Textbook - Chapter 2: Climate

Question 1

Adiabatic lapse rate

Answer 1

Rate at which a parcel of air loses temperature with elevation fi no heat is gained from or lost to an external source

Question 2

Atomospheric Pressure

Answer 2

The downward force exerted by the weight of the overlying atmosphere

Question 3

Adiabatic cooling

Answer 3

A decrease in air temperature when a rising parcel of warm air cools by expanding (which uses energy) rather than losing heat to the surround air.

Question 4

Climate

Answer 4

Long-term average pattern of local, regional or global weather.

Question 5

Condensation

Answer 5

the transformation of water vapor to a liquid state

Question 6

Currents

Answer 6

Water movements that result in the horizontal transport of water masses.

Question 7

Coriolois effect

Answer 7

Physical consequence of the law of conservation of angular momentum; as a result of Earth’s rotation, a moving object veers to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere relative to Earth’s surface

Question 8

Dew point temperature

Answer 8

Temperature at which condensation of water in the atmosphere begins

Question 9

Evaporation

Answer 9

Loss of water vapor from soil or open water or another exposed surface

Question 10

Equatorial low

Answer 10

A low air pressure near the surface of the equatorial zone.

Question 11

Environmental lapse rate

Answer 11

Rate at which temperature decreases with altitude; see adiabatic lapse rate

Question 12

ENSO / El Nino

Answer 12

Global event arising from large-scale interactions between ocean and atmosphere

Question 13

Greenhouse effect

Answer 13

Selective energy absorption by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which allows short wavelength energy to pass through but absorbs longer wavelengths and reflects heat back to Earth.

Question 14

Gyre

Answer 14

Circular motion of water in major ocean basins

Question 15

Habitat

Answer 15

Place where a plant or animal lives

Question 16

Intertropical convergence zone {ITCZ}

Answer 16

The boundary zone separating the northeast trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere from the southeast trade winds of the Southern Hemisphere

Question 17

Longwave radiation

Answer 17

Infrared radiation that occurs as wavelengths longer than 3 or 4 microns

Question 18

Latent heat

Answer 18

Amount of heat given up when a unit mass of a substance converts from a liquid to a solid state, or the amount of heat absorbed when a substance converts from the solid to liquid state

Question 19

Microclimate

Answer 19

Climate on a very local scale, which differs from the general climate of the area; influences the presence and distribution of organisms.

Question 20

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

Answer 20

That part of the light spectrum between wavelengths of 400 and 700 nm that is used by plants in photosynthesis.

Question 21

Polar easterlies

Answer 21

Easterly wind located at high latittudes poleward of the subpolar low.

Question 22

Relative humidity

Answer 22

Water vapor content of air at a given temperature, expressed as a perentage of the water vapor needed for saturation at that temperature

Question 23

Rain shadow

Answer 23

A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range resulting from a reduction in rainfall

Question 24

Subtropical high

Answer 24

A semipermanent high-air-pressure belt at the surface encircling the Earth.

Question 25

Subpolar low

Answer 25

A zone of low air pressure near the surface of the earth

Question 26

Shortwave radiation

Answer 26

Infrared radiation that occurs as wavelengths shorter than 3 or 4 microns

Question 27

Saturation vapor pressure

Answer 27

Warer vapor content of a parcel fo air when it is saturated; saturation is defined as condition when rate of evaporation equals the rate of condensation.

Question 28

Trade winds

Answer 28

Tropical easterly winds that blow in a steady direction from the subtropical high pressure areas to equatorial low pressure areas.

Question 29

Vapor pressure

Answer 29

The amount of pressure water vapor exerts independent of dry air

Question 30

Visible light

Answer 30

light comprising wavelengths of 3400 of 740 nanometers

Question 31

westerlies

Answer 31

the dominant east-to-west motion of the winds centered over the middle latitudes of both hemispheres

Question 32

weather

Answer 32

the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, cloudiness and other atmospheric conditions at a specific place and time.