UNIT 7

Question 1

Pressure

Answer 1

weight of a column of air; force/area

Question 2

Barometer

Answer 2

measure pressure

Question 3

Mercury Barometer

Answer 3

mercury in a column; as weight increases, there is more pressure pushing down which causes the mercury up the tube; higher up tube means higher pressure

Question 4

Aneroid barometer

Answer 4

has a partially evacuated chamber that is sensitive to pressure changes

Question 5

Concept of pressure

Answer 5

does not vary horizontally, but DECREASES rapidly WITH ELEVATION
-lower the pressure, the stronger the storm

Question 6

Wind

Answer 6

movement of air relative to the surface; the movement is not spontaneous, and it moves as a response to the imbalance of forces acting on the air molecules (vertically or horizontally)

Question 7

Pressure Gradient Force (PGF):

Answer 7

most important force for wind because it initiates wind; difference in pressure over a given distance (High to Low);The bigger the pressure difference means a faster wind

Question 8

Hydrostatic equilibrium

Answer 8

balance between vertical pressure gradient force

Reasons for horizontal differences of pressure on Earth

Question 9

Thermodynamic

Answer 9

temperature is going to cause pressure differences through causal continuum

Question 10

causal continuum

Answer 10

radiation lead to temperature differences lead to density differences lead to pressure differences which ends in wind

Question 11

Dynamic

Answer 11

flow patterns

Question 12

Coriolis Force

Answer 12

due to the rotation of Earth; as the Earth rotates, different latitudes travel at different speeds-distance traveled over a certain time- based on circumference of that latitude

Question 13

what causes APPARENT DEFLECTION of winds?

Answer 13

the change in rotational speed with latitude; in northern hemisphere winds will go to the right when air wants to go from High to Low ; in the southern hemisphere get deflected to left relative to motion; only matters when traveling a great distance

Question 14

Function of latitude

Answer 14

maximized at poles and minimized at equator

Question 15

Function of wind speed

Answer 15

faster winds are better deflected unlike slower winds that don’t get deflected

Question 16

in the United States we get winds ____ aloft; make names of wind based on where they are coming from

Answer 16

WEST; warm equator air creates upper level high; cold polar air creates upper level low; high to low, deflected to the right

Question 17

Frictional Force

Answer 17

drag force that slows down the movement of air molecules in contact with or close to Earth’s surface; depending on roughness of surface

Question 18

What are LS upper level winds (Geostrophic winds) forces?

Answer 18

Pressure gradient force, Coriolis, no friction
PGF and Coriolis forces acting on the wind balance out over time
-relatively straight path and parallel to the isobars
-if wind is slow, Coriolis is small

Question 19

What are LS surface level (Geostrophic winds) forces?

Answer 19

PGF, Coriolis, Friction

• Frictional force comes into play and disrupts the balance seen in geostrophic winds
• wind speed decreases, thus Coriolis Is reduced and winds cross isobars

Question 20

Cyclones

Answer 20

low pressure; active weather; rising air; clockwise in southern and counterclockwise in northern

Question 21

Anticyclones

Answer 21

high pressure; no active weather; sinking air

Question 22

sea breezes

Answer 22

• during the day, land surface heats up quickly
• surface pressure on land falls and rises over the ocean
• at low levels, a small; PGF is directed from ocean to land

Question 23

land breeze

Answer 23

• land surfaces heat and cool more rapidly than water bodies
• AT night, the temperatures above land drops dramatically causing the circulation to reverse
• The warmer air (lower pressure) is now located over water
• At low levels, a small PGF is directed from land to ocean

Question 24

Chinook/Santa Ana Winds

Answer 24

-Forced passage of air across mountainous terrain (orographic uplift)
-Wrings out much of the moisture on the “Winward” side of the mountain
-Warms the air adiabatically as it descends the “lee” side of the mountain after its passage across the peak
Lee side of the mountain experiences dry and warm winds