unit 4 science Flashcards
Put the layers of the atmosphere in order from lowest to highest.
troposphere, stratosphere, ozone, mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, exosphere
For each layer of the atmosphere, describe: how temperature changes in that layer, what the layer’s density is like, how does it interact with radiation from space.
troposphere- temperature decreases, decrease with height, the air becomes thinner, causes the atmosphere to warm
stratosphere- temperature increases, nearly zero density, The ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs a portion of the radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching the planet’s surface.
ozone- temperature increases, thick density, absorbs a portion of the radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching the planet’s surface
mesosphere- temperature increases, thick density, little solar radiation is absorbed in this layer
thermosphere- temperature increases, thin density, molecules of oxygen and nitrogen are bombarded by radiation and energetic particles from the Sun
ionosphere- temperature decreases, thick density, some of the waves are absorbed by the electrons in the ionosphere while others pass through and are detectable to ground based observers
exosphere- temperature varies, nearly zero density, the radiation in the exosphere is higher
What factors influence the density of air masses? How do air masses move
its temperature, its pressure and how much water vapor is in the air, slowly pushed along by high-level winds
What are the six major types of air masses, what are the basic properties of each air mass
continental arctic, continental polar, maritime arctic, maritime polar, continental tropical, and maritime tropical.
What is a front? How do cold and warm fronts influence weather
a weather system that is the boundary separating two different types of air, Warm fronts bring poor visibility Cold fronts bring precipitation
What is an isobar? What can you infer about the weather in Richmond based on this air pressure map
any member of a group of atomic or nuclear species all of which have the same mass number, calm weather conditions
What is humidity
the amount of water vapor in the air
What is dew point
the temperature the air needs to be cooled in order to achieve a relative humidity
What is wet bulb/dry bulb temperature, how does it let us measure humidit
The dry bulb temperature is the ambient air temperature that is measured by regular thermometers, while the wet bulb temperature is measured by thermometers that are wrapped in wetted wicks,
How does humidity influence climate
Higher levels of moisture in the air also means more rainfall
How do tornados form
when wind variations with height support rotation in the updraft.
Compare and contrast weather and climate
Weather refers to short term atmospheric conditions while climate is the weather of a specific region averaged over a long period of time
Describe el niño and la nina and their causes.
El Niño occurs when the trade winds are weaker than normal, and La Niña occurs when they are stronger than normal.
What is the carbon cycle? How is the carbon cycle out of balance
describes how carbon moves between the atmosphere, soils, living creatures, the ocean, and human sources. people burning fossil fuels
What is a greenhouse gas
gasses in the earth’s atmosphere that trap heat
