Winds and Water in the Atmosphere Flashcards
What are winds caused by?
Winds are caused by differences in air pressure.
Wind
the horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure
What is wind direction determined with?
Wind direction is determined with a wind vane.
Anemometer
a instrument that measures wind speed
What does the wind do when it blows over your skin?
It removes some of your body heat.
Wind-Chill Factor
the increased cooling a wind can cause
Local Winds
winds that blow over short distances
What are local winds caused by?
Local winds are caused by the unequal heating of Earth’s surface within a small area.
What takes more energy to heat up: a body of water, or an equal area of land?
It takes more energy to heat up a body of water than it does to warm up and equal area of land.
Sea Breeze
a local wind that blows from an ocean or lake, towards land
At night, which cools quicker: a body of water or land?
At night, land cools more quickly than water, so the air over the land becomes cooler than the air over the water.
Land Breeze
a local wind that blows from land, towards a body of water
Global Winds
winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances
What are global winds created by?
Global winds are created by the unequal heating of Earth’s surface and differences in temperature
Coriolis Effect
the way Earth’s rotation makes winds curve
Which was do global winds turn towards in the Northern Hemisphere?
Global winds turn towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere.
Which was do global winds turn towards in the Southern Hemisphere?
Global winds turn towards the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
What are the major global wind belts?
The major global wind belts are the trade winds, the polar easterlies, and the prevailing westerlies.
Doldrums
regions near the equator with little to no winds, where warm air rises
Horse Latitudes
between the equator or 30° north or south latitude, calm areas of falling air
Trade Winds
between the equator or 30° north or south latitude, blow from the horse latitudes towards the equator
Prevailing Westerlies
between 30° north and 60° north latitudes or 30° south and 60° south latitudes, blow away from the horse latitudes towards the equator
Polar Easterlies
blow cold air away from the north and south poles
Jet Streams
bands of high speed winds about 10 kilometers above Earth’s surface
Water Cycle
the movement of water between the atmosphere and Earth’s surface
Evaporation
the process by which water molecules from liquid water escape into the air as water vapor
Transpiration
the process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves
Condensation
the process when water vapor molecules in the air become liquid water
Precipitation
water that returns to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
Humidity
a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
Relative Humidity
the percentage of water vapor that is actually in the air compared to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at a particular temperature
Psychrometer
an instrument with one wet and one dry bulb thermometer that measures relative humidity
How do clouds form?
Clouds form when water vapor in the air condenses to form liquid water or ice crystals.
What conditions are required for condensation?
The conditions required for condensation are the cooling of air and the presence of particles in the air.
Dew Point
the temperature at which condensation begins
In cloud formation, what types of particles can water vapor condense on?
Water vapor can condense on salt crystals, dust from soil, and smoke.
Dew
liquid water that condenses from the air onto a cooler surface
Frost
ice that has been deposited on a surface below freezing
Sublimation
the process by which water vapor changes directly into a solid, or a solid changes directly into water vapor
What are the main types of clouds?
The main types of clouds are cirrus, cumulus, and stratus.
Cirrus Clouds
WISPY, FEATHERY CLOUDS.
The highest clouds. Made of ice crystals because they are so high in the sky.
Cirrocumulus Clouds
Puffy clouds that look like cotton balls and are made of ice crystals. Often indicate a storm on its way. The clouds look like scales on a fish.
Cumulus Clouds
FLUFFY, HAPPY LOOKING, ROUNDED CLOUDS.
Kinda low and close to the ground, but can extend greatly upward. Clouds that are not very tall indicate good weather.
Cumulonimbus Clouds
Towering clouds with flat tops. Produce thunderstorms. Called anvil heads.
Stratus Clouds
FLAT CLOUDS THAT ARE LIKE LAYERS.
Appear as a general overcast over the sky because they are so spread out.
Nimbostratus Clouds
Clouds that produce drizzle, rain, or snow.
Altostratus Clouds
Wispy clouds at middle elevations
Altocumulus Clouds
Thick, puffy clouds at middle elevations
Fog
Clouds that form near the ground
Stratocumulus Clouds
Layered, puffy clouds found at low elevations
Cirrostratus Clouds
Wispy, thin sheets of clouds at high elevations
Is the water cycle balanced?
Yes the water cycle is a balanced cycle. The amount of water that leaves the air equals the amount of water that enters it.
Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion
C x 9 … Divide by 5 … Add 32
Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion
F - 32 … Multiply by 5 … Divide by 9
Freezing Points for Fahrenheit and Celsius
32°F and 0°C
Boiling Points for Fahrenheit and Celsius
212°F and 100°C
Size of cloud droplet
0.02 mm
Size of mist droplet
0.005 - 0.05 mm
Size of drizzle droplet
0.05 - 0.5 mm
Size of rain droplet
0.5 - 5 mm
What has to happen for precipitation to occur?
For precipitation to occur, cloud droplets or ice crystals must grow heavy enough to fall through the air
Do all clouds produce precipitation?
No, all clouds do not produce precipitation.
Rain
the most common kind of precipitation, water droplets at least 0.5 mm in size
SLeet
raindrops that freeze in the air, smaller than 5 mm in size
Freezing Rain
raindrops that freeze when they touch a cold surface, very dangerous, can break tree branches
SNow
water vapor in a cloud directly converted to ice crystals
Hail
an ice pellet that are larger than 5 mm in diameter, only forms inside cumulonimbus clouds, form in a curved up and down motion that allows them to grow larger
What types of clouds do drizzle and mist fall out of?
Drizzle and mist fall out of stratus clouds.
Droughts
long periods of unusually low precipitation
Cloud Seeding
spraying tiny ice crystals of silver iodine an dry ice so water vapor can condense on the crystals and produce rain
About 10 centimeters of snow contains the same amount of water as how many centimeters of rain?
About 10 centimeters of snow contains the same amount of water as 1 centimeter of rain.
Rain Gauge
an open-ended can or tube that collects rainfall
