Weather and Climate: Ch. 2 Flashcards
1
Q
annual orbit around sun
A
Revolution
2
Q
How many days is Earth’s revolution?
A
365.25 days
3
Q
orbit slightly ________
A
elliptical
4
Q
What is it called when Earth is closest to the sun?
A
Perihelion
5
Q
How far is the Earth from the sun in a Perihelion?
A
91 million miles
6
Q
When is Perihelion?
A
On or about January 3rd
7
Q
What is it called when Earth is farthest from sun?
A
Aphelion
8
Q
How far is the Earth from the sun in a Aphelion?
A
94 million miles
9
Q
When is Aphelion?
A
On or about July 4th
10
Q
What is the average distance from the Earth to the sun?
A
93 million miles
11
Q
spinning of Earth on its axis
A
Rotation
12
Q
Rotation accounts for ____ and _____
A
day and night
13
Q
______ regulated by amount of solar energy received at earth’s surface
A
Seasons
14
Q
angle that sun strikes surface
A
Sun altitude
15
Q
What causes the seasons?
A
- Sun altitude
- # of daylight hours at a latitude
16
Q
Sun is directly _______
A
overhead
17
Q
Solar attitude is max at ___
A
90° (vertical)
18
Q
Solar rays (isolation) are most _________
A
concentrated
19
Q
Tilt of Earth’s spin axis is ___
A
23.5°
20
Q
Earth’s spin axis always remains in same orientation relative to stars during its revolution
A
Parallelism
21
Q
90° solar altitude shifts from:
A
Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N) to Equator to Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S)
22
Q
When does the Summer Solstice occur?
A
Occurs June 21 or 22
23
Q
Where is the sun during the Summer Solstice?
A
Sun directly (90°) above Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N)
24
Q
During the Summer Solstice, Northern Hemisphere days greater than ___ hours
A
12
25
Summer solstice is the _______ day length of year
longest
26
When does the Autumnal (fall) Equinox occur?
Occurs September 22 or 23
27
Characteristics of the Autumnal Equinox
- Sun directly (90°) above Equator (0°)
- All locations have a 12 hour day (equal)
28
When does the Winter Solstice occur?
Occurs December 21 or 22
29
Characteristics of the Winter Solstice
- Sun directly (90°) above Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)
- Northern Hemisphere days less than 12 hours
- Shortest day length of year
30
When does the Vernal (spring) Equinox occur?
Occurs on March 20
31
Characteristics of the Vernal Equinox
- Sun directly (90°) above Equator (0°)
- All locations have a 12 hour day
32
Season in the Southern Hemisphere is ________ of the Northern Hempisphere
opposite
33
Southern Hemisphere is ______ to sun in summer but not significant difference from NH
closer
34
Great amount of water absorbing heat in the _______ hemisphere
southern
35
Capacity to do work on some form of matter
Energy (NRG)
36
What are the 2 forms of energy?
- Kinetic Energy
- Potential Energy
37
Characteristics of Kinetic Energy
- Energy of motion
- Faster something moves = greater kinetic energy
38
Potential to do work
Potential Energy
39
Measure of average kinetic energy of molecules in a substance
Temperature
40
Energy transferred from one object to another (temperature difference between two objects)
Heat
41
Heat is transferred from a ______ object to a _______ object
hotter; colder
42
Heat we can feel and measure with a thermometer
Sensible heat
43
Heat released or absorbed when water changes phases (phase change of water)
Latent Heat
44
Characteristics of Latent Heat
- Evaporation
- Energy carried to other locations
- Condensation
45
Evaporation = _______ process = ________ heat from environment
cooling; removes
46
Condensation = _________ process = heat ________ to environment
warming; returned
47
What are the 4 forms of Heat Transfer?
- Latent Heat
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
48
Transfer of heat from molecule to molecule within a substance
Conduction
49
Characteristics of Conduction
- Direct physical contact
- Warmer object to colder object
- Metals are good conductors of heat
- Air (gases) is a poor conductor of heat
- Least significant means of heat transfer in atmosphere
50
Air is a good ________
insulator
51
Transfer of heat that involves circulation in fluids (water or air)
Convection
52
Warm air expands and rises then cools and sinks
Convection circulation
53
Convection circulation produces a ________
Thermal
54
Rising warm air bubbles that carries heat energy
Thermal
55
Solar energy we receive from sun
Radiation (Electromagnetic)
56
What is the most important form of energy in terms of heat transfer?
