The Atmosphere Flashcards
What gases are in the atmosphere
Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide and ozone
What does the sun provide us
Light and heat
How much percent of the sun reaches the planet
50%
What is the ozone layer
Is a belt of naturally occurring ozone gas that is above the earth
Latitude
Is the distance north or south of the equator
What is latitude measures in
Degrees
Wind
Wind is moving air
Why do some places have high or low pressure?
War, air rises leaving areas of low pressure. Cold air descends creating areas of high pressure
Coriolis effect
Occurs when winds are deflected at an angle
Name 2 cold currents
Labrador current
Canaries current
Name 2 warm currents
North Atlantic drift
Gulf Stream
Air mass
Is a body of air with its own temperature, pressure and level of humidity
Name a cold air mass
Polar air mass
Name a dry air mass
Continental air mass
Name a warm air mass
Tropical air mass
Name an air mass that brings rain
Maritime air mass
Front
Is a boundary area where 2 different air masses meet
Cold front
Occurs when cold air moves in towards warm air
Warm front
Develops when warm air moves towards cold air
Depressions
Is an area of low atmospheric pressure
Anticyclones
Is an area of high pressure
Clouds
Made when water vapour condenses into tiny droplets
Precipitation means….
Hail, rain, sleet or snow
Rain occurs when…
Warm air is forced to rise. As it does so, it cools. Cold air cannot hold as much water vapour as warm air so condensation occurs. Clouds are formed and rain occurs
Rainfall relief
Occurs when moist air moves in from the sea
Frontal rainfall
Occurs when cold air masses meet at a front
Conventional rain
Occurs when the sun shines on the land and heats up the air above
Mean temperature
(Do it by average)
What is precipitation measured in
A rain gauge
Beaufort scale
Describes the effect the wind has on a landscape
The greenhouse effect
- When the sun shines it’s heats up the earth
- ## some heat gets trapped in gases in the atmosphere
Global warming
Is when the suns heat is being trapped die to the increase of greenhouse gases
The atmosphere
Is a blanket of gas surrounding the earth
Name the 3 types of rainfall
Rainfall relief
Conventional rain
Frontal rainfall
Name 2 examples of clouds
Currus
Cumulus
How does a cold front occur
- When the cold air forces the light warm air to rise
- as the warm air rises, it cools and condensation occurs
- clouds are formed and this leads to heaven rainfall
How are warm fronts formed
- The warm light air rises up over the cold air
- as it rises it cools and condensation occurs
- clouds are formed and this leads to heavy rainfall