Coriolis force
  • cloudless, desert regions
  • creates ocean gyres
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26
Q

Ocean Gyres: Directions

A
  • CW in the Northern Hemisphere

- CCW in the Southern Hemisphere

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27
Q

Divergence of High Pressure Cells

A

-creates trade winds (easterlies )and westerlies

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28
Q

Easterlies and Westerlies

A

Easterlies
-easterly direction, create ocean currents
Westerlies
-westerly direction, create ocean currents i.e. gulf stream

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29
Q

Sub-polar Lows

A
  • Polar Front: cold and dry conditions
  • migrating centers of low p, brings precipitation
  • winter, there is a shift to the South, rain in mid.latitude
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30
Q

Aleutian Low and Icelandic Low

A
  • migratory pressure cells
  • SUMMER: high latitudes, bring rain to Pacific NW
  • WINTER: lower latitudes, cases cyclonic storms on the West coast of North America and Europe
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31
Q

Isobaric Maps: Ridges and Troughs

A

Ridges are areas of high pressure

Troughs are areas of low pressure

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32
Q

Wind near Maximum Speed

A

accelerates

diverges

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33
Q

Rossby Waves

A

westerly geostrophic winds

-develop along flow axis of a jet stream

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34
Q

Jet stream

A

irregular band of very strong wind

-occurs in specific locations

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35
Q

Land and Ocean Breezes in Day

A
  • land heats faster than ocean
  • warm air is less dense
  • flow of cool onshore marine air
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36
Q

Land and Ocean Breezes at Night

A
  • land cools faster than the ocean
  • cool air on land flows offshore
  • water remains warmer, warm air is lifted
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37
Q

Monsoon Drivers

A
  • size and location of Asian landmass
  • proximity to Indian Ocean
  • changing ITCZ
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38
Q

Gyres: definition and strength

A
  • west gyres stronger than east
  • trade winds drive ocean west in a channel
  • water piles at the equator, spills north and south
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39
Q

Upwelling Definition and Causes

A
  • surface water swept from coast
  • Coriolis , surface divergence, or offshore winds
  • cool water, nutrient rich, rises from depth
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40
Q

Upwelling Locations

A
  • Pacific Coasts of North and South America

- Subtropical and mid latitude west African coast

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41
Q

Four Downwelling Regions

A
  • Labrador Sea
  • Icelandic Sea
  • margins of Antarctica
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42
Q

Downwelling: What

A
  • thermohaline currents generated from downwelling

- travel extents of ocean basins, carrying heat and salinity

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43
Q

Downwelling: How

A
  • cold, salty water sinks in North Atlantic

- full loop takes 1000 to 2000 years

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44
Q

Antarctic Downwelling

A

-very deep, flows north in Atlantic basin, UNDER other downwelling currents

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45
Q

Global Warming and Downwelling

A
  • effect distribution of heat throughout ocean

- could increase warming

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46
Q

Humidity: General

A
  • water vapor content of air

- changes with temperature of air and temperature of water vapor

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47
Q

Relative Humidity

A

-percentage amount of water ACTUALLY in air (content) and the maximum water vapor possible at a given temperature (capacity)

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48
Q

Saturated Air

A

-contains all water vapor possible at given temperature

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49
Q

Condensation

A
  • occurs when further addition of water to saturated air

- occurs when temperature of saturated air decreases

50
Q

dew point temperature

A

-temperature a given mass of air becomes saturated

51
Q

Daily Air Temperature Trend

A
  • at dawn, water vapor fills to near saturation

- during the day, lower relative humidity because air temperature decreases and specific humidity increases

52
Q

Stability of Air Parcels

A
  • tendency of a parcel to either:
  • stay as it is
  • change initial position by lifting or falling
53
Q

Stable Air

A
  • if it resists displacement

- returns to initial position

54
Q

Unstable Air

A

-parcel rises to altitude where surrounding air is similar to its own

55
Q

Two Main Forces acting on Air

A
  • buoyancy force

- gravitational force

56
Q

Warm Air Parcels

A
  • less dense

- parcels rise (buoyancy force wins)

