exam 2 Flashcards
(32 cards)
What is Dew Point?
The temperature at which air becomes saturated with moisture and water vapor begins to condense into liquid (dew). At this point, relative humidity reaches 100%.
What is Relative Humidity?
The ratio of the current amount of water vapor in the air to the maximum amount of water vapor that air can hold at a specific temperature, expressed as a percentage.
What is Saturation Vapor Pressure?
The pressure exerted by the water vapor in the air when the air is fully saturated. It increases with temperature.
What is Adiabatic Cooling?
The process of air cooling as it rises and expands in the atmosphere without gaining or losing heat from its surroundings.
What is Environmental Lapse Rate?
The rate at which atmospheric temperature decreases with an increase in altitude in the troposphere. The average rate is about 6.5°C per kilometer.
What are Cold Fronts?
Boundaries where a mass of cold air displaces a warmer air mass. It often brings sudden temperature drops and can cause thunderstorms.
What are Warm Fronts?
Boundaries where warm air displaces a colder air mass. It generally leads to gradual temperature increases and steady precipitation.
What is Orographic Precipitation?
Rainfall that occurs when moist air is forced to ascend over a mountain range, leading to cooling, condensation, and precipitation.
What are Convective Storms?
Thunderstorms that form due to the rising of warm, moist air, which cools and condenses to form clouds.
What are Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN)?
Small particles like dust, sea salt, or pollution on which water vapor condenses to form cloud droplets.
What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)?
A region near the equator where the trade winds converge, leading to frequent thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.
What is Precipitation Recycling?
The process where precipitation that falls on a region evaporates back into the atmosphere, contributing to future rainfall.
What is Normal Distribution?
A bell-shaped probability distribution where most values cluster around a central mean, with symmetrical tails.
What is Standard Deviation?
A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.
What is Permafrost?
Permanently frozen ground that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years, often found in polar regions.
What is the Active Layer?
The top layer of soil above permafrost that thaws during summer and refreezes in winter.
What is Sea Ice Albedo Feedback?
A climate feedback mechanism where melting sea ice decreases the surface’s albedo (reflectivity), leading to increased solar absorption and further melting.
What is Sea Ice Heat Flux Feedback?
The process by which the loss of sea ice increases the heat transfer from the ocean to the atmosphere, influencing temperature changes.
What are the relationships between Temperature, Pressure, and Water Vapor?
As temperature increases, air can hold more water vapor (higher saturation vapor pressure). As air rises, pressure decreases, causing adiabatic cooling, which can lower temperature and lead to condensation if the dew point is reached. Cloud formation occurs when air reaches saturation; however, not all clouds produce precipitation, as droplet size and air dynamics affect whether rain falls.
What is Adiabatic Cooling?
Involves temperature change without heat transfer. Rising air expands and cools, while descending air compresses and warms.
What is El Niño?
A periodic warming of central and eastern Pacific Ocean waters that impacts global weather patterns.
What are Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)?
Other climate variability patterns that influence weather over decadal timescales.
How does Lake Effect Snow Formation occur?
Occurs when cold air passes over warmer lake waters, picking up moisture and heat, leading to heavy snowfall downwind of the lake.
What drives the Indian Monsoon?
Driven by seasonal wind patterns, bringing heavy summer rains to the Indian subcontinent due to land-sea temperature contrasts.
