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118 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
On a cloudless day, what happens to most of the visible light headed toward Earth? |
It reaches Earth’s surface, where some is reflected and some is absorbed. |
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On a day with half cloud cover, what happens to the visible light headed toward Earth? |
The clouds reflect some of it back to space, and some still reaches the surface. |
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What happens to the energy that the ground absorbs in the form of visible sunlight? |
It is returned upward in the form of infrared light. |
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The greenhouse effect raises Earth’s surface temperature (from what it would be otherwise) because the infrared light radiated by Earth’s surface __________. |
greenhouse gases and then reemitted in random directions |
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The coolest temperatures in the western half of the United States are associated with which of the following physical features? |
mountains |
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In North America, which of the following vegetation types is most commonly associated with average January temperatures below –25° Fahrenheit? |
tundra |
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Which of the following regions has the largest annual temperature range? |
north-central Asia |
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Which of the following cities would have temperatures most influenced by a cool ocean current? |
Los Angeles |
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Which of the following climate types is dominantly found adjacent to warm ocean currents? |
humid subtropical |
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In areas that receive less than 100 watts per square meter of insolation, what are the average July temperatures? |
less than 0° Celsius |
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The Sun's radiant energy reaches the Earth across space in approximately ________. |
8 minutes |
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Most of the radiation incident upon the Earth falls within the ________ part of the spectrum. |
short wave |
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Which wavelengths are most inefficiently transmitted through the atmosphere? |
long |
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The wavelengths of terrestrial radiation from Earth's surface are concentrated in _____. |
the thermal infrared spectrum |
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The higher latitudes receive much less intense insolation than tropical zones because of ________. |
Sun's angle of incidence |
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Heat transferred laterally in the atmosphere by horizontal wind movements is a process called ________. |
advection |
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________ objects radiate in shorter wavelengths than ________ objects. |
Hot, cold |
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The albedo of the Earth system has been determined to be ________ percent. |
33 |
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In terms of running the Earth's atmospheric processes, the significant energy comes from the Sun and ________. |
no other source |
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The specific heat of water is greater than that of land. This means ________. |
water cools more slowly than does land |
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Adiabatic processes cause cooling by ________. |
decompression |
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Radiation from the Earth is mostly absorbed in the lower troposphere and ________ back towards Earth. |
reradiated |
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For the most part the atmosphere is heated from the ________. |
Earth's surface |
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The atmosphere is heated, for the most part, from ________. |
below |
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Vertical motion in air causes cooling of the lifted air. This phenomenon is governed by the ________ effect. |
Adiabatic |
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The radiation coming from the Sun is most plentiful at 0.5 micrometers. The most plentiful radiation coming from the Earth is at ________ micrometer(s). |
10 |
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Only some shortwave radiation from the Sun reaches Earth’s surface. What is the leading cause of this radiation loss? |
reflection by clouds |
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How much of the Sun’s incoming radiation is scattered or reflected back to space before any heating effect is felt on Earth? |
31% |
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How much of the suns incoming radiation is absorbed by earths surface? |
45% |
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How is energy transferred from Earth’s surface to Earth’s atmosphere? |
Through conduction Through convection Through latent heat in water vaor Through the greenhouse effect |
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What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun decreased and was less than the longwave radiation lost to space? |
Atmospheric temperature would decrease. |
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What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of outgoing longwave radiation decreased so that it was less than incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun? |
Atmospheric temperature would increase. |
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What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of incoming shortwave radiation from the Sun was the same as the longwave radiation lost to space? |
Atmospheric temperature would remain the same. |
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What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of shortwave radiation reflected at Earth’s surface increased significantly? |
Atmospheric temperature would decrease. |
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What would happen to Earth’s atmospheric temperature if the amount of shortwave radiation reflected by clouds decreased significantly? |
Atmospheric temperature would increase. |
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Major surface currents are set in motion by ________. |
winds |
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The normal vertical temperature gradient (average lapse rate) is CLOSEST to how many degrees Celsius per 1,000 meters? |
6.5 |
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In an inversion, which is TRUE? |
The temperature increases with altitude |
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In the Northern Hemisphere, a yearly net surplus of energy is experienced for all latitudes SOUTH of which latitude? |
28 degrees north |
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The basic direction of flow of the Equatorial counter current is ________. |
to the east |
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Given land/water heating contrasts, where would one expect to find the coldest winter temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere? |
in siberia 70 degrees north |
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solar energy is also known as |
insolation |
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Over the long run, all energy the Earth receives from the Sun is returned to space. |
true |
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Flowing air responding to the difference between higher and lower pressure is responding to the ________. |
pressure gradient |
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The pressure of a gas is proportional to its temperature and ________. |
density |
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When air is heated it expands and ________. |
lowers its pressure |
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At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a force closest to ________ kilogram(s) per square centimeter. |
1 |
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The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is ________. |
millibars |
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Which set of forces acts on upper air winds? |
The pressure gradient force and the Coriolis effect |
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Which statement correctly describes differences between the forces acting on winds near the surface and those aloft? |
Higher wind speeds aloft increase the Coriolis effect |
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Which of the following is the force that initially causes the wind to blow? |
pressure gradietn |
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Geostrophic wind always flows ________. |
parallel to the isobars |
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What is a cyclone? |
a center of low atmospheric pressure |
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Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere? |
in a counterclockwise direction |
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Which way does air converge on a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere? |
in a clockwise direction |
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How does air move near the top of a cyclone? |
in the same direction as air in the upper atmosphere |
