weather Flashcards
weather
the conditions outside considered from day to day
climate
weather conditions of an area averaged over many years
atmosphere
the blanket of air and moisture that surrounds earth
latitude
side to side
longitude
up and down
condensation
water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it
sublimation
a chemical process where a solid turns into gas without going through the liquid stage
Eg.) ice cubes shrinking in the freezer
deposition
gas turns to solid
evaporation
a liquid turns to gas
precipitation
process of precipitating a substance from a solution
transpiration
process where plants absorb water, then give off water vapour through pores in their leaves
hydrosphere
all the water join the earths surface
Eg.) Lakes, Seas
5 layers of the atmosphere
- troposphere
- stratosphere
- mesosphere
- thermosphere
- exosphere
troposphere
- high density layer
- goes to an altitude of 16km at equator and 8km at the poles
- contains most of the atmospheres moisture
stratosphere
- above the troposphere
- ranges from 12km-50km
- air is cold, dry, clean
mesosphere
- middle layer
- extends from 50km- 80km
- temperature and density of gases is extremely low
thermosphere
- low density of molecules but higher energy producing higher temperatures
- electromagnetic waves from sun are absorbed here, which increases temp
- charged ions product light called auroras
exosphere
- thin outermost layer
- can be called space because there are so few particles
distribution of fresh water=
2.5
distribution of glaciers=
2.2%
distribution of underground water=
0.31%
distribution of surface and atmospheric=
0.4%
Heat sink
any object that absorbs energy and becomes warmer
latent heat
when water changes state, a certain amount of heat is taken in or taken off
heat capacity
measure of how much heat must be added to raise the temperature of a substance
albedo
the degree to which a surface reflects light
Conduction
transfer of energy by touching one object to another
Eg.) egg in frying pan
Convection
transfer of heat through fluid
Eg.) water heated in a pot
Radiation
transfer of energy without a medium by electromagnetic waves
Eg.) sunlight traveling through space
Jet stream
a current of fast moving air found between 10-15km above the earths surface
coriolis effect
most pronounced near the poles and non existent at the equator
Polar cell:
60 degrees to the poles
Hadley cell
30 degrees from equator
Ferrel cell
30-60 degrees
El nino
has warmer winters, current move towards south america
el nina
same conditions as el nino just a little more intensified
perihelion
the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid or comet where/when its nearest to the sun
apehelion
the point in the orbit of an object where its farthest form the sun
