Midterm Flashcards
The four spheres of the earth:
Lithosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Air is __.
The density of air and air pressure decrease at a __ rate with increasing altitude.
Compressible
Decreasing
The weather occurs in the __.
Troposphere
The mixture of gases, droplets, and particles surrounding the Earth’s surface.
The atmosphere
The science that studies the atmosphere and the processes that cause weather.
Meteorology
4 scales of motion
Global
Synoptic
Mesoscale
Microscale
Which area of the United States is most prone to weather disasters/extreme weather events?
Why?
Southeast
Warmth, energy, moisture
___ scale of motion: covering a large portion of the globe, lasting several weeks or seasons, several thousand miles.
Global
___ scale of motion: covering a few hundred to a few thousand miles, lasting a few days to a week.
Synoptic
___ scale of motion: covering ten to hundreds of miles, lasting a few hours to a few days.
Ex: sea breeze
Mesoscale
_____ scale of motion: covering very small areas (up to several meters or blocks), lasting a few seconds to several minutes.
Ex: leaves falling
Microscale
600 B.C to 1600 A.D was the period of __.
There was no instruments, only theory based on observations.
Ancient __ were the first meteorologists.
Speculation
Greeks
Empedocles (492-430 B.C) is associated with the __ basic elements.
Four (fire, air, water, earth)
Aristotle (384-322B.C) is associated with __.
Meteorologica
Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is associated with __ method.
Scientific
The year 1600 to the present is called the period of __.
Here is when __ were developed.
Thermometer, barometer, hygrometer, rain gauge, anemometer
Observation
Instruments
Observations increased dramatically in the __’s.
Isaac Newton was associated with the 3 laws of __ (1687).
1700
Motion
3 main permanent gases
Nitrogen (78%)
Oxygen (20%)
Argon (0.98%)
The variable gases (greenhouse gases)
Water vapor
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Ozone
Particles (dust, soot)
Chlorofluorocarbons
Temperature __: when temperature increases with height (promotes sinking air:subsidence)
Inversion
Stratosphere and thermosphere have temperature __.
Inversion
___ is where the weather occurs.
Troposphere
The ozone layer is in the __.
Stratosphere
The 3 temperature scales
Fahrenheit
Celsius
Kelvin
Freezing and boiling points of each temperature scale:
Fahrenheit
Celsius
Kelvin
32F freezing 212F boiling
0C freezing, 100C boiling
273K freezing, 373K boiling
Types of energy:
Kinetic: energy of motion
Potential: stored energy
Types of heat:
Sensible
Latent
__ heat, can be felt, is based on objects mass and specific heat.
Sensible
___ heat, is transferred during a change of state, no temperature change, 3 states of matter.
Latent
Objects with __ specific heats are more resistant to temperature change.
Larger
3 methods of energy transfer:
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
___ is the entire process of going from ice to liquid to vapor.
Heat Energy taken from environment
Sublimation
___ is the entire process going from vapor to liquid to ice.
Heat energy released to environment
Deposition
Sublimation happens slower because you have to add __at each stage.
Energy
___ is an energy transfer where heat is transferred by molecule to molecule contact.
It is not very effective in the __.
More __ works better because of more molecule to molecule contact.
Conduction
Atmosphere
Density
Convention energy transfer has 2 kinds:
__ convection: fluid will rise or sink based on its density relative to that of its surroundings (air counts), refers to rising air.
__ convection: also known as mechanical turbulence. Fluid is forced over or around a physical barrier.
Free convection
Forced convection
Convection is __ air.
Subsidence is __ air.
Advection is __ moving air. (Wind)
Rising (warm and less dense)
Sinking (cooler)
Horizontally
Radiation: refers to both __ and its method of __.
Every object above __ zero emits radiation.
May travel in a __ (no mass needed).
Travels at the speed of __.
May be treated as waves of __.
Energy, transfer
Absolute
Vacuum
Light
Photons
Wavelength and amplitude determine type of radiation.
Wavelength: the distance between identical points in 2 __ waves.
Ultraviolet: short
Visible: longer
Infrared: longer
Consecutive
Shortwave radiation is emitted by the sun, called solar __ (aka solar __).
It is __ than 4 micrometers.
Insolation, Radiation
Less
Long wave radiation is emitted by cooler objects (like the earth). It is also called __ radiation.
Includes: infrared, radio
Is is __ than 4 micrometers.