57
Q

Cool Air Parcels

A
  • more dense

- parcels sink (gravitational force wins)

58
Q

Buoyancy, Density, Temperature

A
  • dependent on density, which is dependent on temperature

- therefore, buoyancy is dependent on temperature

59
Q

Air Mass temperature higher/less dense than surrounding

A
  • rise vertically
  • begin to expand due to decreasing pressure
  • rise until parcel matches surrounding temperature and density
60
Q

Air Mass Cool

A
  • gravity pulls it down

- parcel compresses

61
Q

Normal Lapse Rate

A
  • average temperature decrease in altitude increase
  • 6.4 degrees Celsius per 1 000 m
  • for still, calm air
62
Q

Environmental Lapse Rate

A

-rate for specific areas and weather

63
Q

Adiabatic

A

-occurs without loss/gain of heat to surroundings

64
Q

Diabatic

A

-occurs with exchange of heat

65
Q

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DAR)

A
  • rate that dry air cools by expansion or heats by compression
  • dry air is LESS THAN saturated
  • relative humidity is less than 100%
  • 10 degrees Celsius per 1 000 m
66
Q

Moist Adiabatic Rate (MAR)

A
  • average rate which moist air heats/cools by compression/expansion
  • 6 degrees Celsius per 1 000 m
  • can vary from 4 to 10 degrees Celsius per 1 000 m
67
Q

DAR and MAR in Cold Air

A

-similar, MAR can be the same as DAR

68
Q

Unstable Weather

A
  • atmosphere dominated by warm air
  • warm air absorbs moisture available and reaches level of saturation
  • parcels may rise vertically, cool, condense, and precipitate
69
Q

Stable Weather

A
  • no vertical movement of air

- atmosphere remains cool and dry

70
Q

Clouds

A
  • made up of moisture droplets

- 1 million moisture droplets = one rain drop

71
Q

Cloud Formation: Unstable Condition

A
  • air parcel rises to saturation

- further cooling produces condensation

72
Q

Facilitation of Condensation

A
  • condensation nuclei

- come from volcanic ash, dust, combustion

73
Q

Clouds: Above Freezing

A
  • collision coalescence is dominate in clouds
  • large drops combine with small ones as falling
  • become too heavy for the could to hold (rain!)
74
Q

Ice Crystals in Clouds

A
  • ice crystal + super cooled water drops create rain
  • super-cooled drops evaporate faster near ice crystals
  • ice crystals grow and fall as rain/snow
75
Q

Basic Cloud Form and Classification

A
  • classified by shape and altitude
  • puffy, wispy, flat
  • 4 classes, 10 types
  • in troposphere
76
Q

Stratiform

A
  • horizontal, flat, layered

- low level

77
Q

Cumuliform

A

-vertical, puffy, globular

78
Q

Cirriform

A
  • wispy, composed of ice crystals

- High altitude

79
Q

Cloud Indications

A
  • atmospheric temperature
  • atmospheric pressure
  • relative humidity/moisture leve
80
Q

Atmospheric Temp (indicated by clouds)

A

-shown by altitude clouds form

81
Q

Low Elevation Clouds

A
  • stratus, cumulus
  • indicate cool atmosphere
  • can lead to precipitation
82
Q

Vertical Clouds

A
  • cumulus, cumulonimbus

- suggest moist air

83
Q

Fog

A
  • cloud in contact with the ground
  • dew point temperature and ground temperature is nearly identical
  • visibility reduced to max 1 km
84
Q

Advection Fog

A

-air migrates to a saturated area

85
Q

Steam Fog

A

-water molecules evaporate from surface into cold overlying air

86
Q

Radiation Fog

A

-radiate cooling of surface chills air layer above to dew point

87
Q

Source Regions and Air

A

-air masses reflect characteristics of source regions

88
Q

Great Lakes Effect

A
  • warm great lakes heat up air
  • moisten it
  • causes heavy snow fall
89
Q

Adiabatic Lifting

A
  • air cools adiabatically
  • reaches dew point and saturates
  • condense and forms clouds
  • possibly precipitates
90
Q

