The Climate System Flashcards
Differentiate weather and climate
Weather: current condition of the lower atmosphere (10-15 days), what you get, short-term & small
Climate: Composite/average of weather conditions that prevail over a place or region (>30 years), what you expect, long-term & large
How is climate measured?
Climatological normals
What are the elements of a climate? (2)
Energy and moisture
T or F: A pressure gradient generally results in wind moving from low pressure areas to high pressure areas
False (high to low)
T or F: Divergence in the atmosphere typically leads to surface high-pressure systems
True
T or F: Typhoons in the northern hemisphere rotate clockwise due to Coriolis effect.
False (counter-clockwise)
What is the main cause of surface ocean currents?
Global wind patterns
What is the ITCZ?
The Intertropical Convergence Zone is the convergence of air near the equator that leads to its formation. (region that circles the Earth near the equator where the trade winds of the N and S hemispheres come together); PV=nRT ideal gas law
High precipitation, low pressure → movement explains why there’s seasonality in the PH climate
- Temp diff between sea surface and atmosphere
- Also contributes to how much precipitation we get
What are the key factors in the formation of tropical cyclones?
Strong Coriolis effect and warm sea surface temperatures
Which of the following best describes the Coriolis effect?
A) It is the force that causes wind to blow from low pressure to high pressure.
B) It causes the deflection of moving air and water due to earth’s rotation.
C) It refers to the energy balance between the Earth and the atmosphere.
D) It describes the transfer of heat between the ocean and the atmosphere.
B
9) Which of the following statements is true about albedo and its effect on climate?
A) High albedo surfaces, such as ice and snow, absorb more solar radiation and lead to warming.
B) Low albedo surfaces reflect more sunlight, cooling the surface.
C) High albedo surfaces reflect more solar radiation, contributing to cooling
D) The albedo effect has no significant impact on global temperatures.
C
10) Which of the following best describes the role of monsoons in the climate of the Philippines?
A) Monsoons bring dry winds to the Philippines from July to November.
B) Monsoons are seasonal reversals of wind that bring either warm, moist air of cool, dry air to the Philippine land surface.
C) Monsoons are characterized by seasonal high-pressure systems over the Philippines.
D) Typhoons occur directly as an effect of seasonal monsoons affectina thel
Enilooine climate
B
What is the Earth’s energy budget?
100% radiation from the Sun but because of structure of atmosphere and earth surface, some are absorbed or reflected (atmosphere, clouds, Earth’s surface, land and oceans)
What is the solar constant?
The entry point into the atmosphere; amount of solar energy received at the top of the atmosphere
What are the layers of the atmosphere?
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere
What are climatological extremes?
More long-term than climatological normals; changes in the climate that develop over longer periods of decades to centuries.
What are the two components that make up energy?
Solar radiation and clouds
What comprises energy in solar radiation? (4)
Earth rotation revolution and tilt, seasonality, EM spectrum, atmospheric structure
What comprises energy in clouds? (3)
cloud types and formation, albedo, diurnal variation
What is an albedo?
the portion of solar energy that is reflected from the surface of the Earth and back into space
> Warm low level cloud with a high albedo
Decrease in the net downward radiative flux at the top of the atmosphere
Cold upper level cloud with a low albedo
Increase in the net downward radiative flux at the top of the atmosphere
What are pressure gradients?
Pressure gradients in the atmosphere are typically caused by air of different temperatures. If there are no other forces, then air will flow from the higher pressure to the lower pressure creating wind.
What comprises moisture in climate? (2)
Water and air
What is a heat flux?
the amount of energy transferred from one place to the other in the form of heat. (passing through a certain surface)
What is diurnal variation?
fluctuations that occur during the daytime in a specific phenomenon or measurement
What are the climatic processes associated with the elements of a climate? (3)
evaporation –> circulation, condensation –> divergence, and precipitation –> convergence
What weather and climate phenomena are a result of climatic processes on global long-term scales?
ocean circulation and atmospheric circulation
What weather and climate phenomena are a result of climatic processes on regional and periodic scales?
typhoon formation, monsoons, El Niño/La Niña
What is a typhoon?
