Chapter #1 Flashcards
(23 cards)
Primary source of energy for the earth’s atmosphere.
The sun.
Two most abundant gases in earth’s atmosphere.
- Nitrogen (78%)
- Oxygen (21%)
variable gas with greatest variation.
Water Vapor.
Important roles that water plays in atmosphere.
- Only substance that exists as a gas, liquid, and solid
- releases large amounts of latent heat
- potent greenhouse gas
Why CO2 is on the increase.
Primarily by fossil fuels.
Two most abundant greenhouse gasses.
Water vapor and Carbon Dioxide.
How atmosphere protects inhabitants.
Ozone.
What are aerosols, list them.
Impurities in atmosphere.
- Dust
- Microscopic dust particles
- Smoke
- Volcanic ash
How does air pressure change with height
Weight of air act as a force on earth, increase in height equals lower pressure.
Why does air pressure and density decrease with height
Fewer air molecules above.
Why air pressure and density decrease rapidly near surface
Air near surface is compressed because of gravity. Both air pressure and air density decrease with an increase in altitude.
Standard atmospheric pressure for sea level (“Hg/mb)
- 92” Hg
1013. 25 mb
Identify elevations of standard atmospheric pressure values
MB HEIGHT 1000 Sea-level 850 5,000 ft 700 10,000 ft 500 18,000 ft 300 30,000 ft 200 40,000 ft
Standard lapse-rate in troposphere
- 5 degrees Celsius per 1000 meters
3. 6 degrees Fahrenheit per 1000 feet
List the layers of atmosphere by elevation
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
- Exosphere
What atmospheric layer contains most weather?
Troposphere
Layer of atmosphere with lowest average temperature
Mesosphere
Layer of atmosphere with highest average temperature
Thermosphere
Layer of atmosphere with highest amount of ozone
Stratosphere
Difference between latitude and longitude
Latitude - runs east-west, measures distance north to south, one degree equals 60 NM
Longitude - runs north-south, measures distances east-west, no equal distance
Difference between Universal, Greenwich and Zulu Time?
They’re the same
Time conversion from UTC to CST/CDT
CST -6 hour (Winter)
CDT -5 hour (summer)
How does weather differ from climate
Weather - conditions in atmosphere at a particular time and place
Climate - interval of time that gives “average weather” for the region
