Weather How It Impacts Our Lives Flashcards
What is the atmosphere
A thin layer of gases that surrounds the earth
What is the atmosphere made up of
78 percent nitrogen 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent random gases
What does the atmosphere do
It insulates the earth from extreme temperatures
How thick is the earth’s atmosphere
480km thick
Troposphere
The bottom layer of the atmosphere
Weather and clouds r found
Temp generally decreases as the altitude increases
Stratosphere
2nd layer
Extends from 17km to 50km
Ozone layer is located here
Solar energy
Energy from the sun
Earth’s main source of heat
Energy that travels form the sun through space is solar radation
Latitude
The angular distance north or south of the equater
Near the equator (lower latitude)
Sun’s rays heat a small area
Sun’s rays travel through less atmosphere so don’t loose much heat
Away from the equator (higher latitude)
Sun’s rays r more spread out
Colder
Wind
The movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
Trade winds
Air movements towards the equator
Warm, steady breezes that blow almost continuously
The doldrum
Areas near the equator where is little to no wind
The prevailing westerlies
Prevailing winds form the west to the east in the middle latitudes between 30° and 60°
The horse latitudes
Found at 30° North and South of the equator. Weak and encourage clear skies
The polar easterlies
Dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the east.
Where are the polar easterlies found
Between 60° and 90° North and South latitude that blow from the poles and are deflected towards the east
Warm currents
Currents flowing from the equator
Raise the temp of the water to which they flow
Help to keep harbours in higher latitude free from ice
Cold currents
Flow from areas in high latitudes towards the equator
Lower the temp of the water to which they flow. increase the possibility of ice in higher latitude harbours
Air masses
Large moving pockets of air that have similar temperature, pressure and moisture throughout
Size of air masses
Large, stretching 1,500 km across the landscape
Warm air masses
Carry warm moisture or water vapor than cold air masses
Polar maritime
Air masses from the north-west Atlantic that bring cold, wet air and showery conditions
Arctic
Air masses from the North Pole bring cold weather conditions