Physical - Atmosphere and Weather Systems Flashcards
particles attracted to water eg. Dust or pollution
Hygroscopic Nuclei
Average weather over a period of 30 yrs
Climate
Day to day changes in the Earth’s atmosphere
Weather
The layer of atmosphere with: cloud formation, 50% of atmosphere’s gases + rapidly increasing temps
Troposphere
The layer of atmosphere with: light winds (increase in strength with heights), steady temp increase, ozone layer + low pressures
Stratosphere
The layer of the atmosphere with: very little gas, decreasing temps + winds reaching 3000km/hr
Mesophere
The layer of the atmosphere with: warming up to 1500ºc (oxygen absorbing insolation)
Thermosphere
A gas which is an essential macronutrient for plants, 80% of the atmosphere and dilutes oxygen concentration to 20%
Nitrogen
A gas which is used for respiration and combustion. 20% of the atmphere
Oxygen
A gas that is used in photosynthesis, traps heat + absorbs long-wave radiation. 0.005-0.03% of the atmosphere (changed over 100yrs from 0.027-0.04%)
Carbon dioxide
A gas that is essential for weather and the formation of clouds, a natural greenhouse gas + absorbs/reflects radiation
Water vapour
A trace gas that is a natural greenhouse gas, absorbing/reflecting radiation and is essential for life (filters out harmful UV rays)
Ozone
A gas that is a natural greenhouse gas. 0.0002% of the atmosphere
Methane
The perfect balance between insolation absorbed by the earth and terrestrial radiation escaping it in the form of radiation
Earth’s heat budget
The amount of solar radiation reaching a given area.
Insolation
A movement of heat from cold to hot regions and vice versa by wind (80%) and ocean currents (20%)
Horizontal heat transfers
A movement of heat upwards, preventing the Earth’s surface getting hotter and atmosphere getting colder by: radiation, convection, conduction and latent heat
Vertical heat tranfere
The heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapour, or a liquid into a vapour, without a change of temperature.
Latent heat
Changes due to fluctuations that happen during the day and the variations in the day-night cycle
Diurnal variations
A model that gives an understanding as to how our atmosphere’s circulatory patterns functions
Tri-cellular model,
Intercontinental tropical zone
ICTZ
A large air mass that rotates around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure, a type of meteorological hazard
Cyclone
Weather phenomenon of a large-scale circulation of winds around an area of high pressure where air is sinking and gets colder, pushing warm moist air upwards
Anticyclone
A narrow band of powerful air currents between the cells: polar front (arctic), subtropical (tropics), conventional (equator)
Jet streams
Movement of air from the equator due to the Earth’s axial rotation
Coriolis effect
The coldest cell of the tri-cellular model,
Polar cell
A cell where air flows poleward, playing a major part in horizontal transport
Ferrel cell
A cell which circulates around the equator rising, then falling on the tropics
Hadley cell
Particles attracted to water that readily permits condensation eg. dust or pollution
Hygroscopic nuclei
The merging of water droplets after colliding
Coalescence
Hot, rising air which is unpredictable and lighter than the atmosphere
Unstable air
A region having little rainfall because it’s sheltered from prevailing rain-bearing winds by a range of hills
Rain shadow
The temperature the air needs to be cooled at in order to condense + form clouds
Dew point
Facing the wind
Windward
Slopes oriented away from the wind, little rainfall
Lee slope
Downwind from the wind, sheltered
Leeward
Hills on land from the sea
Relief rainfall trigger