Final exam Flashcards
1
Q
Weather
A
The condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place
2
Q
Atmosphere
A
The envelope of gasses that surround the Earth
3
Q
Water vapor
A
Water in the form of a gas
4
Q
Density
A
The amount of mass in a given volume of air
5
Q
Air pressure
A
The result of the weight of a column of air pushing on an area
6
Q
Barometer
A
An instrument used to measure air pressure
7
Q
Mercury baromter
A
A barometer that consists of a long glass tube that is closed on one end and opened at the other
8
Q
Aneroid barometer
A
A barometer that has an airtight metal chamber
9
Q
Altitude
A
Distance above sea level
10
Q
Troposphere
A
The layer of the atmosphere were weather happens
11
Q
Stratosphere
A
The layer of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer
12
Q
Mesosphere
A
The layer that protects us from meteoroids
13
Q
Thermosphere
A
The outermost layer of the atmosphere
14
Q
Ionosphere
A
The first half of the thermosphere
15
Q
Exosphere
A
The second half of the thermosphere
16
Q
Greenhouse effect
A
When radiation goes back up from Earth’s surface and gets caught in gases that in turn heat the Earth
17
Q
Convection
A
Heat transfer through the movement of a fluid
18
Q
Conduction
A
Heat transfer through direct touching of two substances
19
Q
Radiation
A
Heat transfer through rays
20
Q
Wind
A
The movement of air parallel to Earth’s surface
21
Q
Global winds
A
A steady blowing wind over a long distance
22
Q
cause of local winds
A
Because of the unequal heating in Earth’s surface
23
Q
Coriolis effect
A
The way Earth’s rotation makes wind curve
24
Q
Global vs local
A
Global is long Local is short (all for distances)
25
Latitude
Lines that go East and West through the Earth
26
Longitude
Lines that go North and South through the Earth
27
Local winds
A steady blowing wind over a short distance
28
What causes winds to move?
Differences in air pressure
29
Water cycle
The movement of water through Earth's systems, powered by the sun's energy
30
Water cycle order
```
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Run off
Ground water
```
31
Evaporation
The process by which molecules of liquid escape into the air after becoming water vapor
32
Condensation
The process by water becomes liquid water
33
Precipitation
When water is released from clouds in any of the 5 forms of precipitation
34
Run off
Run off is precipitation that did not et absorbed into the soil, or so did not evaporate, and therefore made its way from the ground surface into places that water collect
35
Ground water
Water present beneath Earth's surface from the runoff that collects and goes into lakes, river, streams, etc...
36
Humidity
The measure of water vapor in the atmosphere
37
Evapotranspiration
The process of water being released into the atmosphere (evaporation) from plants, trees, soil, or other surfaces
38
Relative humidity
The percentage of water that is actually in the air compared or the maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a particular temperature
39
Psychrometer
An instrument used to measure relative humidity
40
Dew point
The point at which condensation begins
41
Cirrus clouds
Wispy feathery clouds at high altitudes
42
Cumulus
Clouds that look like cotton and indicate fair weather
43
Stratus
Dull gray flat layered clouds that produce precipitation
44
Nimbus
Clouds that produce thunderstorms
45
Precipitation (definition not water cycle)
Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface
46
Rain
Drops of water that are at least 0.5 mm in diameter
| Rain is the most common kind of precipitation
47
What is rain made up of?
