2: Fundamentals of Meteorology

Question 1

Frame of reference

Answer 1

Whether or not you are moving depends on your point of view

Question 2

Earth’s rotation

1) Which way
2) When looking from North pole
3) When looking from South pole

Answer 2

1) West to east
2) Anti-clockwise
3) Clockwise

Question 3

Earth's rotation
1) Which way
Apparent rotation of
2) Northern hemisphere
3) Southern hemisphere

Answer 3

1) West to east
2) Anti-clockwise
3) Clockwise

Question 4

Celestial Sphere

Answer 4

Used to describe the position of objects in the sky, the celestial sphere is a fictitious sphere centred on the Earth upon which all celestial bodies can be projected

Question 5

When is Earth closest to the sun?

Answer 5

January (147 million km

Question 6

When is Earth furthest from the sun?

Answer 6

July (152 Million km

Question 7

How many hours in a:

1) Solar day
2) Sidereal day
3) What is the result due to this?

Answer 7

1) 24 hours
2) 23 hours 56 minutes 40.09 seconds
3) Leap year

Question 8

Earth’s Tilt

1) Degree of tilt
2) What is at 23.5 N
3) What is at 23.5 S

Answer 8

1) 23.5
2) Tropic of Cancer
3) Tropic of Capricorn

Question 9

Summer solstice (Longest day of the year)

Answer 9

Dec 22nd (Southern hemi
June 22nd (Northern hem

Question 10

Winter solstice (Shortest day of the year)

Answer 10

June 22nd (Southern hemi
Dec 22nd (Northern hemi

Question 11

When is maximum solar radiation (equinox) at equator

Answer 11

March 21st
&
September 23rd

Question 12

1) Why does earth wobble
and
2) What effect does it have on earth?

Answer 12

1) Due to earth not being a perfect sphere it wobbles slightly on its axis
2) Changes the equinoxes & Solstices at long time scales of 26k yrs

Question 13

Equinox

Answer 13

When the sun is directly over the equator

Question 14

Solar angle (noon)

Answer 14

Shorter wave length to earth as the sun is directly over the top

Question 15

Solar angle (sunrise & sunset)

Answer 15

Longer wavelengths as passing through more atmosphere (scattering causes red sun)

Question 16

Why do we get solstices & equinoxes

Answer 16

Due to earth being tilted on itself at 23.5 degrees

Question 17

4 Spatial scales

Answer 17

Microscale
Mesoscale
Synoptic scale
Planetary scale

Question 18

Microscale

1) How long they last
2) Two examples
3) Where they occur

Answer 18

1) Happens fast over a short distances
2) Turbulence & clouds
3) Less than 1 km

Question 19

Mesoscale

1) How long they last
2) Two examples
3) Where they occur

Answer 19

1) A few hours
2) Sea breeze & thunderstorms
3) Up to 100 km

Question 20

Synoptic Scale

1) How long they last
2) Two examples
3) Where they occur

Answer 20

1) 4-5 days
2) Cold/warm fronts & cyclones due to high/low pressure system
3) Up to 10,000 km

Question 21

Planetary Scale

1) Define
2) Two examples
3) Where they occur

Answer 21

1) Weather system over the entire planet
2) Rossby waves & jet streams
3) All over the globe

Question 22

When do the smallest spatial scales occur?

Answer 22

At fast temporal scales

Question 23

When do the largest spatial scales occur

Answer 23

At slower temporal scales