Chapter 7 (atmosphere) Flashcards
(109 cards)
1
Q
tornado
A
violently rotating column of air associated with extreme horizontal winds
2
Q
work
A
force times distance (joules)
3
Q
power
A
rate at which work is done (watts)
4
Q
current global energy consumption
A
13 tW per year
5
Q
potential energy
A
stored energy
6
Q
kinetic energy
A
energy of motion
7
Q
heat energy
A
energy of random motion of atoms and molecules
8
Q
sensible heat
A
heat that may be sensed or monitored by a thermometer
9
Q
latent heat
A
amount of heat that is either absorbed or released when a substance changes phase
10
Q
latent heat of vaporization
A
energy required for vaporization of water
11
Q
conduction
A
transfer of heat through a substance by means of atomic or molecular interactions
relies on temp differences
12
Q
convection
A
transfer of heat by the mass movement of a fluid
13
Q
convection cell
A
rising and falling currents due to differences in temperature
14
Q
radiation
A
wave like energy that is emitted by any substance that possesses heat
15
Q
earth’s energy balance
A
equillibrium between incoming and outgoing energy
16
Q
wavelength
A
distance between tops of two successive waves
17
Q
radiation and absorption of electromagnetic energy is affected by both
A
temp and reflectivity
18
Q
hotter objects
A
emit more electromagnetic energy
19
Q
if surface temp doubles,
A
radiated energy increases 16 times
20
Q
hotter objects radiate energy
A
more rapidly and at shorter wavelengths
21
Q
sun emits
A
short wave radiation
gamma x rays visible UV light
22
Q
earth’s land surface, oceans, and clouds emit
A
long wave radiation
infrared
23
Q
dark or black surfaces
A
absorb or radiate EM energy readily
24
Q
light or white surfaces
A
tend to reflect EM energy rather than absorb it
25
atmosphere
gaseous envelope that surrounds earth
| made up of gas molecules, suspended particles of soild and liquid, and falling precipitation
26
atmosphere is mainly composes of
nitrogen and oxygen
| also argon, water vapor, and carbon dioxide
27
humidity
amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at a given temperature
28
relative humidity
ratio of water vapor present in the atmosphere to the maximum amount of water vapor that could be there
29
lowest layer of the atmosphere
troposphere
30
troposphere
extends about 8-16km above earths surface
rapid upward decrease in temperature
clouds at the very top
contains most of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane
ozone is significantly less abundant
31
tropopause
upper boundary of the troposphere
32
cumulus clouds
puffy, fair weather, look like cotton
33
cumulonimbus clouds
thunderstorm clouds, release a lot of energy
34
atmospheric pressure (barometric pressure)
weight of column of air that is above any given point
| force exerted by gas molecules on a surface
35
atmospheric pressure decreases rapidly at
higher elevations
36
air rises in areas of
low atmospheric pressure
37
dry air descends and sky conditions remain clear in
areas of high atmospheric pressure
38
cold, dry, converging air movement creates
low pressure
39
warm, moist, diverging air movement results in
high pressure
40
changes in atmospheric pressure are
a major driving force for wind
41
parcel
small volume of air
42
atmospheric stability
tendency of a parcel to remain in place or change its vertical position
43
an air mass is stable if
its parcels of air resist vertical movement or return to their original position after they have moved
44
an air mass is unstable if
its parcels rise until they reach air of similar temp and density
45
atmosphere becomes unstable when
lighter warm air is overlain by denser cold air
46
coriolis effect
deflects winds to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
wind patterns along the equator are not deflected by the coriolis effect
47
front
boundary between a cooler and warmer air mass
48
cold front
cold air moves into a mass of warm air
49
warm front
warm air moves into a mass of cold air
50
stationary front
boundary shows little movement
51
most common thunderstorms
colorado, NM, FL, GA, AL, MI, LA
52
thunderstorms are most common during
afternoon and evening hours
53
mesoscale convective complexes
roughly circular clusters of storm cells
most common
downdraft of one cell leads to formation of new one nearby
12 hours or more
