Weather and Climate Set 1 Flashcards
Atmosphere
The mixture of gases surrounding the earth
Mesophere
The layer of atmosphere above the stratosphere to an altitude of about 80km above the surface of the earth
Stratosphere
The layer of atmosphere above the troposphere in which temperature does not decrease with increasing altitude
Thermosphere
The outermost layer of the earth’s atmosphere where the temperature falls with increasing altitude
Tropopause
The boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere
Troposphere
The layer of atmosphere extending approximately 8-17km upwards from the earths surface in which temperature decreases with increasing height
Altitude
Height of land above sea level
General Atmospheric Circulation
The pattern of wind and pressure belts within the atmosphere. The circulation is complex but certain movements occur regularly enough for us to recognise patterns of air pressure, distribution and winds
Jet stream
A narrow belt of fast moving air near the top of the troposphere
Latitude
The angular distance a place lies, either north or south from the equator
Lapse rate
The rate at which temperature changes with altitude
Rossby Waves
A series of large waves that occur in the westerlies in the mid latitudes in both hemispheres
Anticyclone
A high pressure weather system with diverging air near the ground. Winds in the northern hemisphere flow clockwise in the system and the weather is dry
Climate
The average weather over an area usually taken from records of the last 30 years. It describes seasonal pattern of temperature and precipitation
Cool Temperate Western Maritime (CTWM) system
The seasonal pattern of weather experienced in the mid latitudes on the western side of continental land masses
Depression
A low intensity cyclone or low pressure system frequently experienced in the CTWM climate. This is associated rising air, wind and precipitation . In the northern hemisphere winds blow in an anticlockwise direction towards the centre of low pressure
Weather
Day-to-day state of atmosphere
Climatic Hazard
A natural event brought about by weather or climate that threatens life and property
Convection
When the lower air in the atmosphere is heated by the ground it expands and rises. This leads to instability withi the atmosphere and the formation of cumulonimbus clouds
Monsoon
The seasonal reversal of pressure and wind direction, commonly associated with heavy precipitation, experienced when winds blow in from the ocean in southeast Asia during May-October
Tropical Revolving Storm
It covers hurricanes, tropical cyclones and typhoons. These intense low-pressure systems are associated with rainfall and wind speeds
Albedo
The reflectivity of a surface. It is the ratio between incoming insolation and the amount of energy reflected back into the atmosphere. Light surfaces= high albedo
Microclimate
The small scale variations in temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed and evaporation that occur in an environment
Photochemical Smog
A form of air pollution that mainly occurs in citie and can be dangerous to health. Exhaust fumes are trapped by temperature inversions, and in the presence of sunlight, ozone forms. It is associated with high pressure systems
Temperature Inversion
Atmospheric condition in which temperature increases with height. Inversions are extremely stable conditions and do not allow convection, trapping pollution in the lower layer of the atmosphere
Urban Heat Island
The zone around and above an urban area which has higher temperatures than the surrounding rural areas
Climatic Change
Evidence shows that change has always been a part of Earth’s climate.
Global Warming
The recent gradual warming of the Earth’s atmosphere largely as a result of human activity
