Ahs Final

Front 1

What's the composition of earth's atmosphere and where did the constituent gases come from?

Back 1

Nitrogen, O2, Argon
water vaper, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone

Front 2

How do we divide the atmosphere up into layers based upon average temperature?

Back 2

Hottest on top low density(thermosphere), coldest Low D(mesosphere), Ozone( stratosphere), Weather(troposphere)

Front 3

What causes seasons?

Back 3

..

Front 4

How do the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales compare?

Back 4

C=based on properties of water
F=not used often
0=32

Front 5

Why do different substances change temperature at different rates when they're heated or
cooled?

Back 5

Depends on the heat compacity

Front 6

What are the mechanisms for heat transfer in the atmosphere and where in the atmosphere is
each important?

Back 6

Conduction(near the ground[solid]),
Convection(troposphere vertical[liqid])
Radiation(electonic waves stratosophere)

Front 7

How does the amount and wavelength of radiation emitted by an object (like a cloud or the
ground or the sun) depend upon the objects temperature?

Back 7

the more it emits the higher the temp

Front 8

What are the possible effects of the atmosphere on radiation passing through it?

Back 8

Transmission(rad. pass through)
Absorption(absorb some)
Reflection

Front 9

Which gases in the atmosphere absorb infrared radiation? Which absorb ultraviolet radiation?

Back 9

H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O

O3

Front 10

How do clouds affect radiation?

Back 10

Warming effect
Keep heat in, emit radi. back to surface
Cooling effect
refect to space

Front 11

What are the 4 climatological controls on temperature?

Back 11

Latitude(seasons)
Land and Water(heat capacity)
Ocean Currents(heat transport)
Elevation(higher is cooler)

Front 12

When is latent heat released or absorbed?

Back 12

when water changes phase

Front 13

How do we represent the amount of moisture in the atmosphere (relative humidity, vapor
pressure, dew point temperature)?

Back 13

Vapor pressure(pressure in gas=>water)
Relative humidity(content and capacity)
Dew point temp(air must be cooled for saturation
*doesn't change w/ temp

Front 14

In what ways does fog form?

Back 14

By cooling the air to dew point
by adding water vapor to air(evaporation)

Front 15

What are clouds made of?
How do clouds form? (i.e., what happens to the temperature of the air and the relative
humidity of the air as it rises?)

Back 15

Full saturation by upward cooling H->L

Front 16

What does it mean to say that the atmosphere is unstable?
What type of clouds form in unstable air?
What type of clouds form in stable air?

Back 16

Unstable: hot air rises in cool air
Cumulus
Stable:
Stratus

Front 17

What are the two processes that allow cloud droplets to grow into raindrops?

Back 17

Instablity and lifting

Front 18

What atmospheric optical phenomena are produced by water droplets in the air? Where
would you look (relative to the sun) to see them?

Back 18

Rainbows
need low angle sun

Front 19

What atmospheric optical phenomena are produced by ice crystals in the air?

Back 19

.Sun Pillar (reflection)
during sun set
vertical shaft of light

Front 20

What physical processes lead to the formation of atmospheric optical phenomena? (What are
refraction, reflection and diffraction?)
Which phenomena are produced by each of these physical phenomena?

Back 20

.Refraction:
Rainbows and double(caused by rain drops)
Sun dogs(two suns on each side[flate plates])
Halos(ring colums around sun[seen at 12])
Reflection:
Sun pillars(vertical shaft of light, falling ice crystals)
Mirage(hot air reflected off surface)
Diffraction:
Corona(gap in the clouds, small hole spreads light)

Front 21

What forces influence the wind near the earth's surface?

Back 21

Gravity
friction (buildings, trees)
Pressure Gradient Force(PGF, pressure change over a cirtain distance)
Coriolis Foce(=>N.H. S.H<=, doesn't affect wind speed)

Front 22

What forces influence the wind aloft (more than a kilometer above the earth's surface)?

Back 22

Verical Pressure Gradient Force (VPGF, low pressures rise)

Front 23

What force balances apply near the surface and aloft?

Back 23

Horizontal PGF + Coriolis force= 0 net force(also plus friction)

Front 24

How does the wind blow around high and low pressure centers near the ground?

Back 24

.L=counter Clockwise
H=clockwise

Front 25

How does the wind blow around high and low pressure centers aloft?

