Chapter 1 Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is insulation?
Energy from the sun. (Incoming solar radiation)
Light shining down.
What is terrestrial radiation?
The earth radiates heat that it receives from the sun, back into the atmosphere.
How is the earth heated?
From below through terrestrial radiation. Heat radiated back into atmosphere by clouds. Heat in atmosphere spread through convection currents. (Hot rise, cool sink and warmed up again.
How does the earth cool of at night?
Gases and water vapor in atmosphere absorb most terrestrial radiation from earth. N
No clouds, earth’s surface radiate heat high into atmosphere.
When clouds water vapor reflects heat back into air between clouds and earth.
Thermometer?
Temperature
Degrees Celcius
Minimum and maximum thermometer?
Temperature
Degrees Celcius
Whet and dry bulb thermometer?
Hygrometer
Humidity in air
%
How do you work out the relative humidity?
Highest - lowest = ?
Then you you just look in the table
Barometer?
Atmospheric pressure
Hectopascal(hPa) or millibars(mb)
Rain gauge?
Rainfall
Millimeters (mm)
Anemometer?
Wind speed
Knots
Meters per second(m/s)
Wind vane?
Wind direction
What happens when water is heated?
Molecules more energy, break apart, form liquid.
Molecules further apart until water vapor.
Condensation and dew point?
Energy taken away from molecules, cannot move as much.
Gas to liquid=condensation
Condensation to occur, air must cool down to certain temp: dew point - temp at which water vapor starts to condense.
Why can warm air hold more water vapor?
Gas molecules are further apart to create more space for water vapor.
Explain the water cycle shortly?
Evaporate
Occurs due to heating by sun
Water also evaporate from plants - transpiration
Water vapor rises, cools down, condenses - condensation
Precipitation - rain, snow, ice
Rain, melted snow, ice infiltrate into soil, or run down slope
What happens to water after rain?
Infiltration, run-off, roots of plants absorb rain water.
When does dew form?
Small droplets of water on grass, leaves, and other surfaces, early morning. Phase change water vapor to liquid.
Cumulus?
White, fluffy, flat bottom
Bottom 2000m in atmosphere
Altocumulus, bit higher, no rain.
Formed from water vapor, supercooled water droplets or ice crystals.
Cumulonimbus?
Huge, dark clouds Higher than 10km above ground Heavy rain, thunderstorms Consists of liquid water droplets. Give sky dark appearance
Stratus?
Along coast of Nam Low-level - medium-level layers of clouds Water droplets, lower temps-ice crystals Low in sky, flat layer, grayish cloud Altostratus - higher in sky
Cirrus?
Thin, semi-transparent clouds high in sky (6-10km)
Looks like feathers
Supercooled water droplets, or ice crystals if temp cloud level below freezing.
Forms during fine weather
Blown into thin streams by winds.
What is the 2 types of condensation?
Condensation just above ground - dew, frost, mist, fog
Condensation high above ground - clouds, rain, hail
How is clouds formed?
Condensation of water vapor in atmosphere.
