Ch. 28 Flashcards
(152 cards)
1
Q
troposphere
A
a layer extending an average of 12 km above Earth’s surface
2
Q
temperature inversion
A
occurs when air temperature increases with altitude and the air becomes stable
3
Q
greenhouse effect
A
a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere warm a planet as they absorb and emit infrared radiation
4
Q
How are the atmospheric layers divided?
A
Composition and temperature
5
Q
What gas makes up the majority of the atmosphere?
A
Nitrogen 78%
6
Q
Which is the second most common gas in the atmosphere?
A
oxygen 21%
7
Q
What is the remaining 1% of the atmosphere made up of?
A
trace gases (majority argon)
8
Q
Within the troposphere does the temperature increase or decrease with altitude?
A
decreases
9
Q
How many layers are in the atmosphere?
A
5
10
Q
What are the names of the atmospheric layers closest to the surface then going up.
A
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere,
11
Q
Which layer is the ozone found in?
A
stratosphere
12
Q
Within the stratosphere, does temperature increase or decrease with altitude?`
A
Increase
13
Q
Does the temperature increase or decrease in the mesosphere?
A
Lower mesosphere decreases
higher mesosphere increases
14
Q
Do the thermosphere and exosphere impact weather?
A
no
15
Q
Where does 100% of solar radiation come from?
A
sun
16
Q
What percent of solar radiation is absorbed by Earth’s surface?
A
50%
17
Q
What percent of solar radiation is reflected off of Earth’s surface?
A
5%
18
Q
What percent of solar radiation is absorbed by particles in the atmosphere?
A
20%
19
Q
What percentage of solar radiation is reflected by particles in the atmosphere?
A
25%
20
Q
What are the three basic cloud shapes?
A
stratus, cumulus, and cirrus
21
Q
Describe stratus clouds
A
layered, sheet-like clouds associated with rain
22
Q
Describe cumulus clouds
A
puffy in shape and occur in fair weather
23
Q
Describe cirrus clouds
A
wispy, high-altitude clouds
24
Q
jet stream
A
a narrow band of fast-moving, high-altitude air
25
Coriolis effect
the apparent deflection of an object due to Earth's rotation
26
weather fronts
zones where air masses interact
27
air mass
a large volume of air with uniform moisture and temperature throughout
28
how many jet streams are there in the world
4
29
How many pressure systems are there
2
Low-pressure system
High-pressure system
30
What is a low pressure system known as?
Low (L)
31
Which direction does a Low rotate?
Counterclockwise
32
What are some results of Low pressure systems
air rises clouds form and creates precipitation
33
What is a high pressure system known as?
High (H)
34
Which direction does a High rotate
Clockwise
35
What is the result of a high pressure system?
Air sinks and creates clear skies
36
What are the 4 weather fronts
cold, warm, stationary, occluded
37
How are cold fronts created?
cold air forces warm air in a fast and chaotic manner
38
How are cold fronts represented on a weather forecast?
blue triangles
39
How are warm fronts created?
Warm air rises gently above cold air
40
How are warm fronts represent on a weather format?
red semi-circles
41
How is a stationary front created?
Where cold and warm air mass meet and stay
42
How are stationary fronts represented on a weather forecast?
alternating red semi-circles (on top) and blue triangles (on bottom)
43
maritime climate
a climate that is strongly affected by an ocean
44
continental climate
a climate that is not directly affected by an ocean
45
sea breeze
a breeze that blows from over the water toward land in afternoon
46
What is climate?
long term average of weather conditions
47
What is weather?
day to day outside conditions
48
What are the 5 spheres that make up the earth's system?
Atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere
49
What is the atmosphere?
The air around us
50
What is the biosphere?
everything organic
51
What is the hydrosphere?
liquid water
52
What is the cryosphere?
Frozenwater- snow, ice, glaciers
53
What is the lithosphere?
Earth's outermost layer
54
What is the primary factor that influences climate at any given location?
latitude
55
Where is solar radiation most intense on Earth's surface?
equator
56
At what degrees do the sun rays hit the tropical zones?
90 degrees
57
At which degrees do the sun rays hit Earth in the temperate zones
45 degrees
58
At which angle do the sun's rays hit the polar zones
30 degrees
59
Which zone is Lamar CO located in?
temperate
60
What factors determine climate?
Precipitation, mountains, water
61
What is the windward side conditions like?
cool and wet with lots of vegetation
62
What are the conditions like on the leeward side?
warm and dry with little vegetation
63
What is a land breeze?
wind blowing from land to sea
64
Which climate zone and which type of vegetation does Lamar CO have?
warm and semi-arid and grassland
65
How are occluded fronts created?
a fast moving cold front overtaking a slow warm front
66
How are Occluded fronts represented on forecast?
triangles and semicircles together alternating
67
Which hemisphere experiences summer?
The hemisphere tilted towards the sun
68
What was the period called when most of Earth's surface was covered in ice?
Ice Age
69
How long ago did the world's climate reach it's current pattern?
3,000 years ago
70
What are some factors that can cause climate change?
The tilt of Earth's axis, the shape of the orbit, and the distance from the sun.
71
How can humans change the atmosphere?
energy consumption, deforestation, and industrial and agricultural practice
72
What is deforestation?
The clearing of large areas of forest land.
73
global warming
an increase in the average temperature
74
el nino
the warming of the pacific ocean off the coast of the western america that occurs every 3-5 years
75
la nina
the opposite of el nino which occurs when tradewinds in the pacific are unusually strong
76
Is earth a perfect sphere?
