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Weather and Climate > Chapter 1 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 Flashcards

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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
Hydrologic cycle
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
26
Evaporation
The change of phase of liquid water to water vapor
27
Transpiration
The process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere, is also a source of atmospheric water vapor
28
The change of phase from water vapor to liquid is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
condensation
29
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a sink of atmospheric water because it removes water from the atmosphere
Precipitation
30
A decrease in the amount of cloud cover over land during the day =\>
will allow more solar energy to reach the surface and warm the ground and the atmosphere above
31
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a by-product of cows' digestive process and accounts for 28% of human-related methan emissions globally
Methane
32
Chlorofuorocarbons (CFCs) ____________ occur naturally
do not
33
anthropogenic
human made
34
Areosols
Smoke, salt, ash, smog and dust are examples of particles suspended in the atmosphere
35
The size of an aerosol particle is measured in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
microns - varies with the type of aerosol \*they are needed to make clouds
36
Pressure
the force exerted on a given area
37
The concentration of molecules is measured in terms of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
density - mass per unit volume
38
The atmospheric density at sea level for a standard temperature of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
15 degrees Celsius
39
Constant =
Pressure / (Density x Temperature)
40
Atmospheric pressure and density __________ rapidly as you go up from the Earth's surface
decrease
41
One millibar (mb) equals \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
100 Pascals and 0.76 millimeters of mercury
42
Pressure is also sometimes expressed in terms of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
pounds per square inch (psi)
43
Barometer
Atmospheric pressure measuring device
44
Pressure x Volume =
k x Temperature
45
Pressure =
R x Density x Temperature R is a constant that depends on the gases that compose the atmosphere
46
Barometric pressure
The height of this column is a measure of \_\_\_\_\_\_
47
Pressure always _________ with altitude
decreases
48
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
sea-level pressure
49
Troposphere
The region of the atmosphere closest to Earth, where the temperature decreases as you go up
50
The top of the troposphere is referred to as the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
tropopause
51
The height of the tropopause is a function of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
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
Above the tropopause lies the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, where temperature increases with altitude
stratosphere
53
The ______________ marks the top of the stratosphere
stratopause
54
Above the stratopause lies the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
mesosphere - temperature decreases with altitude in the mesopshere, just as it does in the troposphere
55
The ___________ separates the mesosphere from the termosphere at an average altitude of about 85 kilometers
mesopause
56
The region of the mesosphere and thermosphere is sometimes called the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
ionosphere
57
Surface chart
depicts weather at the Earth's surface
58
Front
a boundary between two regions of air that have different meteorological properties, such as temperature and humidity
59
Cold front
A region where cold air is replacing warmer air
60
Warm front
Indicates that warm air is replacing cooler air
61
Stationary front
A front that is not moving
62
Occluded front
Represented as a purple line with alternating triangles and semicircles, has characteristics of both cold and warm fronts
63
Lines of constant temperature are called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
isotherms
64
Isobars
Connect locations with the same sea level atomspheric pressure
65
Isotachs
Connect locations with the same wind speed
66
Isopleth
A more general term describing contours along which any particular variable is constant
67
Station model
A compressed graphical weather report
68
Dew point
A measure of the amount of moisture in the atmosphere
69
Watch
Implies that you should be aware that a weather hazard may develop in your area
70
Warning
Issued when the hazard is developing in your area
71
Advisory
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

Weather and Climate (10 decks)

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