midterm Flashcards
what are the 4 spheres?
hydrosphere
biosphere
lithosphere
atmosphere
what is the difference between: galaxy, universe and solar system?
Galaxy: collection of thousands to billions of stars held together by gravity
Universe: all of space and time
Solar System: a set including a star and the matter that orbits it including planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other object
what is geography?
‘study of the relationships among natural systems and processes, geographic areas, society and culture over space
what is a system? closed and opened
–set of ordered components linked by flows of energy and matter, distinct from surrounding
open: not self contained (river)
closed: self contained (aunt colony)
map projections:
Cylindrical: preserves shape but not area (Mercator)
Conic: preserves area but not shape (Gnomonic)
Planar/Azimuth: doesn’t preserve either (Albers equal- area)
Milky Way Galaxy
collection of stars and gasses
-50 billion planets
flatted disc shaped
Perihelion
Aphelion
Perihelion- closest to the sun (Jan 3rd)
Aphelion- furthest away from sun (July 4th)
Sun
star in the Galaxy
Energy source for Earth
Our Solar System
planets orbit the Sun in elliptical path (plane of ecliptic)
Fusion
reactions between hydrogen nuclei that release large amounts of energy
Sunspots
sun experiences magnetic storms –> sunspots
have lower temp than surroundings
11 year activity cycle
Solar Winds
Sunspots can produce solar winds
clouds of electrically charged particles
Magnetosphere deflects solar wind poleward
The Earth’s farthest position from the Sun can be described as:
Aphelion
electromagnetic spectrum
solar energy occupies part of the electromagnetic spectrum
electromagnetic radiation
energy that travels in waves
short wavelength
higher energy, higher frequency, higher temp
longer wavelength
lower energy, lower frequency, lower temp
Wien’s displacement Law
objects radiate energy in __ related to their energy
Blackbody radiator
perfect absorber of radiant energy
insolation
solar radiation intercepted by Earth ( incoming solar radiation)
solar constant
average insolation @ the top of the atmosphere
subsolar point
location where insolation is perpendicular to the surface
migrates between 23.5 N and 23.5 S
Net radiation
incoming shortwave- outgoing long wave
Seasonality
seasonal variation in the Sun’s position above the horizon and changing daylight
Reasons for seasons
revolution rotation tilt axial parallelism sphericity
revolution
earth revolves around the sun
length of voyage: 365 days
earth’s orbital speed
rotation
earth’s rotates from west to east (eastward)
rotation creates apparent westward movement of the sun
what happens on Sept equinox?
all latitude receive 12 hours of sun light and 12 hours of darkness
day length
duration of exposure to insolation
tilt
Axis is tilted 23.5°from a perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic
Axial Parallelism
Earth’s axis maintains the same alignment during its orbit around the Sun
Sphericity
Earth’s nearly spherical shape causes insolation to reach earth at different angles•Sun’s position above the horizon varies with latitude
the atmosphere
veil of gasses surrounding earth extends to 480km from the surface of the earth acts as protective boundary principle substance= air can be divided into layers
what is air pressure?
force of air molecules pushing on surfaces they come in contact with
atmospheric pressure
air pressure changes with elevation
why does air pressure change with elevation?
high up- low density, low pressure
lower down- high density, high pressure due to gravity
heterosphere
gasses separate based on gravity
temp of thermosphere
cold
temp
a measure of kinetic energy of molecules
heat
flow of kinetic energy from 1 body to another
atmospheric functions
absorbs: gamma rays, X-rays, and short wavelengths of UV radiation
contains increased ozone levels
ozone
oxygen molecule (O3) highly reactive ozone absorbs: short wavelengths of UV radiation
transmission
uninterrupted passage of energy through the atmosphere or water
energy
capacity to do work or move matter
- kinetic energy: energy of motion
- potential energy: stored energy
radiation
transfer of heat in electromagnetic waves
waves of radiation do not need to travel through a medium to transfer heat
scattering
redirection of light without a change in wavelength
diffuse radiation
insolation that reaches Earth’s surface after scattering occurs
Rayleigh scattering
shorter wavelengths scatter more than longer wavelengths
mie scattering
longer pollutants result in scattering of all visible light wavelengths
refraction
change in the speed and direction of light upon entering a different medium
Rainbows
visible light passes through raindrops
light is refracted according to wavelength such that unique colours separate out
refracted light is reflected back to absorber
reflection
arriving energy that bounces directly back into space
albedo
ratio of reflected solar radiation to incident solar radiation
absorption
process in which radiation is retained by a substance and converted into a different form of energy
temp of absorbing substance
how much short wave radiation is absorbed?
how much short wave radiation is reflected?
69%
31%
when is the coldest time of the day and the warmest?
before sunrise and after noon (3pm)
latitudinal energy imbalance @ poles
low sun angle
reflective surfaces
no isolation for 6 months/year
latitudinal energy imbalance @ equator
high sun angle
constant day length
microclimates
local climate conditions over small areas such as in a peak, in a courtyard, in a parking lot
what is sensible heat?
you can feel it, measure it
what is latent heat?
you can’t measure it
what does latent heat of evaporation refers to?
the energy associated with a base change from liquid to vapor
aerosols
minute particles suspended in the atmosphere
(volcanic gasses, desert dust)
can scatter and absorb radiation
global dimming
decline in sunlight reaching earth’s surface due to pollution, aerosols and clouds
principle temp controls
insolation is primary control on temp.
- altitude
- latitude
- cloud cover
- land-water heating differences
driving forces within the atmosphere
- Gravitational Force
- Pressure Gradient Force
- Coriolis Force
- Friction Force
Gravitational Force
Exerts virtually uniform pressure on atmosphere at Earth’s surface
Responsible for atmospheric pressure
