Atmosphere And Weather

Question 1

Latent heat transfer

Answer 1

Heat energy used to change the state of a substance eg. Water evaporating to water vapour

Question 2

Insulation (Incoming solar radiation)

Answer 2

The main energy input from the sun which varies with latitude, season and cloud coverage

Question 3

Sensible heat transfer

Answer 3

Movement of parcels of air into and out of an area being studied eg. Air that is warmed by the surface may begin to rise and be replaced by cooler air

Question 4

Long wave radiation

Answer 4

The radiation of energy from the earth into the atmosphere and into space

Question 5

Dew

Answer 5

Dew is water in the form of droplets, caused by condensation or cooling on exposed surfaces

Question 6

Albedo

Answer 6

The amount of energy reflected back into the atmosphere off a material, expressed as a percentage

Question 7

Surface and subsurface absorption

Answer 7

The heat transferred to the soil and bedrock during the day

Question 8

ITCZ (inter tropical convergence zone)

Answer 8

An area of low pressure found around the equator due to warm moist rising air

Question 9

Upwelling

Answer 9

Movement of deep water to the surface

Question 10

Downwelling

Answer 10

The movement of water from the surface to deeper down

Question 11

Solstice

Answer 11

Longest and shortest dats if the year in the northern hemisphere

Question 12

Equinox

Answer 12

When the length of day and night is the same (march and sep)

Question 13

Fog

Answer 13

Small water droplets suspended in the air above the ground which restricts visibility

Question 14

Adiabatic cooling

Answer 14

The process of reducing hear through a decrease in air pressure caused by volume expansion

Question 15

Dew point

Answer 15

The temperature at which 100% relative humidity is reached

Question 16

Condensation level

Answer 16

The altitude at which 100% relative humidity is met

Question 17

Relative humidity

Answer 17

The amount of water vapour / moisture in the air

Question 18

Latent heat

Answer 18

The amount of heat energy needed to change the state of a substance

Question 19

Urban canyon

Answer 19

When wind squeezes between buildings and increases wind speed

Question 20

Specific heat capacity

Answer 20

Th amount of energy needed to bear 1kg of a substance by 1 degree Celsius

Question 21

Urban heat island

Answer 21

A metropolitan area that is warmer than rural areas surrounding it

Question 22

Spatial scale

Answer 22

Size of a factor and how it impacts an area

Question 23

Temporal scale

Answer 23

How often the factor is in play / impacts an area

Question 24

Diurnal

Answer 24

Daily

Question 25

Temperature inversion

Answer 25

When temperatures appear to increase with altitude in one part of the temperature profile ( usually temperatures decrease with altitude) Usually due to a very cold layer at the surface

Question 26

Radiation cooling

Answer 26

When surfaces emit long wave radiation at night, no input of solar radiation so ground cools

Question 27

Dendritic growth zone

Answer 27

Location in cloud where ice crystals form

Question 28

Environmental lapse rate

Answer 28

The rate of cooling within the temperature profile

Question 29

Updraft

Answer 29

The upward movement of air within a cloud

Question 30

Insulation

Answer 30

The act of covering something to stop heat from escaping or entering, usually in the form of clouds which maintain overnight temperatures at ground level

Question 31

Convection

Answer 31

The upward movement of air caused as a result of surface heating resulting in less dense air

Question 32

Climate change

Answer 32

The long term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define earths local, regional and global climates

Question 33

Global warming

Answer 33

The long term heating of the earths climate system observed since the pre industrial period due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat trapping greenhouse gas levels in the earths atmosphere

Question 34

Mikankovitch cycles

Answer 34

Long term, collective effects of changes in earths position relative to the sun are a strong driver of earths long term climate, and responsible for triggering the beginning and end of gladiator periods

Question 35

Eccentricity

Answer 35

The shape of the earths orbit

Question 36

Obliquity

Answer 36

The angle of the earths axis tilt with respect to earths orbital plane

Question 37

Precession

Answer 37

The direction earths axis of rotation is pointed

Question 38

Ice cores

Answer 38

Cylinders of ice where isotopes of oxygen can be measured to correlate to temperatures

Question 39

Orographic uplift

Answer 39

When mountains force air to rise

Question 40

Conventional uplift

Answer 40

When air gets heated and rises, getting replaced by cooler air

Question 41

Frontal uplift

Answer 41

When a warm and cold front meet, causing the warm air to rise as it’s less dense

Question 42

Condensation nuclei

Answer 42

Small particles of aerosols in the atmosphere on which water vapour can condense on