Midterm Exam review Flashcards
If the average temperature of the sun increased, the wavelength of peak solar emission would
shift to a shorter wavelength
the amount of pressure change that occurs over a given horizontal distance is called the
pressure gradient
without the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature would
decrease
clouds generally ____ infrared radiation and ______ visible radiation
absorb
reflect
suppose that the winds aloft (in N. Hemi) are geostrophic and blowing from the east. the low pressure is located to the
west
the winds aloft in the midlats of the S. Hemi generally blow
from west to east
which is NOT a greenhouse gas?
oxygen
the rate of the earth’s rotation affects the strength of the
coriolis force
at the surface low in the N. Hemi winds tends to blow _______ and around it in a ________ motion
inward
clockwise
In Tibet at an altitude of 18,000 ft the pressure is about 500 mb. This indicates that Tibet is above roughly
50% of air molecules in the atm
Earth’s atmospheric window is in the
infrared region
As object’s temperature triples, the radiative energy emitted increases by a factor of
81
The primary source of oxygen for the Earth’s atmosphere during the past half billion years or so appears to be
photosynthesis
geostrophic equilibrium is achieved by the balance of
coriolis force and pressure gradient force
In the N. Hemi, this day has the fewest hours of sunlight
Winter Solstice
the proper order from shortest to longest wavelength is
ultraviolet, visible, infrared
in the atmosphere, tiny solid or liquid suspended particles of various compositions are called
aerosols
the combined albedo of the earth and the atmosphere is approximately
30%
warming in the stratosphere is mainly caused by
absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone
which of the following produces the strongest coriolis force
fast winds, high latitude
the maximum in daytime surface temperature typically occurs _____ the Earth receives its most intense solar radiation
after
which of these is not one of the four most abundant gases in earth’s atmosphere
carbon dioxide
the hydrostatic balance is between
pressure gradient force and gravitational force in the vertical
the most important reason why summers in the southern hemisphere are not warmer than summers in the northern is that
over 80 percent of the southern hemisphere is covered with water
we can generally expect the air to be _____ above areas of surface low pressure and _____ above areas of surface high pressure
rising
sinking
in terms of the three-cell model of the general circulation, areas of surface low pressure should be found at:
the equator and 60 degree latitude
our seasons are caused by
the angle at which sunlight reaches earth
a katabatic wind is a wind that blows
downslope
a thermal circulation is a circulation caused by changes in
air temperature
the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is a region where
northeast trades meet the southeast trades
a cloudy day is _____ than a clear day and a cloudy night is ____ than a clear night
colder
warmer
cyclonic flow means __________ in the northern and southern hemisphere
circulation around a low pressure center
the greatest variation in daily temperature usually occurs
at the ground
the blueness of the sky is mainly due to
the scattering of sunlight by air molecules
earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun. if tilt increased to 40 degrees, we would expect in middle latitudes
hotter summers and colder winters
the world’s greatest warm deserts are generally found near 30 degrees latitude because
of the sinking air of the subtropical highs
In the northern hemisphere, ocean currents in the atlantic and the pacific move in a generally circular pattern. the direction of this motion is _______ in the atlantic and ______ in the pacific
clockwise
clockwise
the top of the planetary (atmospheric) boundary layer is usually near
1000 m
isobars are curves of constant
pressure
Two objects, A and B, have the same mass but the specific heat of A is larger than B. If both objects absorb equal amounts of energy,
B will become warmer than A
Greenhouse gases like CO2 __________ radiation
absorb infrared
what time of day is a temperature inversion most likely to develop in the lower troposphere
3 PM
wind speeds generally increase with height above earth’s surface because
friction with the earth’s surface slows the air near the ground
A parcel of dry air cools at a rate of 10oC/km as it rises through the atmosphere. Another parcel of air that is saturated with water vapor cools and forms clouds as it rises. This parcel cools at a rate of 6oC/km. What explains this observation?
latent heat
If the direction of Earth’s rotation suddenly switched from westerly to easterly, prevailing winds in the Northern hemisphere mid-latitudes would come from the:
Southeast
Suppose the surface air pressures in Newport Beach and the offshore ocean are the same though the surface air temperature is colder off-shore than on-shore. What can you say about the air pressure aloft (about 500 meters)? Denote p_NB and p_OC as the air pressure 500m above Newport Beach and off-shore over the ocean.
Currently, Earth’s cryosphere is melting globally. How will this change Earth’s albedo without considering any other feedbacks?
reduced albedo
Suppose you sail westward across the Pacific at 40 degrees north. A low-pressure system comes directly from the west, with its center passing right above you. What prevailing wind directions will you most likely experience before and after the storm passes above you?
Foucault’s Pendulum (picture below on the left) is a pendulum designed to observe the Coriolis effect. What do the trajectories of the pendulum look like in the southern hemisphere (bird’s eye view)?
Which of the following is not essential to the land/sea-breeze circulation?
the molecular composition of air
The Hadley circulation rises near the equator and flows poleward. What is the main reason that this poleward air motion does not reach all the way to the poles?
conservation of angular momentum
Why is the surface wind speed in the southern hemisphere generally higher than that in the northern hemisphere?
because there is less land in the southern hemisphere
The Coriolis force acts on all objects that have mass. Why cannot we physically feel the force ourselves when we are walking or driving?
coriolis force is weak and frictional force is strong
Why are most of the mid-oceanic gyres centered near 30 degrees north and south?
because they are propelled by subtropical highs
What processes best explain why the coastal ocean waters offshore of California are cooler than the offshore waters at the same latitudes in the Eastern US?
cool california current amplified by OFFshore ekman pumping
