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GEOG 3010 > EXAM 1 > Flashcards

EXAM 1 Flashcards

(58 cards)

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1
Q

what is Dalton’s Law of partial pressure?

A

total pressure inside the parcel = the sum of the pressures of the individual gases

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2
Q

what are the three temperature scales?
how do you convert between them?

A

FAHRENHEIT = 9/5 C + 32
CELCIUS = (F-32) / 1.8
KELVIN = C + 273.15

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3
Q

what is specific heat?

A

the amount of energy required to raise one gram of substance by 1ºC

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4
Q

what is latent heat?

A

change of state (pr phase change) represents change between solid, gas, and liquid

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5
Q

** what is sensible heat?

A
  • heat required to change the temperature of a substance with no phase change
  • heat you can feel
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6
Q

what processes release latent heat to the atmosphere?

A

condensation and freezing

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7
Q

which processes take latent heat away (remove it) from the atmosphere?

A

evaporation or melting

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8
Q

what is Kirchhoff’s Law?

A

objects that selectively absorb radiation also selectively emit radiation at the same wavelength

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9
Q

what is the Stefan Boltzmann Law?

A
  • describes energy emitted based on its temperature
  • hotter bodies emit more energy than colder bodies
  • I= σT^4
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10
Q

what is Wien’s Law?

A
  • details the wavelength of peak emission of a body based on its temperature
  • λmax = b / T
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11
Q

what is the difference between shortwave and longwave radiation?

A

energy levels
shortwave acquires more energy compared to longwave

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12
Q

what is the atmospheric window?

A
  • exists between 8-13 micrometers where very little IR radiation is absorbed by atmosphere
  • allows for some of earth’s emitted radiation to escape directly to space
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13
Q

how do clouds alter energy receipt at the surface during day and night?

A

since clouds can trap heat, temperatures will be warmer during day or night when clouds are present

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14
Q

what is Rayleigh scattering?

A

short wavelengths
gases in atmosphere
all directions

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15
Q

what is Mie scattering?

A

all wavelengths equally
forward primarily
aerosols

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16
Q

how do these processes work to create blue skies and red sunsets?

A
  • blue skies - rayleigh scattering due to short wavelengths
  • red sunsets - rayleigh scattering blocked and only mie scattering dominates with long wave radiation (reds and oranges)
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17
Q

what is meant by selective absorbers, and what role do they play in the atmospheric greenhouse effect?

A
  • objects such as gases in the atmosphere that selectively absorb and emit radiation (Kirchhoff’s Law)
  • greenhouse effect: the atmosphere selectively absorbs infrared radiation from the earth’s surface but acts as a window and transmit shortwave radiation
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18
Q

what is albedo?

A

the percent of reflected solar radiation

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19
Q

what are the main processes in the hydrologic cycle?

A

evaporation, condensation, precipitation

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20
Q

what are the phases of water, and particularly, the terms given to each of the phase changes?

A
  • solid (ice crystals, snow, hail)
  • liquid (rain drops, cloud drops)
  • gas (water vapor)
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21
Q

the terms given to each of the phase changes?

A

release latent heat: evaporation, melting, sublimation
cool environment: condensation, freezing, deposition

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22
Q

how to calculate and distinguish between absolute humidity?

A

mass of water vapor per volume of air (g/m^3 = volume)

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23
Q

know how to calculate specific humidity?

A

mass of water vapor / mass of (all) air

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24
Q

know how to calculate mixing ratio?