Tropical cyclones that occur in the west Pacific
What is a tropical cyclone?
warm-core low-pressure systems, bottom: spiral inflow of mass, top: spiral outflow
develops over tropical and subtropical waters having a organized circulation (closed low-level circulation)
How are TCs formed? (5)
Energy and moisture:
1. ocean temp > 26 deg C
2. latitudes > 5 deg N or 5 deg S of equator
3. high atmospheric moisture
4. low wind shear (no large changes in wind speed and direction with height)
5. pre-existing atmospheric disturbance (e.g. enhanced thunderstorm activity)
Explain why a hotter temperature of oceans leads to higher chance of TC formation?
Oceans have lower albedo because of their color and temps are highest in the summer where the tilt of the earth allows it to receive peak solar radiation (JJASON months). The temperature difference between the ocean and lower air atmosphere (temp and moisture gradient) leads to the evaporation of warm moist air. This then travels upward through convection and expands and cools with altitude through condensation, leading to cloud formation. This then prompts precipitation to occur.
What is the relative speed of the Earth’s rotation?
Faster in equator, slower in poles
Why does the latitude have to be > 5 deg N or 5 deg S of equator for TC formation?
Coriolis effect and surface winds: pressure differences allow TC formation as air moves from high to low pressure
What are the three different cells in the Earth’s hemisphere and what do they do?
Hadley cells (largest): Warm air spreads out toward the poles gradually cooling and sinking as it moves before descending to the surface and flowing back to the equator
Polar cells (smallest): Cold dense air descending in the polar regions flows at low levels to about 60-70 deg north or south. As the air leaves the polar regions, it starts to warm and rise, returning to the poles at high levels
Ferrel cells: Not driven by temperature, Flow in the opposite direction to the Hadley and Polar cells acting like a gear, Transports heat from the equator to the poles AND result in semi-permanent areas of high and low pressure
What would classify a TC as a tropical depression?
Max sustained winds of up to 62 kph
What would classify a TC as a tropical storm?
Max wind speed of 62-88 kph
What would classify a TC as a severe tropical storm?
Max wind speed of 87-117 kph
What would classify a TC as a typhoon?
Max wind speed of 118-184 kph
What would classify a TC as a supertyphoon?
Max wind speed exceeding 185 kph
What do you call surface winds that bring warm air from the Indian Ocean to an area of low pressure
SW monsoon or habagat
What makes up an enhanced SW monsoon? (3)
Pressure gradients, convergence, topography
What do you call surface winds that bring cold air from areas of high pressure to an area of low pressure
NE monsoon or amihan
Describe the divergence and convergence of air in the atmosphere (*think: temp and moisture interaction –> cloud formation)
Divergence is when the movement of air ascends from a low-pressure area to a high-pressure area
Convergence is when the movement of air descends from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area
How does atmospheric circulation transfer heat?
From the equator to poles
What kind of winds does atmospheric circulation create?
Surface winds
What is the significance of the stratification of terrestrial climates from atmospheric circulation?
It leads to different kinds of temperature and precipitation
Where can you find low pressure areas?
In between Polar and ferrel cells and two hadley cells
Where can you find high pressure areas?
On the poles and in between hadley and ferrel cells
What is the role of ITCZ in the habagat?
As the ITCZ moves northward, it brings increased moisture to the Indian subcontinent. The rising air associated with the ITCZ leads to the formation of deep convection and heavy rainfall, marking the onset of the SW monsoon.
Moisture Transport: The ITCZ’s northward migration draws moist air from the Indian Ocean towards the subcontinent. This moist air contributes to the intense and sustained rainfall that characterizes the SW monsoon.
Compare and contrast the 4 different climate types.
Type 1 (left-most; ex. Ilocos Region): Pronounced wet and dry season
Type 2 (right-most; ex. Bicol Region): No dry season with pronounced wet season
Type 3 (second to the left; ex. Northern Mindanao): Short dry season, wet rest of the year (not pronounced)
Type 4 (second to the right; ex. parts of Northern Luzon): Evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year
What is the reason behind the 4 types of climates?
Type 1: The proximity to the western part of the country makes it more affected by the Habagat, bringing significant rainfall during the rainy months.
Type 2: These areas are more exposed to moisture-laden winds from the Pacific Ocean, especially the northeast monsoon, leading to continuous rainfall throughout the year.
Type 3: These areas are somewhat shielded from both the northeast and southwest monsoons, leading to a short dry season but regular rainfall the rest of the year due to other weather systems like tropical cyclones.
Type 4: The areas classified under this climate type are typically found in regions that are less influenced by the monsoons and instead experience a more balanced effect of the trade winds and tropical cyclones.