Drops called drizzle which are made up of smaller drops called mist
48
Sleet
Ice particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter
49
These form when raindrops fall through a layer of air that is below 0 degrees celsius, the freezing point of water, as they fall raindrops freeze into solid particles of ice
formation of sleet
50
Hail
A round pellet of ice larger than 5 mm in diameter
51
Snow
When water vapor turns directly into ice crystals
52
Freezing rain
Rain drops that fall as liquid, but freeze when they touch a cold surface
53
5 types of precipitation
Hail, Snow, Sleet, Freezing rain, Rain
54
Rain gauge
An open ended tube that collects rain
55
Water vapor
Water in the form of a gas
56
Flood
An overflowing of water in a particularly dry area
57
Drought
A long period of scarce rainfall or dry weather
58
Air mass
A huge body of air in the lower atmosphere that has similar temperature, humidity, and air pressure at any given height
59
Tropical air mass
Warm
60
Polar air mass
Cold
61
Continental air mass
Dry
62
Maritime air mass
Wet
63
Jet streams
High bands of winds abut 10 km over Earth's surface
64
Fronts
Boundaries where 2 air masses meet
65
Cold front
When the warm air is pushed upward along the leading edge of the cooler air
66
Warm front
When the fast moving warm air overtakes the slow moving cold air this mass is also accompanied by clouds and precipitation
67
Stationary front
When cold air masses and warm air masses meet, but neither can meet
68
Occluded front
When a warm air mass is caught between two cooler air masses and the warm air gets cut off or in other words occluded
69
Cyclone
A swirling low center of air pressure
70
Anticyclone
High pressure centers of dry air that come with fair weather and is marked with and H on a weather map
71
Storm
A violent disturbance in the amtosphere
72
Thunder storm
A small storm often accompanied by heavy rain and frequent thunder and lightning
73
Lightning
A sudden spark or electrical discharge
74
Hurricane
A tropical cyclone with winds of 119 km or larger
75
Storm surge
A “dome” of water that sweeps across the coast where the hurricane lands
76
Tornado
A rapidly whirling funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down from the thunderstorm to touch Earth’s surface
77
Evacuation
To move away temporarily from an area that will be hit by a hurricane or an other type of storm with possible damage to the area
78
Meterologist
A predicts who studies the weather
79
Axis
An imaginary line that runs through the Earth
80
Rotation
The spinning of Earth on its axis
81
Revolution
The movement of one object around another, in this case the Earth around the sun
82
Orbit
Earth’s path around the sun
83
Calendar
A system of organizing time that defines the beginning length, and divisions of a year
84
Solstices
When the sun appears farthest North and farthest South of the equator
85
Equinoxes
Halfway between solstices, each of these days has equal day and equal night
86
Moon phases
Total cycle is in 29.5 days (how a month came to be)
87
Summer solctice
sun hits tropic of cancer at 90 degree angle
88
Winter solctice
Sun hits tropic of capricorn longest night of the year
89
Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes
Sun hits equator at 90 degree angle
90
Neap tide
A tide where the moon's pull is at right angle's to the sun's pull
91
Spring tide
When there is a 180 degree angle between the moons pulls and the sun's pulls
92
How does a hurricane form step 1
Intense sunshine
93
How does a hurricane form step 2
Massive evaporation takes place
94
How does a hurricane form step 3
Convection causes t-storms
95
How does a hurricane form step 4
t-storms organize into squall line
96
How does a hurricane form step 5
Under the right condition upper level winds kink squall line
97
How does a hurricane form step 6
squall line spins around itself forming eyewall
98
How does a hurricane form step 7
Hurricane grows until forces destroy it
99
How does a hurricane die
Cold water
| Cold upper level winds (continental polar air mass boundary) and Land
100
What is the order of the moon phases?
New moon, waxing crescent, 1st quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, 3rd quarter, waning crescent
101
When moon gets more light?
waxing
102
When moon gets less light?
waning
103
what percent of the atmosphere is made up of oxygen?
21
104
what percent of the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen?
78
105
what percent of the atmosphere is made up of gases other then oxygen and nitrogen?
Traces gases, 1%
106
As you ride upwards towards the atmosphere what happens to air pressure?
It decreases
107
Which layer of the atmosphere protects Earth's surface from being hit by meteoroids?
Mesosphere
108
When heated, Earth's surface radiates some of the energy back into the atmosphere as what type of radiation?
Infrared
109
Energy from the sun that reaches Earth is mostly in the form of visible light, infrared radiation and what type of radiation?
Ultraviolet radiation
110
Because air has mass, it exerts a force on an area or surface called what?
Air pressure
111
What is the elevation, or distance above sea level?
Altitude
112
Because of what global winds in the Northern hemisphere gradually turns towards the right?
Coriolis effect
113
What winds blow from west to eat away from horse latitudes?
Prevailing westerlies
114
What causes day and night?
Earth's rotation on its axis
115
When the north end of Earth's axis is tilted toward the sun, North America will experience what?
More direct rays and longer days
116
How long does Earth's rotation take?
24 hours
117
What is a solar eclipse?
When the Moon is between the Earth and the sun
118
Why is it less likely to see a solar eclipse then a lunar eclipse?
Because the moon's umbra only covers a small area of Earth's surface
119
When are the tides highest?
At a spring tide, full moon when the Earth moon and sun are in a line
120
When are the tides lowest?
At a neap tide when the
121
Cool air is more or less dense?
More dense and flows under warm air
