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43 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What's the composition of earth's atmosphere and where did the constituent gases come from?
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Nitrogen, O2, Argon
water vaper, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone |
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How do we divide the atmosphere up into layers based upon average temperature?
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Hottest on top low density(thermosphere), coldest Low D(mesosphere), Ozone( stratosphere), Weather(troposphere)
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What causes seasons?
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..
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How do the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales compare?
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C=based on properties of water
F=not used often 0=32 |
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Why do different substances change temperature at different rates when they're heated or
cooled? |
Depends on the heat compacity
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What are the mechanisms for heat transfer in the atmosphere and where in the atmosphere is
each important? |
Conduction(near the ground[solid]),
Convection(troposphere vertical[liqid]) Radiation(electonic waves stratosophere) |
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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? |
the more it emits the higher the temp
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What are the possible effects of the atmosphere on radiation passing through it?
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Transmission(rad. pass through)
Absorption(absorb some) Reflection |
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Which gases in the atmosphere absorb infrared radiation? Which absorb ultraviolet radiation?
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H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O
O3 |
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How do clouds affect radiation?
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Warming effect
Keep heat in, emit radi. back to surface Cooling effect refect to space |
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What are the 4 climatological controls on temperature?
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Latitude(seasons)
Land and Water(heat capacity) Ocean Currents(heat transport) Elevation(higher is cooler) |
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When is latent heat released or absorbed?
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when water changes phase
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How do we represent the amount of moisture in the atmosphere (relative humidity, vapor
pressure, dew point temperature)? |
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 |
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In what ways does fog form?
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By cooling the air to dew point
by adding water vapor to air(evaporation) |
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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?) |
Full saturation by upward cooling H->L
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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? |
Unstable: hot air rises in cool air
Cumulus Stable: Stratus |
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What are the two processes that allow cloud droplets to grow into raindrops?
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Instablity and lifting
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What atmospheric optical phenomena are produced by water droplets in the air? Where
would you look (relative to the sun) to see them? |
Rainbows
need low angle sun |
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What atmospheric optical phenomena are produced by ice crystals in the air?
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.Sun Pillar (reflection)
during sun set vertical shaft of light |
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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? |
.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) |
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What forces influence the wind near the earth's surface?
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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) |
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What forces influence the wind aloft (more than a kilometer above the earth's surface)?
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Verical Pressure Gradient Force (VPGF, low pressures rise)
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What force balances apply near the surface and aloft?
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Horizontal PGF + Coriolis force= 0 net force(also plus friction)
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How does the wind blow around high and low pressure centers near the ground?
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.L=counter Clockwise
H=clockwise |
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How does the wind blow around high and low pressure centers aloft?
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.
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By what properties are air masses characterized?
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Tempature and Moisture
H pressure areas Temp: Tropical(T) Polar(P) Artic(A) Moisture: Maritime(m) Continental(c) |
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What types of air masses did we talk about?
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cP
(cold/dry/stable) MN cT (hot/dry/stable) mP (cool/moist/unstable) mT (warm/moist/unstable)MN |
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What happens during air mass modification? How can air masses be modified?
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They leave their sources
radiation over days air moves over warm/cold surface/mountains |
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What is a front?
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.boundary between two air masses
Change in temp./due points L pressure areas |
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What types of fronts are there and what are their characteristics?
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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 |
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What is the life cycle of a middle latitude cyclone?
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.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) |
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How does the jet stream relate to the development of cyclones at the surface?
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A jet stream develops under a cyclone
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What type of weather occurs around low pressure areas and fronts?
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rain and thunderstorms
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What is the typical life cycle of a thunderstorm? What features of the storm might coincide
with the updraft and the downdraft? |
.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) |
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What features of the storm might coincide
with the updraft and the downdraft? |
Up draft:
ice crystals, anvil, overshoot top Down draft: rain, gust formation(strong gust of wind) |
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Where do tornadoes form in a severe thunderstorm? What are the main features of a tornado?
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wind shear causes rotation
updraft causes mesocycle rapid rotating winds -------------------------- wall cloud rain free base condensational funnel debris cloud |
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What causes hurricanes to form? What is their energy source?
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L pressures in the tropics
winds circulate easterly waves of wind Energy Sorce: warm see surface and latent heat |
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What is the basic structure of a tropical cyclone?
What is the life cycle of a tropical cyclone? |
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, |
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What are the main threats when a tropical cyclone comes ashore?
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storm surge(flooding), flooding rains, winds, tornados
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How does the basic, general circulation of the atmosphere look? What's the Hadley cell?
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NH clockwise
SH counter-clockwise rising motion at equator |
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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? |
Atmosphere fastest responding to change
Hydrophere slower Cryosphere slowerr Lithosphere slowest |
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Has the earth's climate always been changing?
What are the main external and internal causes of climate change? |
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) |
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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. |
Energy goes to temp and either cools or warms the surface
Ice age(coldest), Holocene max(warmer[ppl]), little ice A(cold conditions), |