Weather and Climate Review May 2024 Unit Test Flashcards
Conduction
heat transfer through direct contact; occurs in solids
Convection
heat transfer due to differences in density; occurs in fluids
Radiation
heat transfer through no medium (substance); it is how we get energy from the sun
Ultraviolet light and Visible light come from…
the sun
Earth radiates energy back into space in the form of…
infrared energy
Greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor) _____ outgoing infrared energy _________ the temperature on Earth
trap
increasing
Electromagnetic spectrum on page 14 of your ESRT
go read it
Best absorbers of heat energy
dark colors & rough surfaces
Best reflectors of heat energy
light colors & smooth surfaces
Specific Heat
Because water has a higher specific heat than land, water will warm and cool more slowly than the land will. Because of this: Locations near the coast will have milder winters and cooler summers than locations farther inland. Large bodies of water eliminate extremes of temperature
_____ _______ either require the addition of heat energy or release energy (334J/g or 2260J/g)
phase changes
During a phase change, ______ energy is being used and there is ___ temperature change
latent (flat line=L)
no
Where there is a temperature change, ______ energy is being used
kinetic (diagonal line=K)
Insolation
INcoming SOLar radiATION
sunlight
The _____ the sun is in the sky, the more ______ the sunlight and higher the temperature
higher
intense
In ______, the sun is highest in the sky in New York
In _______, the sun is lowest in the sky in New York
June
December
Most dense air is cool/dry =
high pressure (anticyclone)
Least dense air is warm/moist =
low pressure (cyclone)
The characteristics of an air mass are determined by the…
region over which it formed
polar/arctic =
cold
tropical =
warm
continental =
dry
maritime =
moist
Winds blow from ____ pressure to _____ pressure
high
low
Wind speed is determined by the _____ _____
pressure gradient
Where the isobars are closest together the gradient is _____ and the winds are the _______.
steepest
fastest
Winds never blow directly from ____ to ______. They curve because of the ______ ______.
high
low
Coriolis effect
Winds blow:
clockwise out of a high, and counterclockwise into a low.
Because of the Coriolis effect wind ____ exist for different _____ of the earth
belts
regions
FIND WIND CHART ON PG. 14
NY is about 40 deg. N and is near location A. Winds here generally blow from the __.
SW
DO WEATHER CATEGORY NUMBER 5 ON THE STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
STATION MODEL SLIDESHOW NOTES ON STUDY GUIDE
Isotherms
connect points of equal temperature are roughly parallel lines.
Isobars
connect points of equal pressure, tend to resemble concentric circles.
If the isobar numbers go down towards the center then this is a _____ _______ system. If the isobar numbers go up towards the center then this is a _____ _______ system.
low pressure
high pressure
Cold fronts are associated with
heavy rain and often violent thunderstorms
Warm fronts are associated with
slow, steady drizzle.
REVIEW WEATHER MAP A & B IN STUDY GUIDE
Which city is experiencing rain?
Which cities have the highest temperature?
Which city just experienced a drop in temperature, and an increase in air pressure?
Which city is likely to experience an increase in temperature and drizzle in the next few hours?
In what direction is this weather system most likely to move?
What is the wind direction in Buffalo?
Rochester - It’s right on a cold front where rain is most likely.
Syracuse & Binghamton - They’re in the middle of the warm air mass.
Buffalo - The cold front just passed. It is now in cold/dry air (cP) which is high pressure air.
New York City - A warm front (slow, steady rain) is about to pass over NYC.
To the EAST or NORTHEAST - Most weather systems at these latitudes follow a storm track. This will carry them towards the east or northeast.(ESRT page 14)
From the NW - Look at the direction of the cold front. The cold front symbols are pointing towards the SE so the winds are blowing from the NW.
Also remember that because this is a Low Pressure System (cyclone). Winds generally blow COUNTERCLOCKWISE and INWARD towards the center of any low pressure center in the northern hemisphere. This whole system is slowly rotating in a counterclockwise direction.
If you are asked “in which city is it raining” you should look for the following:
Find a city on or just behind a cold front or possibly just ahead of a warm front. IF the map includes station models look for:
A city with 100% cloud cover. It is never raining if the cloud cover is less than 100%
A city where the air temperature and the dew point temperature are very close together. This indicates high relative humidity and a good chance of rain.
To form clouds, air
Rises - expands - cools - condenses
When the air _____ _____ _____, the water vapor condenses into droplets of liquid water.
reaches the dewpoint
_____ ______ MUST condense onto small particles of dust or pollen or smoke in the air. Such particles are called _______ _______. If these are not present, then _______ may not occur even if the RH is _____.
Water vapor
condensation nuclei
condensation
100%
At first these water droplets are so small they remain suspended in the air. These are ______.
clouds
As droplets merge and grow heavier they may begin to ____. This is ____.
fall
rain
Hail
If there are very strong updrafts (usually associated with strong summer thunderstorms) then the frozen raindrops may be blown upwards where they get wet and re-freeze as they fall again. Each time this happens the hail ‘stones’ grow bigger and bigger. Hail may reach the size of baseballs!
Climate
The average weather conditions (temperature and moisture) for a large region over a long period of time.
Factors affecting climate include:
Latitude
Altitude
Mountain ranges
Oceans/Large Bodies of Water
Ocean Currents
Latitude affecting climate
The higher your latitude, the colder your climate.
Altitude affecting climate
The higher your altitude, the colder your climate.
Mountain ranges affecting climate
On the windward side of a mountain, your climate will be wet, on the leeward side of a mountain, your climate will be dry. Orographic lifting (adiabatic temperature change) occurs when air is forced up by mountains, causing cooling, condensation, and precipitation on the windward side and warming and evaporation on the leeward side.
Oceans/Large Bodies of Water affecting climate
The closer you are to water, the less extreme your climate (warmer winters and cooler summers).
Ocean Currents affecting climate
Locations near warm water currents will have warmer climates, locations near cold water currents will have colder climates (ESRT p.4).
