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Spaceship Earth > The Atmosphere in motion > Flashcards

The Atmosphere in motion Flashcards

1
Q

give the five main weather variables

A 
temperature
air pressure
humidity
cloudiness
wind speed and direction
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2
Q

does wind contain lots or little of energy

A

a huge amount

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3
Q

from which pressure gradient to which does wind flow

A

high to low pressure

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4
Q

what determines the speed of wind

A

pressure differential

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5
Q

av speeds for winds

A

10-30 km per hour

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6
Q

why do windier days feel colder

A

the thickness of boundary around your skin is reduced

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7
Q

what three factors control the speed and direction of the wind

A

pressure-gradient force
coriolis force
friction

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8
Q

how does pressure-gradient impact wind speed

A

winds flow more slowly over spaced out isobars (low pressure gradient) and more quickly over close isobars (high pressure gradient)

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9
Q

how does the coriolis effect affect the wind

A

in the NH, pulls wind to the right as it flows towards low pressure.
coriolis+ pressure combined= wind is parallel to isobars (geostrophic winds)
higher speed= more affected by coriolis

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10
Q

impact of friction on wind

A

winds move more slowly near the ground, can reduce coriolis effect by slowing down wind, ensures that not all winds are geostrophic

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11
Q

what causes atmospheric circulation overall

A

uneven heating from the sun

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12
Q

what is the intertropical convergence zone

A

low pressure region of the tropics at a zone of convergence

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13
Q

what direction do anticyclones flow in the nh

A

clockwise

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14
Q

what direction do cyclones flow in the nh

A

anticlockwise

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15
Q

explain weather conditions at high pressure

A

winds converge at top and diverge at bottom.

cold dense air is drawn downwards (sinks), where it is compressed and heated adiabatically, good weather

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16
Q

explain weather conditions at low pressure

A

winds converge at bottom and diverge at top.

warm, moist air rises and cools, condensing and forming clouds, precipitation

17
Q

describe the Hadley cells

A

blocks of 30 degrees.
high level winds are westerlies and low level ones are trade winds returning to the tropics, nearly easterlies due to friction

18
Q

what is the polar front jet stream

A

high speed westerly geostrophic wind that occurs at top of troposphere over the polar front due to a steep pressure gradient

19
Q

what causes jet streams

A

unique air masses converging at the boundaries between cells

20
Q

why is the tropopause lower at the poles

A

higher pressure and distant from the heat of the equator

21
Q

what prevents jet streams from being straight?

A

rossby waves

22
Q

what is monsoon circulation

A

a seasonally reversing wind system

23
Q

explain monsoon circulation in winter

A

cold high pressure over central and northern asia contrasts with warm waters around India. and the low pressure equator. creates dry winds across india (blowing from land-> sea)

24
Q

explain monsoon circulation in summer

A

low pressure over south asia (India), higher pressure in Indian Ocean causes water-laden winds to flow across india.

25
Q

what is the name of the circulation system caused by a pressure gradient force, how does it work

A

Walker circulation.
east trade winds push warm water to the west, causing it to “pile up”
this causes cold water to upwell on the east to replace it
heated, low pressure air in the west causes more unsettled weather
temp of the sea reinforces the easterly winds

26
Q

what is El Niño

A

weakened trade winds mean less warm water on the west, and less upwelling on the east
Changes the wind patterns so the low pressure is over the middle of the ocean and flows west and east
Can increase global temperatures

27
Q

what is la niña

A

strengthening of trade winds, more upwelling in the east and warm, low pressure moves further west, over indonesia.

28
Q

impacts of el nino

A

drought conditions in the west, increase global temperatures and wind patterns, impact on monsoons in asia, decline in fish population due to fewer nutrients upwelling

29
Q

what is southern oscillation

A

link between the el nino events and changing pressure over the equator

30
Q

what are katabatic winds

A

a wind that carries high density air down a slope under the force of gravity

31
Q

using which scale are hurricanes classified

A

saffir-simpson hurricane wind scale

32
Q

what is a hurricane

A

a very strong cyclone

33
Q

what are hurricanes over the pacific called

A

typhoons

34
Q

what are hurricanes over the indian ocean called

A

tropical cyclones

35
Q

what causes a thunderstorm

A

updraft of warm humid air releases latent heat very quickly.

36
Q

name four types of deserts

A

polar deserts, coastal deserts, subtropical deserts, rainshadow deserts

37
Q

what is a desert

A

a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs, and living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life
less than 25 cm of rainfall a year

Spaceship Earth (21 decks)

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