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Earth Science > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What is pressure

A
  • Force exerted over an area
  • force divided by area
  • air molecules bumping into each other and weighing down on us
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2
Q

What units are used to communicate pressure

A
  • millibars
  • inches of mercury (in,hg)
  • Pascals (Pa)
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3
Q

What instrument measures pressure?

A

Barometers measure pressure

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4
Q

What is sea level pressure

A

Definition:?

1013.25/29.2

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5
Q

What are isobars

A

Lines of equal temperature

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6
Q

PGF

A

Pressure Gradient Force

  • Necessary for wind
  • Total pressure/distance
  • Air moves from h to c
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7
Q

Coriolis effect

A
  • Observer effect of imaginary force resulting from earth’s rotation
  • 2x earth’s rotation rate x velocity sin latitude
  • NH moving object go right
  • SH moving objects go left
  • Zero equator increases with increasing latitude
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8
Q

Centripetal force

A
  • Necessary for wind
  • Like a tether
  • keeps objects moving in a circular manner
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9
Q

Friction

A
  • Planetary boundary layer
  • Lowest 1.6 km of surface
  • Air within PBL experiences drag
  • Negligible above PBL
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10
Q

3 Wind Types

A

Geostrophic
Gradient
Surface Winds

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11
Q

Geostrophic Winds balance…

A

Balances PGF and Coriolis effect

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12
Q

Gradient Winds balance…

A

Balances PGF, Coriolis effect, Centripetal force

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13
Q

Surface Winds balance…

A

Balances, PGF, Coriolis effect, Centripetal Force, and friction

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14
Q

Geostrophic Winds

A
  • Parallel to straight isobars/contours in upper atmosphere

- Occurs in upper atmosphere

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15
Q

Gradient Winds

A
  • Moves parallel to curved isobars/height contours

- Occurs in upper atmosphere

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16
Q

Surface Winds

A
  • Move across isobars/height contours

- Occurs near surface within PBL

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17
Q

What instruments are used to measure wind?

A
  • Anemometer measures wind speed

- Wind vane measures wind direction

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18
Q

How is wind named?

A
  • Where it originates

- Wind direction noted in degrees

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19
Q

Scales of motion

A
  • Microscale
  • Mesoscale
  • Synoptic
  • Global
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20
Q

Zonal vs. Meridional Wind - (refers to upper level winds)

A

Zonal: Mostly East/West
Meridional: Strong North/South component

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21
Q

Upper Air Circulations

A
  • Jet Streams

- Rossby Waves

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22
Q

Jet Streams

A
  • A “river of air”
  • 9-12 km above sea level
  • Polar jet stream
  • Subtropical jet stream
23
Q

Rossby Waves

A
  • Large amplitude=larger transport of cold air south and warm air north
  • middle latitudes
  • middle to upper atmospher
24
Q

Major Wind Systems

A
  • Monsoons
  • Katabatic
  • Sea Breeze
  • Land Breeze
  • Nino and Nina
25
Q

Monsoon

A
  • Seasonal winds
  • SW U.S
  • Southern Asia (Siberian high in winter, Central Asian low in winter)
26
Q

Katabatic

A

Chinook and Santa Ana

27
Q

Chinook

A
  • Warm. fast winds

- Come from Eastern slopes of Rocky Mountaints

28
Q

Santa Ana

A
  • Easterly winds

- Descend Western slopes of the coastal mount

29
Q

Sea Breeze

A

-Blowing toward sea from land, especially during day

30
Q

Land Breeze

A

-Blowing toward sea from land, especially during night

31
Q

El Nino

A
  • Warmer than normal water in the Pacific
  • Weaker upwelling off of Peru
  • Numerous teleconnections
32
Q

La Nina

A
  • Colder than normal water in the Pacific
  • Stronger upwelling off of Peru
  • Numerous teleconnections
33
Q

5 Basic Air Mass Types

A
  • Maritime Tropical
  • Maritime Polar
  • Continental Tropical
  • Continental Polar
  • Continental Arctic
34
Q

mT

A

Maritime Tropical

  • Warm and Humid
  • Chance of Showers and T-Storms
  • Source Region:Warm waters of tropics of Gulf of Mexico
35
Q

mP

A

Maritime Polar

  • Cool and Humid
  • Source Region:Northern Pacific and North-Western Atlantic
  • The clouds one
  • Northeasters
36
Q

cT

A

Continental Tropical

  • Very Warm and Dry
  • Unstable
  • Source Region:Northern Mexico
37
Q

cP

A

Continental Polar

  • Cool and Dry
  • Source Region:
38
Q

cA

A

Continental Arctic

  • Very Cold and Very Dry
  • Source Region: Arctic Ocean
39
Q

Is Ohio a Good Source Region?

A

lol

40
Q

Which most often affect Ohio?

A

Continental Polar and Maritime Tropical

41
Q

Examples of Air Mass Modification

A
  • Air masses are modified as they move over a land/water surface taking on characteristics of the surface
  • Lake effect snow - cP
  • mP and rainshadow effect
42
Q

Basic Definition of a Front

A
  • Transition zone between air masses

- Named for the type of air they bring

43
Q

5 Basic Front Types

A
  • Cold Front
  • Warm Front
  • Occluded Front
  • Stationary Front
  • Dry Lines
44
Q

Cold Front

A
  • Cold air advancing on warm air
  • Steep boundary results in uplift
  • Intense precipitation
  • cP advancing on mT
  • Blue line with triangles pointing in direction of motion
45
Q

Warm front

A
  • Warm air overrunning cold air
  • Sloping boundary, more stable
  • mT overrunning cP
  • Slower than cold front
  • Red line with semicircles
46
Q

Occluded Front

A
  • Cold front catches up to warm front
  • Cold Type: Air behind the front is cooler than ahead
  • Warm Type: Air behind front is warmer than ahead of front
  • Purple line with triangles and semicircles
47
Q

Stationary Front

A
  • Frontal boundary isn’t moving
  • May remain over a location for several days
  • Blue triangle and red semicircle
  • Precipitation is common
48
Q

Dry Lines

A
  • Contrast in moisture between two air masses
  • Usually mT ahead of dry line and cT behind it
  • Intense convection-t-storms
  • Dashed Line
49
Q

Cyclolysis

A

-Weakening/dissipation of a mid-latitude cyclone (low pressure system)

50
Q

Frontogenesis

A

Development of a front

51
Q

Cyclogenesis

A

Development of a mid-latitude cyclone (Low pressure system)

52
Q

Frontolysis

A

-Weakening/dissipation of a front

53
Q

Where do mid-latitude cyclones tend to form?

A

lol

54
Q

5 Main Ways the upper atmosphere affects mid-latitude cyclones

A

-Temperature Contrast
-Vorticity
-Convergence and Divergence
-Confluence and Diffluence
Migration of highs and lows

Earth Science (3 decks)

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