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ENVS*2030 > Final Exam Review > Flashcards

Final Exam Review Flashcards

1
Q

Define Meteorology

A

The study of the atmosphere and processes that cause weather, life cycles of weather systems

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2
Q

Climatology

A

Study of Climate, its controls, and spatial and temporal variability

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3
Q

Weather

A

State of the atmosphere at some place and point in time.

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4
Q

Climate

A

Statistical collective of weather conditions at a site over time

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5
Q

Modern tools in Meteorology

A
  • Surface Stations
  • Weather Ballons
  • Satellite images
  • Radar
  • Supercomputers
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6
Q

Radiation

A

The energy in the form of electromagnetic waves that propagates waves at the speed of light and does not need matter to transfer.

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7
Q

Radiation Flux

A

Energy transformed in the form of radiation per area per unit time

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8
Q

What type of radiation is signified by K↓

A

Solar Radiaiton

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9
Q

What type of radiation is signified by L↓

A

Sky Radiation

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10
Q

What type of radiation is signified by L↑

A

Terrestrial Radiation

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11
Q

What type of radiation is signified by K↑

A

Solar radiation from the ground

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12
Q

Radiation emmited by objects are made up of

A

Several Wavelengths

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13
Q

Wiens Law

A

The radiation emitted by an object is at a maximum at λmax, which is inversely proportional to the object’s temperature. The hotter the sun radiates at shorter the wavelengths, the cooler the earth

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14
Q

Stefan-Boltzman’s Law

A

Objects emit radiation according to their temperature to the power of 4

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15
Q

Inverse Square Law

A

The solar radiation flux (W/m^2) decreases rapidly as the inverse square of the distance travelled.

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16
Q

Define Zenith angle

A

Angle between the vertical and the sun’s position

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17
Q

Cosine law of illumination

A

Describes the effect of solar angle on incoming short wave radiation (K down) received at a location.

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18
Q

For a given location why does the zenith angle vary throughout the year?

A

Due to the tilt of the earth’s axis. Variation in cosine function = more impact on received solar radiation the further from the equator.

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19
Q

Why does zenith angle increase from close to zero degrees as we move away from the equator?

A

Curvature of the earth

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20
Q

When is zenith angle the lowest?

A

Noon because that is when solar radiation is at it’s max

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21
Q

Do high latitudes get large daily radiation?

A

Yes Despite large zenith angle they still receive large amounts of daily solar radiation

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22
Q

What is the name for solar radiation reflectivity

A

albedo

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23
Q

Kirchoff’s Law

A

A good absorber is also a good emitter or an imperfect absorber is also an imperfect emitter.

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24
Q

Absorptivity = ___

A

Emmisivity

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25
Q

What type of wave is emissivity?

A

Long wave

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26
Q

what type of wave is albedo

A

small wave

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27
Q

Describe the green house effect

A

It is caused by absorption/ emission of LW by atm towards ground and not due to reflection (high absorption = high emissivity = low reflection)

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28
Q

Evaporation is what kind of heat transfer?

A

Latent heat transfer QE

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29
Q

Convection is what kind of heat transfer?

A

Sensible heat transfer QH

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30
Q

Does condensation take in energy or release it?

A

releases energy

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31
Q

What is the transmissivity for opaque bodies

A

0

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32
Q

What is the sensor for solar radiation

A

pyranometer

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33
Q

Silicon Photodiode

A

An instrument calibrated for natural sunlight, semiconductor devices used for the detection of light in ultra violet, visible and infrared spectral regions.

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34
Q

Campbell-Stokes bright sunshine recorder

A

Instrument that measures the number of bright sunshine hours using a glass sphere and a recording strip

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35
Q

Solar Radiation (short wave)

A
  • Can be absorbed, reflected, or transmitted
  • Albedo is the ability to reflect
  • Absorptivity = 1- a for opaque bodies
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36
Q

Terrestrial Radiation (long-wave)

A
  • Radiation emitted is calculated usingSt-B law
  • Can be absorbed, reflected or transmitted
  • Absorptivity = emissivity
  • Reflectivity = 1- e for opaque bodies
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37
Q

Infra-red Thermometer (IRT)

A

Calculated T of a surface (or target) using Stefan-Boltzman law, assumes an emissivity of 1. Sees both emission and reflection

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38
Q

Upsetting the natural O3 production/destruction balance

A
  1. Cl atom ggets bumped off CFC molecule by UV radiation
  2. Cl atom attacks O3
  3. Clorine monoxide anf O2 are formed
  4. CLO attacked by free O atom
  5. Cl now free to destroy another O3 molecule
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39
Q

What causes the Ozone hole

A

CFC molecules disrupting the production of Ozone

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40
Q

Saturation

A

An equilibrium condition in which the rate of evaporation is balanced by the rate of condensation

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41
Q

Saturation water vapor pressure increases exponentially with…

A

Air Temperature

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42
Q

List sensors for air temperature

A
  1. Liquid in glass thermometer:
    - Alcohol = rider for min
    - Mercury + restriction in capillary tube for max
  2. Bi-metal strips (thermograph)
  3. Thermistor
  4. Thermocouples
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43
Q

Dew point hygrometer

A

An instrument that measures the dew-point of the air via a mirror and light detector.