Differentiate Atmospheric vs Ocean Circulation (6)
Layer of heating: A - Troposphere (lowest laeyr), O - Ocean surface (top layer)
Vertical movement of the medium: A: Circulates from troposphere to surface; O: Water - high heat capacity of vaporization fluid medium
Rate of temp change: A - more quickly; O - more slowly
Heat transfer: A - Sun, surface radiation (depends onthe time of day); O - Currents (surface, deep water)
Stratification: A - Troposphere (mixed); O - Vertical stratification (temperature, salinity, access to light)
Mixing: A - well-mixed; O - not well-mixed
AC has _____, while OC has ______
- surface winds and continental air masses
- wind and surface currents and large-scale deep ocean circulation (thermohaline circulation)
What are surface currents driven by?
The movement of surface winds and the arrangement of continental landmasses
T or F: Areas of convergence are areas of upwelling
False (downwelling)
T of F: Areas of divergence are areas of upwelling
True
Why does water converge in the middle of a gyre?
Due to Ekman transport
Ekman transport combines the effects of friction, Coriolis effect, and wind-driven surface currents. As surface currents move, there is a delay with the pull of the lower layers and if this is done in an angle, the angle of pulling will differ slightly in lower depths. Ekman transport is the average of all the angles at which the water is pulled (perpendicular to the direction of wind)
Why does the divergence of water exhibit different behavior?
The lack of land at which this occurs (areas outside of gyres - long equatorial areas) doesn’t give the water something to ounce off
Why are areas of upwelling and downwelling in oceans important?
These are areas where mixing of ocean areas occur (movement of nutrient-rich cooler waters in areas of divergence, ecological benefits from upwelling of areas, etc.
What is the role of surface currents?
They move warmer water towards the poles and cooler waters toward the equator.
T or F: Oceans have a high heat capacity that helps regulate annual variations in climate
True
T or F: Because of the high heat capacity of oceans, ocean currents lead to more instable coastal temperatures compared to inland
F
T or F: Both surface ocean and deep ocean circulation are driven by atmospheric wind
F: differences in water density for deep ocean circulation
Why are there differences in water density?
Because there are variations in temperature and salinity
“Thermo” _____, “haline” _____
- heat
- salt
What are caused by differences in water density?
The stratification of oceans by depth
What does thermohaline circulation do? (2)
- supplies heat to polar regions thus influencing sea ice formation
- mixes and connects global ocean waters over long periods of time (~1000 years)
T or F: Oceans have high albedo compared to land
F (low because it can absorb more solar radiation)
What direction do trade winds blow?
East to West
What does ENSO stand for?
El Niño Southern Oscillation
What’s the Walker Circulation?
warm air rises in the atmosphere of west (rains), travels to east, air becomes dry and comes down cold (rising in west, falling in east cycle) - “neutral phase”
an ocean-atmosphere interaction
What is El Niño?
Trade winds are weak so warm ocean currents don’t get pushed much so they move to the central and eastern side of the Pacific (oscillation comes in –> warm ocean current replaces cold ocean current that initially exists - cold water is dense and settles); convection and formation of rain clouds form with it - walker circulation is now broken into two parts (ocean temp in west is cool and no rain while other nearby areas experience extreme drought; near Peruvian coast brings heavy rain and flood to the American continent)
warm ocean current (Eastern Pacific)
What is La Niña?
trade winds are strong so warm ocean current is pushed even more towards the western pacific; cold water from the deep ocean immediately comes up to the surface (thermocline - rising part of water temp); rest of the process is same in neutral phase
cold ocean current (Western Pacific)
What are the effects of ENSO in the Philippines?
Agricultural damage and loss, increase of more cyclones, etc.
Tropical cyclones can only form over oceans of the world except in 2 oceans. What are they and why?
South Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Pacific Ocean because they have higher vertical wind shears and cooler surface waters
Which of the following pollutants is responsible for the greatest number of deaths globally each year?
A) Water pollution
B) Ambient air pollution
C) Lead pollution
D) Noise pollution
B (pollution at 6.7m then water at 1.4m then lead at 900k in 2019)
Men are most likely to die to ___(3)___ pollution in 2019.
exposure to ambient air pollution, lead
pollution, and occupational pollutants
Women and children are most likely to die to ___(1)___ pollution in 2019.
water pollution
T or F: tropical cyclones occur as a result of intense cyclonic circulations in the typical evaporation, condensation, and precipitation of water.
True