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Why are cyclones generally associated with clouds and rain? |
Air in cyclones undergoes cooling as it rises. |
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What is an anticylone? |
a center of high atmospheric pressure |
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Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere? |
down, and in a clockwise direction |
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Which way does air move in an anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere? |
down, and in a counterclockwise direction |
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Why are anticyclones not generally associated with clouds and rain? |
Air in anticyclones undergoes warming as the air descends. |
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What are the surface conditions associated with an anticyclone? |
The air is sinking and the pressure is high. |
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A counterclockwise atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is known as a(n) ________. |
cyclone |
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Sinking air that diverges when it reaches Earth's surface is closely associated with ________. |
anticyclones |
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In a surface anticyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral ________. |
counterclockwise and outward |
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In a surface cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, winds spiral ________. |
clockwise and inward |
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In the Northern Hemisphere, air converging in a counter-clockwise direction, is termed a(n) ________. |
cyclone |
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Generally, where are the belts of low atmospheric pressure? |
At the equator, 60° N, and 60° S |
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"Zonal" air flow in the middle latitudes means a(n) ________ flow of air. |
west - east |
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The ________ is/are found in the Equatorial zone. |
intertropical convergence zone |
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Which statement describes the weather in a monsoon area in the Northern Hemisphere? |
December had cold, dry, northerly winds; June, in contrast, had warm, moist, southerly winds. |
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Cold winds pouring downhill because of gravity are called ________. |
katabatic winds |
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The "snow-eater" wind of the Rocky Mountains is called the ________. |
chinook |
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Which situation is often associated with El Niño events? |
The subtropical jet stream directs winter storms into the Southwestern United States and blizzards into in the Midwest. |
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The ________ is the boundary between near-surface and cold, deep ocean waters. |
thermocline |
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The state of water that is the most important yet least obvious in the atmosphere is ________. |
water vapor |
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What must break in order for water to change from solid to liquid to gas? |
hydrogen bonds between water molecules |
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|
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How much heat energy is needed to melt 1 gram of ice? |
80 calories of heat energy |
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Why does temperature NOT initially increase as energy is added after ice begins to melt? |
The added energy is used to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules. |
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What physically breaks hydrogen bonds between water molecules as ice melts? |
movement of water molecules |
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What do we call the energy used to melt ice once the ice becomes water? |
latent heat of water |
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How much heat energy is needed to turn 1 gram of water at 100 degrees Celsius into water vapor? |
540 calories of heat energy |
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What happens to sensible heat energy in water when the water evaporates? |
It becomes latent energy in air when water molecules containing the heat break free from an evaporating surface to become a gas. |
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Water that stays in liquid form at temperatures below freezing is ________. |
supercooled |
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What happens to the rate of evaporation as air approaches saturation? |
The rate of evaporation drops. |
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Evaporation ________. |
is a cooling process |
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Which of the following promotes evaporation? |
warm water |
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Which of the following is NOT a measure of water vapor in the atmosphere? |
potential evapotranspiration |
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Water vapor is visible to the human eye. |
false |
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If the air temperature is 0°C, the water vapor capacity is 10.6 g/kg, and the water vapor in the air is 4.24 g/kg, what is the relative humidity? |
40 percent |
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Air containing all of the water vapor it can hold is ________. |
saturated |
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Usually, the highest relative humidity is ________. |
at dawn |
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The capacity of air to hold water ________. |
increases as temperature increases |
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Relative humidity is "relative" to ________. |
saturation |
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Maximum absolute humidity is governed by ________. |
temperature |
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If the ________ of air changes, the value of the absolute humidity changes even though there is no change in the actual amount of water vapor present. |
volume |
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In order for atmospheric condensation to take place, ________. |
plenty of "surfaces" need to be present in the atmosphere |
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What causes the development of most clouds and precipitation in the atmosphere? |
rising air |
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Under what conditions would a parcel of air rise relative to other air in the atmosphere? |
A parcel of air will rise if it has a lower density than the surrounding air |
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Which factor is most important for determining the density of a parcel of air? |
temperature |
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What will happen if a parcel of air is colder than surrounding air? |
A colder parcel of air will sink in the atmosphere if forced. |
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What will happen to a parcel of air as it rises? |
A rising parcel of air will expand and cool. |
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In general, when will clouds begin to form out of a parcel of air? |
when a rising parcel of air has reached a temperature below its dew point |
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Which process can add heat to a rising body of air? |
condensation |
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The average lapse rate in the troposphere ________. |
is quite variable by time and region |
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Rising air, warmed by the release of latent heat, cools at a rate called ________. |
the saturated adiabatic lapse rate |
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Air that resists vertical movement is said to be ________. |
stable |
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Buoyant air will rise until it ________. |
reaches the temperature of the surrounding air |
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A piece of unsaturated air is forced to rise. The lapse rate in the surrounding air is much less than the rate in change of temperature in the rising air. The rising air is said to be ________. |
unstable |
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When or where is air most likely unstable? |
during the afternoon |
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Which of the following is most closely associated with stable air? |
descent of air |
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With instability, rising air will be buoyant without an uplifting force. |
True |
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In the "Ice Crystal Formation" process, precipitation occurs because ice crystals ________. |
grow at the expense of raindrops |
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When air is forced to rise over a mountain, what is the type of lifting? |
orographic |
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Which is NOT among the main types of atmospheric lifting and precipitation? |
advective |
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A precipitation type extremely characteristic of the lower latitudes is ________. |
convergent lifting |
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Convective uplift often accompanies and enhances frontal and orographic lifting. |
True |