Temperature and Heating

Question 1

Temperature definition

Answer 1

Average kinetic energy of atoms or molecules

Question 2

Celsius to Kelvin conversion

Answer 2

K = C + 273

Question 3

How is surface air temperature measured?

Answer 3

Stevenson’s Screen, situated 4ft/1.2m above the ground

Question 4

How is upper air temperature, pressure and humidity measured?

Answer 4

Radiosonde

Question 5

What types of radiation produces the most and least heating?

Answer 5

Short wavelengths provides the most intense radiation (hotter)
Long wavelengths provide less intense radiation (colder)

Question 6

What is insolation?

Answer 6

The Suns rays heating the earths surface

Question 7

How does latitude effect insolation?

Answer 7

Higher latitudes mean the same amount of energy is covering a larger area, therefore less intense insolation

Question 8

What is the location of the ITCZ in the summer?

Answer 8

North of the equator

Question 9

What is the location of the ITCZ in the winter?

Answer 9

South of the equator

Question 10

What is the ITCZ?

Answer 10

Location of maximum heating on earth

Question 11

What disrupts solar radiation reaching the surface?

Answer 11

Absorption by Ozone and water vapour
Reflection by the tops of clouds and the earths surface
Scattering by particles in the earths atmosphere

Question 12

What % of the suns solar radiation reaches the earths surface?

Answer 12

85%

Question 13

What is Albedo?

Answer 13

A materials ability to reflect solar radiation

Question 14

What is conduction?

Answer 14

Energy transfer by contact

Question 15

What is convection?

Answer 15

Energy transfer by the vertical movement of air

Question 16

What is advection?

Answer 16

Energy transfer by the horizontal movement of air

Question 17

What is the release of latent heat?

Answer 17

Energy transfer when condensation takes place

Energy is absorbed or released when water vapour changes state

Question 18

What is radiation?

Answer 18

Energy transfer by the absorption of long wave terrestrial radiation

Question 19

What is turbulence?

Answer 19

Energy transfer by mixing of air caused by turbulence

Question 20

When is latent heat released?

Answer 20

Vapour to liquid, liquid to solid, vapour to solid

Cooling processes

Question 21

When is latent heat absorbed?

Answer 21

Solid to liquid, liquid to vapour, solid to vapour

Heating processes

Question 22

What is diurnal variation?

Answer 22

Variation of the surface temperature over a 24 hour period

Question 23

What time is the minimum temperature?

Answer 23

30 minutes after sunrise

Question 24

What time is the maximum temperature?

Answer 24

Approximately 1500

Question 25

How do clouds effect diurnal variation?

Answer 25

Reduce it, don’t let as much heat in during the day, don’t let heat out over night

Question 26

How does wind effect diurnal variation?

Answer 26

Reduce it, turbulent air mixes warmer and cooler air masses

Question 27

What is a temperature inversion?

Answer 27

When temperature increases with height, rather than decreasing with height

Question 28

What are the 5 different types of temperature inversion?

Answer 28

Ground inversion
Valley inversion
Frontal inversion
Subsidence inversion
Friction layer inversion

Question 29

What is the biggest danger associated with inversion?

Answer 29

Windshear