Convergent Lifting

A
  • occurs along ITCZ
  • air flows from high to low pressure
  • high, vertical, cumulonimbus clouds
91
Q

Convectional Lifting

A
  • stimulated by local surface heating

- and difference between land and water temperature

92
Q

Orographic LIfting

A

-air masses forced over physical barrier

93
Q

Front

A

-leading edge of air mass

94
Q

Frontal Lifting

A
  • air masses of different temperature and humidity
  • interact by jet stream
  • cold front displaces warm air (forcing up)
  • warm front slides over cool air, forced to rise
95
Q

Cold Front

A
  • denoted by triangles

- life warm/moist air abruptly

96
Q

Warm Front

A
  • denoted by semi circles
  • leading edge cannot displace cold air
  • pushes cooler air underneath
97
Q

Orographic Precipitation: Stable and Unstable Air

A
  • stable forced up, may create stratiform

- unstable produces cumulonumbus

98
Q

Windward Slode

A

-wetter, air masses passing above mountain absorb moisture

99
Q

Leeward Side

A
  • dry side of mountain
  • air masses heated by compression
  • hot and dry
100
Q

Cyclonic Storms

A
  • migrating, low pressure center
  • converging, ascending
  • spiraling
  • draws surrounding air in
  • born on polar front
101
Q

Cyclonic Storms: Cyclogenesis

A
  • disturbance at polar front
  • warm are converges and rises
  • > instability
102
Q

Cyclonic Storms: Open stage

A
  • counter clockwise (N. Hemisphere) flow
  • pulls warm, most air
  • from South into Low Pressure center
103
Q

Cyclonic Storms: Occluded stage

A
  • faster moving cold front overtakes warm front
  • wedges, creating occluded front
  • warm air forced upward
  • precipitation occurs
104
Q

Cyclonic Storms: Dissolving Stage

A

-dissolves when cold air mass cuts off warm air from energy and moisture

105
Q

Thunderstorms

A
  • tremendous energy release
  • violent updrafts and downdrafts
  • heavy rain, lightning, thunder, hail, blustery winds
  • can cause tornado
106
Q

Lightning

A
  • enormous electrical discharge
  • ignites air (15 000 to 30 000 degree Celsius
  • violent expansion of abruptly heated air
  • shock waves through atmosphere
107
Q

Lightning: Relation to Thunder

A

-shock waves create sonic bangs, which is thunder

108
Q

Lightning Build Up

A
  • electrical energy between areas within cumulonimbus cloud
  • electrical energy buildup between cloud and ground
  • 3 seconds/km (time for distance between seeing lightning and hearing thunder)
109
Q

Mesocyclone Formation

A
  • body of air pushes faster at higher altitude than at surface
  • creates horizontal rotation
110
Q

Mesocyclone: Diameter, encountering updrafts

A
  • strong updrafts create vertical rotation

- range diameter of 10 km

111
Q

Mesocyclone: extending vertically and compressing horizontally

A
  • speeds mesocyclone up

- inward vortex created

112
Q

Mesocyclones Produce:

A

-heavy rain, hail, winds, lightning

113
Q

Rain Routes: Interception

A

-rain striking ground cover/vegetation

114
Q

Rain Routes: Throughfall

A
  • rain that falls directly to ground

- rain that drips to ground from vegetation

115
Q

Rain Routes: Stem Flow

A

-rain and drains across plant leaves and down stems

116
Q

Rain Route Reaching the Soil

A
  • reaches subsurface through infiltration

- permeates soil.rock through percolation

117
Q

Potential Evotranspiration (PET)

A
  • amount of moisture that WOULD evaporate and transpire if the moisture were available
  • moisture demand
  • correspond to temperature and humidity
118
Q

PET Approximation

A
  • mean month air temperature

- day length

119
Q

Soil Moisture Storage (S)

A
  • amount of water stored in soil and accessible to plants

- held against gravity

120
Q

Water Budget

A
  • comparing Precipitation P with PET

- by month determines if there is a net supply (+) or net demand (-) for water

GEOG 272 (1 decks)

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