Weather Flashcards
Oblique Ray’s
The sun is at a low angle and the Rays must cover a larger area of land due to the earths curve so it takes longer to heat up
Vertical Ray’s
Close to the equator. That have less ground to cover so it heats up rapidly and causes it to get very hot
Low atmospheric pressure
When air is heated it expands and becomes lighter. It rises and creates low atmospheric Pressure
High atmospheric pressure
When air is cooled it becomes heavier and it presses down on the earths surface and creates high atmospheric pressure
Wind facts
Winds are named from the direction in which they blow.
Winds most common in an area are the prevailing winds
Coriolis effect
As the earth spins on its axis the wind direction changes. Winds are directed to the right of their direction in the northern hemisphere. And to the left of their direction in the Southern Hemisphere
Doldrums
Areas close to the equator where winds speeds have slowed down or died down entirely
Movement of ocean currents
Unequal heating of the currents.
The prevailing winds
The rotation of the earth
North Atlantic drift
Flows north easterly from the Gulf of Mexico
Brings mild winters and rainfall
Canaries currents
Flows southerly direction off west Africa
Winds loose moisture and cause little rainfall
Labrador current
Flows south from the Arctic Ocean.
Mingles with gulf steam and produces fog
Lowers temperature of ocean
Air mass
Large bodies of air that have similar temperature, moisture and pressure
Maritime air mass
Bring rain
Continental air mass
Dry
Polar
Cold
Tropical
Warm
Cold front
Pushes in and replaces warm air.
Warm air is forced to rise it cools and condenses and causes heavy rain
Warm front
Warm air approaches cold air. The cold air is to heavy to rise so the warm air rises on top of the cold air
Cold condenses=dark clouds and heavy rain
Occluded front
Cold front overtakes a warm front cause all the warm air to rise leaving no warm air at ground level
Isobar
Areas on a map of equal pressure
Isotherms
Areas on a map of equal temperature
Isohels
Areas on a map of equal sunshine
Isohyets
Areas on a map of equal rainfall
Depression
Windy and unsettled weather cloudy conditions periods of rain and in winter snow
Anticyclone
Cloudless skies and days cold and nights even colder in the winter and in the summer it is warm and dry and light winds
Cirrus
Wispy, occur at high altitude and fare weather
Cumulus
Fluffy and woolly, occur at medium altitude. bring rain if dark
Stratus
Occur at low altitude, bring drizzle light rain and come in thin layers
Relief rainfall
Worm moist air blows in from over sea.
It meets a coastal mountain range and is forced to rise
Air cools and condenses and clouds form and rain falls on the windward side of the mountain
On the leeward side a rain shadow is created because of very little moisture
Cyclonic rainfall
Cold polar air and moist tropical air masses meet at a front
The warm air mass rises over the cold Thai causes warm air to cool and condensation occurs
Clouds form and rain falls
Rain becomes heavier
Conventional rainfall
Earths surface is heated by solar energy
The land warms the air and moisture is evaporated
The warm moist air rises and cools and condenses and clouds form
Heavy showers occur
Weather
Word used to describe the state of the atmosphere at any particular time and place. Weather can change everyday
Meteorologists
Study, analyse and record the weather and then present it on the weather forecast
Measuring temperature
Thermometer
Degrees Celsius
Isotherms
Mean temperature range
Sum of monthly temperature divided by 2
Temperature range
Max temperature - min temperature
Atmospheric pressure
Barometer
Isobars
Measured in milibars and hectopascals
Humidity
Wet and dry bulb thermometers
Percentage
Amount of moisture in the air
Wind speed and direction
Anemometer - wind speed
Weather vane- direction
Beaufort scale- wind strength
Precipitation
Rain gauge
Multimeter
Sunshine
Hours per day
Campbell stokes sunshine recorder