54
squall lines
linear belts of thunderstorms
| develop parallel to cold fronts or along drylines
55
supercells
large cells with single updrafts
most damaging
last from 2-4 hours
56
drylines
air mass boundary between moisture content
57
outflow boundaries
arcuate lines of thunderstorms that may travel long distances
58
hailstorms most common in
great plains
59
tornado
vortex extends downward from a cloud and touches the ground
60
funnel clouds
funnel shaped vortices that have not touches the ground
61
tornadoes form where there are
large differences in atmospheric pressure over short distances
62
mesocyclone
large upward rotating column of air
63
suction vortices
smaller intense whirls
orbit the center of a large tornado
responsible for greatest damage
64
how tornadoes are classified
fujita scale (F scale)
65
tornadic watersprouts
descend from storm clouds over water
| develop from downdrafts
66
fair weather waterspouts
develop upward from water surface
67
blizzards
large amounts of falling or blowing snow are driven by high winds to create low visibilities for an extended period of time
68
wind chill effect
moving air rapidly cools exposed skin by evaporation of moisture and by removing warm air from next to the body
69
ice storms
prolonged periods of freezing rain
70
drought
extended period of unusually low precipitation
71
dust storms
strong windstorms in which suspended dust that is carried by the wind reduces visibility for a significant period of time
72
sand storms
sand is transported over a distance of 30 m at the surface of the land
73
ridges
elongate areas of high pressure
74
heat index
measures body's perception of air temperature (greatly influenced by humidity)
75
doppler radar
sends out EM radiation that has a wavelength a little longer than a microwave
clouds, raindrops, etc reflect EM waves
76
doppler effect
wavelengths of the reflected waves changes depending on whether the objects are moving toward or away from the antenna
77
watch
warns of possibility of event in future
78
warning
event has been sighted and area is in danger
79
mitigation
long term actions to prevent or minimize death and damage
80
conduction
transfer through atomic or molecular interactions
| two bodies in contact with one another
81
convection
transfer through mass movement of a fluid
hot air rises and displaces cool air, which falls
creates a convection cell
82
radiation
transfer through electromagnetic waves
83
redirection
reflection back to space by clouds, water, and land
| scattering disperses energy in many directions
84
transmission
energy is passed through atmosphere
85
albedo
describes the reflectivity of surfaces
86
dark woodlands reflect
5%-15%
87
light grasslands reflect
25%
88
absorption
energy that is not reflected but absorbed
89
temperature depends on
amount of energy absorbed or reflected
90
atmospheric composition
composed mostly of N and O
| also water vapor, argo, CO2
91
water vapor
important for cloud formation and circulation
| comes from evaporation off of earth's surface
92
humidity
describes amount of moisture in atmosphere at particular temperature
93
troposphere
all of earth's surface is within this layer
upper boundary is tropopause
temperature decreases with increasing altitude
clouds are present at the tropopause
94
greenhouse effect
heat trapping gasses (co2, h2o) trap heat in the troposphere
95
atmospheric pressure decreases with
increasing altitude
96
air rises in areas of
low atmospheric pressure
| cools, condenses, and forms clouds and precipitation
97
air descends in areas of
high atmospheric pressure
| sky conditions are mostly clear
98
cold air is more
dense
| exerts greater pressure on surface
99
air that converges allows air to increase
pressure
100
air that diverges lowers the
atmospheric pressure
101
sea breeze
happens at day
| cool breeze from sea to land
102
land breeze
happens at night
| cool breeze from land to sea
103
3 factors that drive ocean currents
rise and fall of tides
wind
thermohaline circulation
104
cirrus clouds
made from very small water droplets or ice crystals
105
cumulus clouds
puffy, fair weather clouds
106
cumulonimbus clouds
vertically stacked, dark storm clouds
107
stratus clouds
layered clouds
108
nimbostratus clouds
layered rain clouds
109
wind shear
large differences in wind speed and direction
