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Climate Change - Atmosphere > Atmosphere - Physics > Flashcards

Atmosphere - Physics Flashcards

1
Q

What are the functions of the atmosphere?

A

A protective blanket from solar radiation
A source of CO2 and nitrogen
An intermediate fro the hydrologic cycle

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2
Q

What light does atmosphere absorb?

A

300-2500nm and radio waves between 0 and 40nm.

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3
Q

What does the self-purificaiton mechanism of the atmosphere allow for?

A

Chemical conversion of contaminants to non-polluntants like H20
Dry deposition of gas particles
Wet deposition of water soluble contaminants

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4
Q

Barometric Formula

A

Modles the pressure of air changes with altitude

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5
Q

Pressure

A

Describes the force associated with transfer of momentum between molecules by collisions

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6
Q

Gas Constant

A

Pressure time gas volume divided by number of moles and temperature of the gas, relating energy to temperature scale.

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7
Q

Scale Height

A

The vertical distance by which density and pressure fall by a factor of e^-1

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8
Q

Why does temperature decrease with increasing altitude?

A

Expansion of empty space thus less kinetic energy

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9
Q

Adiabatic Lapse Rate

A

The rate at which air temperature changes in response to compression/expansion with altitude.

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10
Q

Adiabatic

A

Means no heat exchange occuring between an air parcel and its surroundings.

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11
Q

Why does adiabatic lapse rate not apply to water vapour?

A

Water vapour condenses into liquid as air mass rises

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12
Q

Why does water vapour condensation lower lapse rate?

A

Release of heat of vaporization and cooling.

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13
Q

What are the layers of the atmosphere?

A

Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere

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14
Q

What does the tropopause do?

A

Prevents water loss from earth as water condenses into ice ballast

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15
Q

Why does temperature increase with altitude in the stratosphere?

A

Presence of ozone absorbing UV

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16
Q

What are the ways vertical motion can occur?

A

Obstruction of objects
High/low pressure systems
Local instability

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17
Q

How are pressure systems created?

A

Rising of warm air, creates low pressure surfaces, whilst cool air descenion, creates high pressure surfaces.

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18
Q

Lapse Rate

A

Describes decreasing temperature with height, or depth in the ocean.

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19
Q

Why is moist adiabatic lapse rate lower than dry?

A

As water vapor rises, it condenses and heat is released.

20
Q

Dew Point

A

The temperature which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapour

21
Q

How does incident radiation relate to Hadley circulation?

A

Forces air rising to 15km, with poleward transport.

22
Q

Why do poleward moving airs increase in speed?

A

The Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum

23
Q

Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum

A

This states that so long as no external torque is applied to the system, angular momentum is conserved

24
Q

What is an example of angular momentum?

A

Skater spinning with arms outstretched, a rotational inertia and an inital angular velocity exists; when arms are moved closer, inertia descreases, thus so does angular velocity, increasing speed.

25
Q

What is angular momentum the product of?

A

Moment of inertia and angular velocity

26
Q

Moment of Inertia

A

Tendency to resist angular acceleration, being the sum of products mass, with the square of its distance from the axis of rotation.

27
Q

Angular Velocity

A

Is the rate of change of angular position of a rotating body.

28
Q

How does angular momentum relate ot Hadley cell poleward movement?

A

As it moves poleward, it gets closer to Earaths spin axis, decreasing in axis of rotation, with moment of inertia decreasing

29
Q

Subsidence

A

The downward motion of an air parcel, increasing in density.

30
Q

What is hadley cell descent called?

A

Subsidence.

31
Q

What does Hadley cell subsidence form?

A

Subtropic ridge.

32
Q

Subtropic ridge

A

A high pressure region encircling the globe, with low precipitation and high evaporation rates.

33
Q

At subsidence Hadley cells at 30 degreees, how are subtropical highs formed?

A

Piling up of air, inhibiting formation of clouds, which is why large deserts are found.

34
Q

Ferrel Cells

A

These form when decreasing hadley winds deflect poleward, creating westerlies winds.

35
Q

Rossby Number

A

Measures systems strongly affected by coriolis force.

36
Q

What happens in ferrel cells?

A

Warm surface air pulled poleward, air from poles meeting this wind at 60 degrees N and S, with rising tropic air.

37
Q

What does 60 degree uplift cause?

A

Lower pressure surfaces, and unstable watehr conditions.

38
Q

Fouriers Law

A

This states that rate of heat transfer through a material is proportional to the negative gradient in the temperature and to the area

39
Q

What is the fouriers law equation?

A

q =-kDeltaT (q is vector of local heat flux, k the materials conductivity, and DeltaT temperature gradient)

40
Q

Thermal Conductivity

A

Describes the rate at which heat is transferred by conduction through a unit cross-section area of a material, DeltaT exists perpendicular to the area.

41
Q

What is the basis of wind formatioin?

A

Differences in pressure meaning differences in temperature.

42
Q

What is required to melt a solid?

A

Energy to seperate cohesive bonds of the molecules

43
Q

Latent Heat of Fusion

A

Describes the energy supplied to a solid required to trigger a change in its physical state to convert it to a liquid

44
Q

Latent Heat of Vaporization

A

Energy supplied to a liquid to change to a gas

45
Q

What happens with heat release in the atmosphere?

A

Surrounding air is warmed, causing rising and condensation.

Climate Change - Atmosphere (17 decks)

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