Study These Flashcards
A

mass of water vapor / mass of dry air

25
how to calculate relative humidity?
1) RH = vapor pressure / saturation vapor pressure x100% 2) RH = mixing ratio / saturation mixing ratio x100% 3) RH = specific humidity / saturation specific humidity x100%
26
what is meant by saturation?
equilibrium condition in which for each molecule evaporates one condenses
27
what is meant by the dew point temperature?
dew point is the temperature at which saturation occurs (a good measure of actual water vapor content)
28
what are the relationships between RH, dew point, and saturation?
RH indicates how close to saturation dew point indicates amount of water vapor saturation is when evaporation = condensation
29
how does relative humidity (indoor vs. outdoor) and dewpoint impact human comfort?
high relative humidity equates to less evaporative cooling (sweat cannot evaporate), mold
30
what is the difference between dew, frozen dew, and frost?
- dew forms when cooled to the dew point temperature - frozen dew is vapor that first condenses and then freezes - frost forms through deposition when the dew point is below 0ºC
31
what are condensation nuclei, and why are they important?
- particles suspended in the air around which water condenses or freezes - necessary for cloud growth
32
what is radiation fog?
- lots of radiational cooling - no/slight breeze - can help evaporate & supply moisture
33
what advection fog?
- horizontal movement at air = advection - warm, humid air to move over a cold surface
34
what is upslope fog?
- formed when air mass rises up slope and then cools
35
characteristics of cloud height?
high, mid, low
36
characteristics of cloud form?
- cirrus – thin, wispy clouds of ice - stratus – layered clouds, flat appearance - cumulus – vertical development, puffy picture appearance - nimbus – rain (storm) clouds, tinted (grey, black, green)
37
what are scud clouds?
- fractus cloud at low height above ground, detached, and of irregular form - ragged or wispy in appearance
38
what are mammatus clouds?
- formed by cold air sinking down to form the pockets - indicate convectively induced turbulence
39
what are lenticular clouds?
normally develops on the downwind side of a mountain or mountain range
40
what are nacreous (stratosphere) clouds?
- form in the lower stratosphere over polar regions when the sun is just below the horizon - ice particles are much smaller than those that form more common clouds
41
what are nocticulnet (mesosphere) clouds?
- diffuse scattering layer of water ice crystals near the summer polar mesopause - resemble cirrus clouds
42
what is the concept of parcel theory?
- the atmosphere operates like a lava lamp - small pockets of air (parcels) rise and sink - parcel temperature changes are due to expansion or contraction of parcel
43
what are adiabatic processes?
(change in temperature with a change in height) - environmental lapse rate (ELR) - dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) - saturated adiabatic lapse rate (SALR)
44
why is the saturated adiabatic rate less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
the cooling of the parcel of air in the SALR during rising is divided into energy released upon condensation
45
what is the environmental lapse rate?
observed temperature profile of atmosphere on any given day
46
what is a neutral atmosphere?
- ELR is the same as DALR or SALR - rising air will always be the same as the environmental temperature
47
what is a conditionally unstable atmosphere?
- ELR is between DALR and SALR - ELR averages at 6.5ºC / km (atmosphere usually in this state)
48
what is an absolutely unstable atmosphere?
- ELR greater than the DALR - rising air is always warmer than surrounding air - as air parcel rises, it forms a vertical cloud (which further enhances instability)
49
what happens to a layer of air as it rises or sinks, especially in terms of its stability?
when warmer air than environment rises, unstable when colder air than environment sinks, stable
50
what is convective instability?
its ability to resist vertical motion
51
what factors lead to unstable atmospheres?
- warmer air than environment rises - rising air is always warmer than surrounding air - stable below cloud, unstable above cloud base
52
what are the four main sources of lift in the atmosphere?
- convergence - convection - frontal lifting - physical lifting
53
what is the lifted condensation level?
lifted condensation level (LCL) - saturation occurs first - uniform - the height at which the relative humidity of an air parcel will reach 100%
54
what is the level of free convection (LFC)?
the level at which a lifted parcel begins a free acceleration upward to the equilibrium level
55
what is entrainment?
a phenomenon when a turbulent flow captures a non-turbulent flow
56
how does entrainment affect cloud growth / development?
dilute cloud properties and degrade the buoyancy characteristics of cloudy air
57
what is the rain shadow effect?
an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region
58
the terms given to each of the phase changes?
release latent heat: evaporation, melting, sublimation cool environment: condensation, freezing, deposition

GEOG 3010 (12 decks)

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