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Weather and Climate > Chapter 1 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Meteorology

A

The study of weather and climate

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2
Q

Weather

A

The condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and moment

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3
Q

Meteorology

A

The study of these weather variables that cause weather, and the interaction of the atmosphere with the Earth’s surface, ocean, and life

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4
Q

Fundamental Cause of Weather

A

The effect of the sun on the earth

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5
Q

Climate

A

The condition of the atmosphere over many years

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6
Q

Climatology

A

The study of climate

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7
Q

Main focus of Climatology

A

How oceans, landforms, and living organisms affect the atmosphere

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8
Q

Main concern of meteorology

A

The atmosphere, the thin ocean of air that we live in

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9
Q

________ of Earth’s surface is water

A

70%

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10
Q

Gravity

A

The mutual attraction between objects, is the force that holds the atmosphere in place

Keeps the moon orbiting the Earth, the planets orbiting the Sun, and you from floating into space

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11
Q

Permanent gases composing todays atmosphere are:

A

Nitgoren (78%) - N

Oxygen (21%) - O2

and argon (1%) - Ar

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12
Q

Some gases in the atmosphere, however, experience changes in their concentraitions. These variable gases include:

A

water vapor, and the trace gases which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFC’s

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13
Q

Nitrogen is a __________ gas

A

chemically stable- does not interact with other gases on the Earth’s surface

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14
Q

Photosynthesis

A

The process plants use to convert solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide into food

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15
Q

The development of an atmospheric “ozone layer” allowed +>

A

life to move out of the oceans and onto land

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16
Q

3 major variable gases in the atmosphere

A

Carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone

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17
Q

Source

A

A mechanism that supplies a gas to the atmosphere

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18
Q

Sink

A

Removes a gas from the atmosphere

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19
Q

Cycle

A

The routes by which a gas enters and leaves the atmosphere are known collectively as a cycle

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20
Q

Nearly half of the carbon dioxide that enteres the atmosphere moves between the:

A

ocean and plants

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21
Q

Dead plant tissue and other dead organisms are therefore a source of ______________________

A

atmospheric carbon dioxide

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22
Q

Through respiration, animals inhale atmospheric oxygen and exhale____________________

A

carbon dioxide, and are, therefore, another source of atmospheric carbon dioxide

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23
Q

__________________ drives the seasonal cycle of peaks and valleys of carbon dioxide

A

the life cycle of plants in the Northern Hemisphere

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24
Q

___________ is the only substance that exists naturally in the atmosphere in all three phases: gas, solid, and liquid

A

water

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25
Q

Hydrologic cycle

A

Describes the circulation of water from the ocean and other watery surfaces to the atmosphere and the land.

A major source of atmospheric water vapor is evaporation from the oceans

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26
Q

Evaporation

A

The change of phase of liquid water to water vapor

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27
Q

Transpiration

A

The process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere, is also a source of atmospheric water vapor

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28
Q

The change of phase from water vapor to liquid is called ______________

A

condensation

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29
Q

_______________ is a sink of atmospheric water because it removes water from the atmosphere

A

Precipitation

30
Q

A decrease in the amount of cloud cover over land during the day =>

A

will allow more solar energy to reach the surface and warm the ground and the atmosphere above

31
Q

____________ is a by-product of cows’ digestive process and accounts for 28% of human-related methan emissions globally

A

Methane

32
Q

Chlorofuorocarbons (CFCs) ____________ occur naturally

A

do not

33
Q

anthropogenic

A

human made

34
Q

Areosols

A

Smoke, salt, ash, smog and dust are examples of particles suspended in the atmosphere

35
Q

The size of an aerosol particle is measured in ____________

A

microns - varies with the type of aerosol

*they are needed to make clouds

36
Q

Pressure

A

the force exerted on a given area

37
Q

The concentration of molecules is measured in terms of ______________

A

density - mass per unit volume

38
Q

The atmospheric density at sea level for a standard temperature of __________

A

15 degrees Celsius

39
Q

Constant =

A

Pressure / (Density x Temperature)

40
Q

Atmospheric pressure and density __________ rapidly as you go up from the Earth’s surface

A

decrease

41
Q

One millibar (mb) equals _____________

A

100 Pascals and 0.76 millimeters of mercury

42
Q

Pressure is also sometimes expressed in terms of _______________

A

pounds per square inch (psi)

43
Q

Barometer

A

Atmospheric pressure measuring device

44
Q

Pressure x Volume =

A

k x Temperature

45
Q

Pressure =

A

R x Density x Temperature

R is a constant that depends on the gases that compose the atmosphere

46
Q

Barometric pressure

A

The height of this column is a measure of ______

47
Q

Pressure always _________ with altitude

A

decreases

48
Q

Standardizing to ___________________ removes the effect of altitude on pressure and allows the meteorologists to focus on the smaller, but important, surface pressure differences resulting from weather systesm

A

sea-level pressure

49
Q

Troposphere

A

The region of the atmosphere closest to Earth, where the temperature decreases as you go up

50
Q

The top of the troposphere is referred to as the ____________

A

tropopause

51
Q

The height of the tropopause is a function of ____________

A

latitude

It is higher in the equatorial regions, where the tropospheric air is warmer and expands upward to about 16 km, than in the cold polar regions

52
Q

Above the tropopause lies the _____________, where temperature increases with altitude

A

stratosphere

53
Q

The ______________ marks the top of the stratosphere

A

stratopause

54
Q

Above the stratopause lies the ______________

A

mesosphere - temperature decreases with altitude in the mesopshere, just as it does in the troposphere

55
Q

The ___________ separates the mesosphere from the termosphere at an average altitude of about 85 kilometers

A

mesopause

56
Q

The region of the mesosphere and thermosphere is sometimes called the ____________

A

ionosphere

57
Q

Surface chart

A

depicts weather at the Earth’s surface

58
Q

Front

A

a boundary between two regions of air that have different meteorological properties, such as temperature and humidity

59
Q

Cold front

A

A region where cold air is replacing warmer air

60
Q

Warm front

A

Indicates that warm air is replacing cooler air

61
Q

Stationary front

A

A front that is not moving

62
Q

Occluded front

A

Represented as a purple line with alternating triangles and semicircles, has characteristics of both cold and warm fronts

63
Q

Lines of constant temperature are called ____________

A

isotherms

64
Q

Isobars

A

Connect locations with the same sea level atomspheric pressure

65
Q

Isotachs

A

Connect locations with the same wind speed

66
Q

Isopleth

A

A more general term describing contours along which any particular variable is constant

67
Q

Station model

A

A compressed graphical weather report

68
Q

Dew point

A

A measure of the amount of moisture in the atmosphere

69
Q

Watch

A

Implies that you should be aware that a weather hazard may develop in your area

70
Q

Warning

A

Issued when the hazard is developing in your area

71
Q

Advisory

A

A less urgent statement issued to bring to the public’s attention a situation that may cause some inconvenience or diffuclty for travelers or people who have to be outdoors

72
Q
A

Weather and Climate (10 decks)

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