No. The diameter along the equator is longer than pole to pole
77
What are two factors that affect gravitational strength?
masses and distance
78
What does the magnetic field protect Earth from?
radiation from the sun
79
Which hemisphere is the south magnetic field located in?
northern hemisphere
80
At what degrees does Earth's axis tilt?
11.7 degrees
81
Can the magnetic poles change
yes
82
What is the name of the large scale movements where magnetic poles switch?
magnetic reversals
83
how often do magnetic reversals occur
every 200,000 years
84
Which part of Earth's magnetic field deflects harmful radiation from the sun
the magnetosphere
85
What are the two scientific names for the southern and northern lights
N- aurora borealis
| S- aurora australis
86
How are the auroras created
electrically charged particles collide with atoms in the atmosphere and emit lights
87
When is Earth closest to the sun?
January (147 km away)
88
When is Earth farthest from the sun?
July (152 km away)
89
time zone
an area 15 degrees wide in which the time is the same
90
rotation
the spinning of Earth on its axis
91
revolution
the motion of Earth in an elliptical orbit around the sun
92
eliptic
the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun
93
solstice
occurs when Earth's rotational axis is tilted directly toward the sun or away from the sun
94
equinox
Earth's rotational axis is perpendicular to a line drawn from the center of Earth to the center of the sun
95
Who devised a method of timekeeping around 3000 B.C.?
babylonians
96
What was the symbol for degree taken for?
the sun
97
How many degrees does the earth spin in one day?
360 degrees
98
How many hours does it take the earth to make one full rotation?
24 hours
99
How many degrees does the earth spin in one hour?
15 degrees
100
What direction does the sun rise?
East
101
What direction does the sun set?
West
102
True or False. All time zones are the exact same size.
False
103
How many time zones are there in the world?
24
104
What direction do you move to add hours at a time?
east
105
Which direction do you move to subtract hours from the time?
west
106
How many time zones are there in the United States?
6
107
What are the names of the time zones?
Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, Hawaiian, Atlantic (Alaskan)
108
What is a solar day?
the movement of Sun from noon one day til noon the next day
109
What is a sidereal day?
the time required for the Earth to rotate once relative to the background of the stars
110
What are the two main reasons for seasons?
The revolution and the tilt of the axis
111
Which 2 seasons have a solstice?
summer and winter
112
Which month is the summer solstice?
June
113
Which two seasons are equinoxes?
spring and fall
114
Which month is the spring equinox?
March 20 or 21
115
Which month is the fall equinox?
September 22
116
When is the longest day of the year?
Summer solstice june 21
117
When is the shortest day of the year?
winter solstice December 21
118
When are the days almost 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night?
equinoxes March 21 and December 21
119
tide
a rise or fall in the ocean surface
120
moon phase
reflects the change in appearance of the Moon as seen from Earth
121
solar eclipse
occurs when the Moon moves directly between the sun and Earth and casts a shadow on Earth
122
Lunar eclipse
occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon and casts a shadow on the moon
123
Maria
dark-colored flat lava-filled regions on the Moon's surface
124
Regolith
a layer of dusty lunar material produced by collisions between asteroids and comets and the moon
125
How many days does it take the moon to revolve around the earth?
27.3 days
126
A complete lunar phase cycle takes 29.5 days, what is this called?
synodic month
127
Do we ever see the back side of the moon?
no
128
What causes a tide to rise or fall?
gravitational pull from the sun and the moon
129
What is the rise of sea level called?
high tide
130
After the sea level rises how many hours does it take for the sea level to drop?
6 hours
131
Which is farther from the earth, the sun, or the moon?
sun
132
Does the moon or sun cause a greater effect on Earth's tides?
moon
133
How are the sun, the earth, and the moon aligned for a spring tide?
straight line ( S, E, M)
134
How are the sun, the earth, and the moon aligned for a neap tide?
90 degree angle (S, E up M)
135
What does the phase of the moon you see depend on?
depends on how the sun , earth , and moon are relative to each other
136
When does a new moon occur?
When the moon is between the sun and Earth
137
How many phases of the moon are there?
8 phases
138
What is the definition of waxing phases?
the illuminated portion of the moon gets larger
139
What is the definition of waning phases?
the illuminated portion of the moon gets smaller
140
What are the moon phase names?
new moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, waning crescent
141
Where is the word month derived?
moon
142
How is the earth, moon, and sun aligned during a lunar eclipse?
Sun Earth Moon
143
How is the earth, moon, and sun aligned during a solar eclipse?
Sun Moon Earth
144
What is an umbra?
the darkest portion of the Moon's shadow
145
What is a penumbra?
Lightest part of the Earth's shadow
146
How are the depressions on the moon formed?
by meteorites,asteroids, and comets that strike surfaces
147
Are there mountains on the moon?
yes
148
Which side of the moon is thicker?
far side (dark side)
149
Is the mantle of the moon a solid or liquid?
solid
150
What did the Clementine spacecraft do? (two things)
1. confirmed that the crust on the back side of the moon is thicker
2. provided info on the mineral content
151
What did the Lunar Prospector do? (3 things)
took photographs of the moon surface
confirmed the moon has a small iron rich core
collected evidence that supports the water-ice ratio on the moon
152
What is the Giant Impact Theory?
Where a Mars sized object collided with Earth sending debris into orbit. The debris condensed forming a large mass also known as the moon.
