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47 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
The scientific study of the atmosphere
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Meteorology
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The state of the atmosphere at a given time and place. Constantly changing.
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Weather
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An aggregate of weather conditions; the sum of all statistical weather information that helps describe a place or region
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Climate
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6 Basic Elements of Weather and Climate
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1. Air Temp
2. Humidity 3. Type and amount of cloudiness 4. Type and amount of precipitation 5. Air pressure 6. The speed and direction of wind |
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How does the Earth's shape deviate from that of a true sphere?
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Earth's shape is an oblate ellipsoid with a polar diameter of 7900 miles vs 7926mi for the equatorial diameter
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What are the two causes of seasons?
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Changes in the angle at which the sun's rays strike the surface and changes in the length of the daylight at each latitude.
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Four layers of atmosphere (Low to High)
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1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere 3. Mesosphere 4. Thermosphere |
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Air temperature in the troposphere
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Decreases with height (lapsing)
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Air temperature in the stratosphere
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Increases with height (Inversion)
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Air temperature in the mesosphere
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Decreases with height (lapsing)
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Air temperature in the thermosphere
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Increases with height (inversion)
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Why is the stratosphere important?
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It contains the ozone layer where the concentration of ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
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Tropopause separates
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Troposphere and stratosphere
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Stratopause separates
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Stratosphere and mesosphere
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Mesopause separates
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Mesosphere and thermosphere
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Four environmental spheres
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-Atmosphere (gaseous envelope)
-Geosphere (solid Earth) -Hydrosphere (water portion) -Biosphere (life) |
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Sun's radiation range
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.1 - 2.5 micrometers
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Earth's radiation range
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.4-.7 micrometers
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All objects emit radiant energy as long as
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It is over absolute zero (0 Kelvin)
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Temperature scale properly used in thermodynamics and radiation is known as
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Absolute scale, units Kelvin
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Is ultraviolet radiation long or shortwave
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Short
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How does UV radiation compare to visible light
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Shorter
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Fahrenheit scale has an artificial zero because
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It is defined at a mixture of ice, water, and salt
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The aurora borealis takes place in the ionosphere. True/False
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True
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Two most abundant Earth gases
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1. Nitrogen - 78%
2. Oxygen - 20.9% |
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The fraction of radiation that is reflected by an object
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Albedo
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The Earth's albedo
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30%
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Example of high albedo
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Snow
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Example of low albedo
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Pavement
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Percent of radiation absorbed by earth's surface
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50%
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Why is the sky blue
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Gas molecules better reflect violet and blue waves, resulting in the blue appearance
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The rate of temperature decrease with height in the troposphere
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Environmental lapse rate
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The average drop in temperature with increasing height in the troposphere; about 6.5C per Km
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Normal lapse rate
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Four mechanisms of heat transfer
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-Conduction
-Convection -Radiation -Latent heat transfer |
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The transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity. Energy is transferred during collisions among molecules
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Conduction (solids)
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The transfer of heat by the movement of a mass or substance. It can take place only in fluids.
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Convection (liquids)
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The energy absorbed or released during a change of state
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Latent heat
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The wavelike energy emitted by an substance that possesses heat.
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Radiation
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A zone of atmosphere extending from Earth's surface to about 80Km that is uniform in terms of the proportions of its component gases
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Homosphere
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A zone of the atmosphere beyond about 80Km where the gases are arranged into four roughly spherical shells, each with a distinctive compostion; overlaps thermosphere
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Heterosphere
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Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere
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Aerosols
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Three natural aerosol causes
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Volcanic Ash, Ash from forest fires, sea salt
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Three human aerosol causes
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Burning fossil fuels, farming erosion, arson
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Energy needed to cool a building; Every degree over 75degrees F equals 1
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Cooling degree day units
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International agreement, ozone depletion
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Montreal Protocol
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Increasing greenhouse gases
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1. Water vapor
2. CO2 3. Methane 4. Nitrous Oxide 5. Ozone |
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Primary cause of ozone depletion
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Chlorofluorocarbons
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