Terrestrial
Greater
Identify the law:
- The energy emitted by an object is proportional to the 4th power of its absolute temperature.
- warmer things emit more energy than cooler things. - The wavelength of maximum emission is inversely proportional to an objects absolute temp.
- Warmer objects emit at shorter wavelengths than cooler objects.
Stefan Boltzmann
Wien’s law
__ objects emit more energy at shorter wavelengths.
__ objects emit less energy at longer wavelengths.
Warmer
Cooler
__ curve shows the distribution of wavelengths that a black body emits.
The earth and sun are __.
The atmosphere is a __ absorber.
-it absorbs and emits radiation
Planck’s
Black bodies
Selective
Atmospheric greenhouse effects: especially refers to water __, carbon __, and m__.
Partially explains why cloudy night are warmer than clear ones. (Atmospheric window)
Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane.
Greenhouse gases absorb outgoing __ wave radiation. (Not solar).
The atmosphere absorbs some outgoing __ wave radiation and then emits its own energy. (Keeps energy in system).
The addition of more greenhouse gases enhances the greenhouse effect and __ the earth’s average temperature.
Long
Long
Raises
Solar radiation entering the earth’s atmosphere may be:
-
-
-
Absorbed
Reflected
Scattered
Absorption: Solar radiation may be __ by gases, clouds, the ground, or other things.
Ozone absorbs _ _ radiation. (Shortwave)
Absorbed
UV
Rayleigh scattering: occurs off of very small things, like gas __.
-Affects __ wavelengths (like blue), more than __ wavelengths. (Like red), thus making the sky blue.
Mie Scattering: radiation is scattered off of __ objects, like suspended aerosols(pollution)
-affects all wavelengths, making the sky __.
Molecules
Shorter
Longer
Larger
Darker
Reflection: surfaces may reflect solar radiation __ away from the ground.
__ is the percentage of solar radiation reflected off of a surface. (K⬆️/K⬇️)✖️100
Lighter surfaces reflect __ than darker surfaces.
Upward
Albedo
More
The energy budget:
30% __
55% __
19% __ by atmosphere.
The equation is Q=(K⬇️-K⬆️) +(L⬇️-L⬆️)
(Q is the.net radiation on a surface)
Albedo
Absorbed
Absorbed
Fresh snow has a __ albedo
Asphalt has a __ albedo.
Entire planetary albedo is __%.
High
Low
30%
Places will have the same __ if they’re east or west of one another.
Places will have the same __ if they’re south or north of one another.
Latitude
Longitude
Latitude:
Runs __ to __.
Measures __ to __.
Ranges from 0 to __ degrees.
East to west
North to south
90
Longitude:
Runs __ to __.
Measures __ to __.
Ranges from 0 to __ degrees.
North to south
East to west
180
Potential controls on the amount of energy reaching the earth’s surface:
Solar __, earth-sun __, __ of receiving surface.
Constant
Distance
Angle
Solar __ is 1367 W/m squared
Constant
The earth __ around the sun.
-one __ takes 365.25 days
-one __ takes 23 hours and 56 minutes
Revolves
Revolution
Rotation
Since the sun is not the center of an elliptical orbit, the planet moves closer towards and further away from the sun as it orbits.
The place where the planet is closest to the sun is called __,(147,098,074 km), this occurs in __.
when the planet is furthest away from the sun, it is at __.(152,097,701 km) this occurs in __.
Perihelion, January
Aphelion, July
The earth has an __ orbit and an __ plane.
Elliptical orbit
Ecliptic plane
To receive the maximum amount of energy, the receiving surface must be __ to the source.
- covers less area on ground
- travels through less atmosphere
Factors: time of day, latitude, season
Perpendicular
Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle just under __._ degrees.
- this affects the latitude at which the most direct radiation is received
- direct radiation not just at equator
Solar __: the latitude receiving the sun’s direct radiation. (The sun appears directly overhead) also sub-solar point
23.5
Declination
The circle of illumination is the division between __ and __ over the earth.
Day, night
Isotherms are lines of __ temperature
Equal
Climate is based on __ year increments.
Weather is __ event.
30
One
A thermometer too low to the ground will pick up excess __ from the ground.
Surface temp is __ than recorded temp above ground.
Heat
Lower
4 main influences on temp:
Latitude
Altitude
Land vs water
Ocean currents
