Atmosphere - Rotation Dynamics

Question 1

What is distribution of climate a function of?

Answer 1

Earth shape, eccentricity, solar constant and rotation.

Question 2

What does Earth tilt result in?

Answer 2

Seasonl-monthly change

Question 3

What are the three keplar laws?

Answer 3

Orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the sun at one focus
Orbital radius of a planet sweeps at equal areas of the ellipse
Ratio of the square of a planets period to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit is constant for all planets

Question 4

Semi-major axis

Answer 4

This, alongside the minor axis, is the major axis of an ellipse.

Question 5

What do three laws depend on respectively?

Answer 5

Conservation of energy
Conservation of angular momentum
Gravity/Centrifugal force

Question 6

Gravitational Constan

Answer 6

This is the force of attraction between two unit masses seperated by a distance

Question 7

What are the two points of an ellipse?

Answer 7

Perihelion
Aphelion

Question 8

Perihelion

Answer 8

The closest approach to the sun

Question 9

Aphelion

Answer 9

The point further from the sun

Question 10

What does hadley cell transport?

Answer 10

Eastern angular momentum to mid latitudes

Question 11

What leads to development of subtropical jet stream?

Answer 11

Hadley subsidence

Question 12

Subtropical jet stream

Answer 12

A belt of strong upper-level winds lying above regions of subtropical high pressure

Question 13

Why do jet streams form?

Answer 13

From cold air masses meeting warm air masses

Question 14

Jet Stream

Answer 14

A powerful current encricling the globe in NH and SH 10-15km above surface

Question 15

What doe jet streams do?

Answer 15

Create areas of low and high pressure, moving these systems from west to east.

Question 16

What is direction of jet stream driven by?

Answer 16

Coriolis force and temperature differences

Question 17

Rossby Waves

Answer 17

Meandering fluids in troughs and ridges, perturbing straight flow.

Question 18

Baroclinity

Answer 18

A stratification of a fluid where surfaces of constant pressure intersect surfaces of constant density.

Question 19

How do jet streams and rossby waves differ?

Answer 19

Jet streams are the paths of flow, rossby waves are the undulations.

Question 20

Storm Tracks

Answer 20

A course followed by cyclones or storm systems as they move across land or sea.

Question 21

Eddies

Answer 21

Wind currents around high and low pressure disturbances

Question 22

How do eddies influence jet streams?

Answer 22

Distribution of temperature and kinetic energy, propelling westerly et streams

Question 23

What causes lon-linearity of the jet stream?

Answer 23

Surface assymetries and large-scale instability.

Question 24

How do polar jet streams form?

Answer 24

Undercutting warm, rising sub tropic air by denser, colder polar air masses.

Question 25

Why do jet streams form in a quasi-geostrophic manner?

Answer 25

No friction, the north-south pressure gradient deflected by coriolis.

Question 26

Cyclones and Anticyclones

Answer 26

High pressure systems and Low pressure systems

Question 27

Vorticity

Answer 27

A pseudovector field describing local spinning continuum near some point.

Question 28

What causes Rossby waves?

Answer 28

Conservation of vorticity

Question 29

What causes voriticty?

Answer 29

Earth rotation and air mass rotation relative to the earth surface

Question 30

How are anticyclones formed?

Answer 30

Polweard increase in voricitcy, closer to earths axis, thus increase in vorticity to compensate, spinning opposite direction of Earht.

Question 31

What causes baroclinic instability?

Answer 31

Meridonal temperature gradients, colder denser air sitting alongside warmer, lighter air

Question 32

What is turbulence caused by?

Answer 32

Excess kinetic energy in parts of a fluid flow, which overcome the damping effect of the fluid visocity

Question 33

Where do rossby waves grow?

Answer 33

Vorticity gradients