Radiation
57
Why is radiation the most important form of energy in terms of heat transfer?
drives weather and climate
58
Radiation travels in the form of _______ of ___________ energy
waves of electromagnetic
59
Waves travel in wavelengths:
Distance between successive wave crests
60
Short waves = ______ energetic
more
61
Radiation perceptible by human eye
Visible region (visible light)
62
What wavelengths are in the visible region?
Wavelengths from about 0.40 micrometer (violet) to about 0.70 micrometer (red)
63
Not visible, feel heat it generates
Infrared Radiation (IR)
64
What of infrared radiation by certain atmospheric gases is responsible for warming of lower atmoshpere?
Absorption and emission
65
What are the 4 laws of Radiation?
1. All objects continually emit radiant energy
2. Hotter objects radiate more energy than colder objects
3. Hotter objects radiate energy in form of shorter wavelengths
4. Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are also good emitters
66
Shortwave radiation =
solar radiation from sun
67
Longwave radiation (IR) =
radiation emitted by Earth
68
Any object that's a perfect absorber and perfect emitter
Blackbody
69
What is a perfect blackbody?
Earth
70
Selectively absorb and emit radiation
Selective absorber
71
What is an example of a selective absorber?
Atmospheric gases
72
Solar energy received at top of atmosphere is nearly constant
The Solar Constant
73
Interactions take place when solar radiation enters atmosphere:
- Transmission
- Absorption
- Reflection
- Scattering
74
Energy passes thru atmosphere without interacting with gases or other particles
Transmission
75
During transmission, about ______ of incoming shortwaves (solar) energy that reaches Earth's surface
half
76
Radiation striking surface is converted to heat energy
Absorption
77
lower atmosphere is heated by _________
surface
78
Characteristics of Reflection
- Light bounces back from an object at about same intensity it was received
- Solar radiation is reflected without being converted to heat
79
% of radiation reflected by an object
Albedo
80
Characteristics of High Albedo
- Reflect a larger (more) % of solar radiation
- light in color
- cooler temps
- snow = 75-95%
81
Characteristics of Low Albedo
- Reflect a smaller % of solar radiation (absorb more)
- dark in color
- warmer temps
- forest: 10-35%
82
What is Earth's total albedo (planetary albedo)?
30%
83
Radiation bounces off an object in many directions (diffused light)
Scattering
84
Scattering involves ...
molecules and aerosols
85
Atmosphere is nearly _______ to incoming shortwave radiation
transparent
86
Atmosphere is relatively _______ to outgoing longwave radiation
opaque
87
What are the primary absorbers of outgoing IR?
Water vapor and carbon dioxide (gases)
88
Greenhouse gases are
selective absorbers
89
What is the most significant selective absorber
Water Vapor
90
Allows longwave radiation from Earth's surface to pass directly to space without being absorbed
Atmospheric Window
91
Clouds (tiny liquid droplets) are excellent absorbers of ______ in atmospheric window
energy
92
Clouds absorb outgoing ________ radiation and radiate much of _______ back to Earth
longwave; energy
93
Natural phenomenon that warms surface and lower atmosphere
Greenhouse Effect
94
What is most important in the Greenhouse Effect?
CO2 and H2O vapor
95
Extreme heat inside a car: temps can exceed _____ rapidly
140℉
96
Earth and atmosphere together maintain an annual energy balance
Annual Energy Balance
97
Balance is ___ maintained at each latitude
not
98
Equater = ________
warming
99
Polar latitudes = ________
colder
100
Winds (3/4) and ocean currents (1/4) balance:
- Warm air and water toward poles
- Cold air and water toward equator
101
What drives Earth's weather system
Transfer of surplus heat between tropics and poles
102
What are the 3 segments UV radiation is divided into?
1. UVA (aging)
2. UVB (burning)
3. UVC
103
Characteristics of UVA (aging)
- weakest
- accelerate natural aging of skin
104
Characteristics of UVB (burning)
- sufficiently intense to damage cells
- cause sunburn, skin cancer, and other health issues
105
Characteristics of UVC
- most energetic
- readily kill exposed cells