Back 25

.

Front 26

By what properties are air masses characterized?

Back 26

Tempature and Moisture
H pressure areas
Temp: Tropical(T) Polar(P) Artic(A)
Moisture: Maritime(m) Continental(c)

Front 27

What types of air masses did we talk about?

Back 27

cP
(cold/dry/stable) MN
cT
(hot/dry/stable)
mP
(cool/moist/unstable)
mT
(warm/moist/unstable)MN

Front 28

What happens during air mass modification? How can air masses be modified?

Back 28

They leave their sources

radiation over days
air moves over warm/cold surface/mountains

Front 29

What is a front?

Back 29

.boundary between two air masses
Change in temp./due points
L pressure areas

Front 30

What types of fronts are there and what are their characteristics?

Back 30

Cold Front:
replaces warm(underneath)
S=>SW winds
Warm Front:
replaces cold(over with developing clouds)
Stationary Fronts:
Alternate and don't move
Occluded Fronts:
3 air masses
warm air is shut out by cold air as it rises

Front 31

What is the life cycle of a middle latitude cyclone?

Back 31

.Develope:
Predevelopment stage(stationary front,winds on opposite sides)
Frontal wave(wave,developes around L)
Open wave(pressure lower,higher winds,more rain)
Mature:
Occluded(CF catches WF,winds max,end of heavy rain)
Decay:
Dissipation(winds lower, rain lower, re-polar front)

Front 32

How does the jet stream relate to the development of cyclones at the surface?

Back 32

A jet stream develops under a cyclone

Front 33

What type of weather occurs around low pressure areas and fronts?

Back 33

rain and thunderstorms

Front 34

What is the typical life cycle of a thunderstorm? What features of the storm might coincide
with the updraft and the downdraft?

Back 34

.Need:Moisture(due points)Insability(warm surface air)lifting(fronts)
Cumulus stage(up draft, no rain)
Mature stage(up drapft and down draft, heavy rain/wind)
Dissipating stage(week downdraft, light rain)

Front 35

What features of the storm might coincide
with the updraft and the downdraft?

Back 35

Up draft:
ice crystals, anvil, overshoot top
Down draft:
rain, gust formation(strong gust of wind)

Front 36

Where do tornadoes form in a severe thunderstorm? What are the main features of a tornado?

Back 36

wind shear causes rotation
updraft causes mesocycle
rapid rotating winds
--------------------------
wall cloud
rain free base
condensational funnel
debris cloud

Front 37

What causes hurricanes to form? What is their energy source?

Back 37

L pressures in the tropics
winds circulate
easterly waves of wind
Energy Sorce: warm see surface and latent heat

Front 38

What is the basic structure of a tropical cyclone?
What is the life cycle of a tropical cyclone?

Back 38

eye(clean center), eye wall(strongest Tstorm, high winds), spiral rain bands(throw out Tstorms)

Tropical disturbance->tropical depression(waves and winds from east)-> Tropical storm(get's named)->hurricane(high winds)
THEN Cold sea water, moves over land and weekends,

Front 39

What are the main threats when a tropical cyclone comes ashore?

Back 39

storm surge(flooding), flooding rains, winds, tornados

Front 40

How does the basic, general circulation of the atmosphere look? What's the Hadley cell?

Back 40

NH clockwise
SH counter-clockwise

rising motion at equator

Front 41

What are the components of earth's climate system?
What is the role of the atmosphere in the climate?
What is the role of the ocean in the climate? How does the circulation of the ocean look?

Back 41

Atmosphere fastest responding to change
Hydrophere slower
Cryosphere slowerr
Lithosphere slowest

Front 42

Has the earth's climate always been changing?
What are the main external and internal causes of climate change?

Back 42

yes
External:
Solar variations: brighter sun=warmer
Change in earth orbit: effect seasons
Volcanos: Dust in stratosphere=cooling
Continental Drift
_____
Internal:
Feedback: +(amplify) and -(opposite)

Front 43

How do feedbacks work to change the climate?
How has the climate changed in more recent times: the Ice Ages, Holocene Maximum, Little
Ice Age, etc.

Back 43

Energy goes to temp and either cools or warms the surface
Ice age(coldest), Holocene max(warmer[ppl]), little ice A(cold conditions),