Topic 8 Essential Questions and Skills 1-8 Flashcards
What is Relative Humidity?
A measure of how much water vapor is in a given parcel of air relative to the amount of water vapor that could be there
What is Dew Point?
The temperature when the relative humidity reaches 100%, and all of the spaces in the air are filled. The air is SATURATED and cannot hold any more water vapor
What are the proportions of gasses in our atmosphere?
Nitrogen: 78%
O2: 21%
Other(CH4,Ne,O3): 1%
How do precipitation and clouds happen?
When the air cools past its dew point.
How does condensation occur?
When the air cools TO its dew point. There’s no where else for the water to go.
What is the inverse relationship between temperature and relative humidity?
As temperature increases, relative humidity decreases
Warm air has lots of ____ for water to _____ and fill gaps.
space, evaporate
Warm air is ____ dense, and it will ____. As it moves up in the Troposphere, it gets _____. The spaces will get ______, and less water will fit in the gaps. When the air cools to it’s ____ ______, clouds will form and when it continues to cool, ______ occurs.
less, rise, cooler, smaller, dew point, precipitation
What is the primary type of energy that passes through the atmosphere, from the sun?
Visible light
What is the main type of energy re-emitted back out into space from the Earth?
Infrared Radiation
What is the main type of energy that is trapped and absorbed by Greenhouse gases in our atmosphere?
Infrared Radiation
Which of the following gases in our atmosphere trap infrared radiation, and trap heat, keeping our planet warmer?
carbon dioxide
methane
ozone
water vapor
Over the span of a year, when is the carbon dioxide level higher? When is it lower?
Spring, fall
Over the span of several years, what direction does carbon dioxide concentrations appear to be moving?
Increasing
Over the past 10,000 years, what pattern do carbon dioxide concentrations appear to be having?
Increasing and its speeding up
