Module 9 Inversions & Specific Heat Flashcards
What is temperature?
Temperature is the perceived hotness or coldness of a substance.
What does the angle of insolation affect?
The angle of insolation affects the amount of energy reaching the Earth’s surface.
What happens when the Sun is lower in the sky?
The Sun’s rays scatter over a larger area and must travel through more of the atmosphere.
What is the effect of the Sun being directly overhead?
The sunlight does not scatter as much, allowing more radiation to reach the Earth’s surface.
What is insolation?
Insolation is the time the Earth’s surface is exposed to the Sun.
How does insolation differ in the tropics compared to higher latitudes?
In the tropics, there are twelve hours of daylight year-round; in higher latitudes, daylight varies with the seasons.
What is the temperature variation with altitude?
The higher the elevation, the lower the temperature.
What is the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
The dry adiabatic lapse rate is 9.8°C (5.5°F) cooling for every thousand-meter increase in elevation.
How do clouds affect energy reaching the Earth’s surface?
Clouds reflect a large amount of energy back into space, reducing energy that reaches the surface.
What is a temperature inversion?
A temperature inversion is when temperature increases at higher altitudes, trapping cooler air below.
What is smog?
Smog is a combination of smoke, ash, and other particulates from factories and car exhaust.
How does smog affect health and agriculture?
Ground-level ozone in smog can damage lungs and interfere with photosynthesis.
What geographical features contribute to smog issues in California?
The ocean to the west and mountains to the east contribute to temperature inversions trapping smog.
How does Beijing experience smog issues?
Pollution can become trapped in a temperature inversion, leading to dangerous smog levels.
What is albedo?
Albedo is a measure of how much solar energy is reflected by a surface.
What surfaces have high albedo?
Light-colored surfaces like snow, deserts, and clouds have high albedo.
What surfaces have low albedo?
Dark-colored surfaces like forests and oceans have low albedo.
How does the specific heat of water compare to land?
Water has a higher specific heat, requiring more energy to increase its temperature.
What is the specific heat of water?
The specific heat of water is 1 cal/gram °C (or 4.18 joules/g °C).
How does land gain and lose heat compared to water?
Land gains and loses heat more rapidly than water.
Fill in the blank: The actual length of time that the Sun’s rays are hitting the Earth’s surface is called _______.
insolation
Fill in the blank: A temperature inversion can form when there is an increase in temperature at _______.
higher elevations
Fill in the blank: Large amounts of smoke, ash, and other particles that often come from factories and car exhaust are known as _______.
smog
