Weather and Climate

Question 1

Three Mechanisms of Heat Transfer

Answer 1

• Convection
• Conduction
• Radiation

Question 2

4 States of Matter

Answer 2

• solid
• liquid
• gas(vapor)
• plasma

Question 3

Latent Heat

Answer 3

is the energy released or absorbed by a substance(or a thermodynamic substance) during a phase change that occurs at constant temperature

Question 4

Discuss Latent Heat

Answer 4

• is of major meteorological processes. it is responsible for providing new energy to major storms and stretch their lifetime
• its a sort of energy reservoir

Question 5

Weather vs. Climate

time/length

Answer 5

• weather is short term

- climate is long term average weather

Question 6

Major components of dry air

Answer 6

nitrogen- 78.08%
oxygen-20.95%
Argon-0.93%
Carbon Dioxide-0.036%

Question 7

Minor Components

Answer 7

• water vapor
• ozone
• aerosol
• carbon dioxide
• methane

Question 8

Aerosols

Answer 8

• condensation of precipitation

- screen incoming radiation

Question 9

Ultra Violet

Answer 9

• screening effect of zone

- UV effects on life

Question 10

Troposphere

Answer 10

(0-16km)

• T increases with elevation 20 C to -60 C
• Heated by Earth’s surface(greenhouse effect)

Question 11

Stratosphere

Answer 11

(16-50 km)

• T increases with elevation
• ozone absorbs UV radiation

Question 12

Mesosphere

Answer 12

(50-80km)

-T decreases with elevation

Question 13

Thermosphere

Answer 13

(80-500 km)

-T increases due to absorption of radiation and solar wind

Question 14

Solar Insolation

Answer 14

• energy that reaches Earth’s surface
• less than that coming from Sun
• Radiation is electromagnetic
• Reflected by clouds, absorbed by
• Scattering causes blue sky

Question 15

Albedo

Answer 15

• surfaces reflecting solar energy

- high albedo reflects more solar energy

Question 16

How does latitude affect solar radiation?

Answer 16

it affects the amount that reaches the surface