Weather and climate: heat

Question 1

globally is the earth in energy balance|?

Answer 1

yes almost but climate change impacts it

energy moving between poles and tropics

Question 2

define energy

Answer 2

capacity for doing work

Question 3

what is energy measured in?

Answer 3

joules J

Question 4

define energy flux

Answer 4

rate of transfer of energy
joules per second
Watt W

Question 5

energy flux per unit area =

Answer 5

Watts per square metre Wm-2

Question 6

what is the first law of thermo dynamics?

Answer 6

energy cannot be destroyed nor created

transferred one place to another

transformed one place to another

eg radiation > heat> mechanical

Question 7

name 4 mechanisms for energy transfer?

Answer 7

Radiation

Conduction

Convection

Advection

Question 8

define radiation

Answer 8

emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles

feel the heat on fire

Question 9

conduction definition

Answer 9

molecular impact without transfer of matter

soils rocks

heat travelling up rod in fire

Question 10

convection definition

Answer 10

heat transfer (vertical) in a fluid movement of the substance itself

air water
eg smoke off fire

Question 11

advection definition

Answer 11

heat transfer (horizontal) in a fluid movement of the substance itself

air water

Question 12

why is advection important in climate systeM?

Answer 12

forms orographic cloud
and precipiatation of water from clouds as part of hydrological cycle

it involves moving matter from one place to another taking energy with them

Question 13

define thermodynamics

Answer 13

deals with relations betwenn heat and other forms of energy

Question 14

what is the second rule of thermodynamics?

Answer 14

entropy of an isolated system will increase with time

Question 15

the degradation of energy movement is explained by what?

Answer 15

entropy

Question 16

what does entropy describe?

Answer 16

the spontaneous dispersal of energy
how much or how widely energy is spread out at specific temp

measure of the unavilability of a systems heat energy for conversion into mechanical work

Question 17

what does low entropy mean?

Answer 17

lots of heat to do work

Question 18

what does high entropy mean?

Answer 18

little heat energy to do work

Question 19

when will entropy increase inside a system?

Answer 19

when heat energy flows from hot to cold areas of a system the entropy increases as heat energy is dispersed throughout greater volume and therefore less able to do work

Question 20

what will entropy do when theres an imbalance of energy?

Answer 20

changes this

hot to cold

high pressure to low

Question 21

give an example of entropy

Answer 21

heat added to a gas (heat is internal energy)

kinetic energy increases of gas atoms

temp also increases (measure of internal energy)

Question 22

define specific heat capacity

Answer 22

the amount of energy added to a substance in form of heat to 1 unit of mass and cause an increase of 1 degree temp

Question 23

what does a high specific heat capacity mean?

Answer 23

needs more energy to heat up water

can store more energy

Question 24

what has a greater specific heat capacity out of air, waiter and dry soil?

Answer 24

water

~4.5 times greater

Question 25

name 3 things with low specific heat capacity?

Answer 25

dry air (atmosphere)
paper
gas

Question 26

Name 3 things with high specific heat capacity?

Answer 26

ocean water
ice at 0 degrees
iron

Question 27

water bodies and specific heat capacity

Answer 27

higher than lands so needs more energy

higher transparency - energy distributed over greater volumes (slower response to energy fluxes)

higher ability to redistribute energy through fluid movement

temp change is less than of land even if same energy inputted

Question 28

Land and specific heat capacity?

Answer 28

lower specific heat capacity than ocean

no mixing between layers

opaque surface

Question 29

define continentality

Answer 29

difference in temp of ocean and continent and many factors influence this

Question 30

what is the most important influence on temperature of a place?

Answer 30

angle of suns rays

tilt of earths axis

(as latitude increases so annual range but they have lower annual minimum)

Question 31

what is the unit for atmospheric pressure?

Answer 31

millibar mb

1mb = 100 N m-2

pressure decreases logarithmically with height

Question 32

where is 99.9% of the atmosphere located?

Answer 32

below 50km in stratosphere and troposhere

(~50% of atmosphere is below 5km)

Tropopause height varies

Question 33

the height of the tropopause varies, how come?

Answer 33

polar regions its 9km

equitorial regions its 18km

Question 34

define elevation

Answer 34

point on surface

Question 35

define altitude

Answer 35

airborne objects above surface

Question 36

what happens as altitude increases?

Answer 36

decrease in pressure
decrease density

less mass to absorb energy

lower mean temps
night time cooling greater

more rapid diurnal (Day time) changes in temp

Question 37

describe factors of atmospheric gases?

Answer 37

COMPRESSIBLE

density is highest at surface because of the weight of the air (pressure)

CAN EXPAND

under influence of lighter pressure or higher temps (release of pressure)

Question 38

what happens to temp in tropopause?

Answer 38

decreases with height

Question 39

what happens to temp in stratosphere ?

Answer 39

increases with height (ozone and chemical reactions increase energy in system)