Mirror T = Dewpoint T

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44
Q

Electronic Temperature and RH probe

A
  • thermistor for temperature
  • Hygistor for RH
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45
Q

Sling psychrometer

A

Responds to vapour pressure

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46
Q

What are four fog types

A
  1. Upslope fog
  2. Radiation fog
  3. Advection fog
  4. Evaporation fog
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47
Q

Describe upslope fog

A

Saturation is reached through cooling

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48
Q

Describe Radiation Fog

A
  • saturation reached through cooling of the surface
  • colder denser air drains down slopes and collects in valleys ‘valley fog’
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49
Q

Describe Advection Fog

A
  • saturation reached through cooling (warm air cool surfsce
  • advection = horizontal air movement
  • shallow water is cooler than deeper water
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50
Q

Describe Evaporation Fog

A
  • also known as steam for or sea smoke
  • saturation reached through vapour addition to cold air
  • cold air over warm surface
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51
Q

List the layers of the atmosphere from warmest to coldest

A
  1. Troposphere
  2. Stratosphere
  3. Mesosphere
  4. Thermosphere
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52
Q

At the top of the atmosphere k0 = ___

A

The solar constant = 1400

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53
Q

In what layers of the atmosphere foes the temperature increase as you gain altitude?

A
  • Stratosphere - due to reactions with UV radiation interacting with ozone
  • thermosphere - generates lots of energy and heat
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54
Q

In what layers of the atmosphere does the temperature decrease as you gain altitude?

A
  • troposphere - heated from below
  • mesosphere
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55
Q

In the atmosphere temperature is proportional to:

A

Average kinetic energy of particles

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56
Q

Define Mixing Ratio

A

Mass of water per mass of dry air

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57
Q

Is mixing ratio conserved when volume changes

A

yes

58
Q

What is the standard height of temperature measurement

A

1.5 meters

59
Q

Thermal Radiometers

A

Radiation warms black sensor that measures temperature difference between the sensor and the body of the instrument.

60
Q

Hygrothermograph

A

An instrument that records humidity and temperature.

61
Q

Psychrometer

A

An instrument used to measure relative humidity consisting of a wet bulb and a dry bulb thermometer

62
Q

Hygristor

A

Measures how electrical resistance changes when a carbon coated glass slide is exposed to humid air.

63
Q

Stevenson Screen

A

A type of shelter which contains meterological instruments and keeps them from getting damaged by weather

64
Q

Requirements for weather station placement (3)

A
  1. Sensor is level to the ground
  2. Ensure there are no shadows anytime of year
  3. Sensor is mounted in the south direction. (northern hemisphere)
65
Q

How does proximity to water affect climate?

A

Due to waters high heat capacity a large amount of energy is stored in water during the summer and then is released in winter which moderates the climate.

66
Q

How do ocean currents affect climate

A

Depending if the current is warm or cold it can make a location colder or warmer than you would expect from just latitude alone.

67
Q

Why is the ozone hole worse over the poles?

A
  1. Air is trapped in polar vortex and does not mix with warmer aire from tropics
  2. Negative net radiation means lots of cooling during winter
  3. South pole: stronger vortex and cooling
  4. Ice in Polar stratospheric clouds accumulate ClONO2 which is source of Cl
  5. Antarctica - largest area ozone hole is in spring (Oct) as chlorine accumulates over darkness of winter and then goes into overdrive to destroy Ozone
68
Q

Adiabatic

A

No heat in or out

69
Q

What happens when Tair = Tdew

A

Clouds form

70
Q

In a stable environment if vertical motion starts, it tends to..

A

fall back down

71
Q

In an unstable environment if vertical motion start, tends to ….

A

Keep going

72
Q

What if adiabatic = environmental lapse rate

A

Neutral atmosphere neither stable or unstable

73
Q

Unstable atmosphere

A

Air rises, finds itself warmer than surrounding air and keeps rising

74
Q

Stable atmosphere

A

As air rises the parcel finds itself cooler than air around and falls back down

75
Q

In a neutral atmosphere

A

as air rises, parcel finds itself at the same temperature, no pressure to move up or down

76
Q

Conditionally stable

A

Unsaturated = stable
Saturated = unstable

77
Q

What can cause stability

A
  • Radiative cooling of surface
  • Advection over cold surface
78
Q

What can cause instability

A

Cooling of air aloft
- wind bringing in colder air aloft (advection)
- clouds emitting radiation ro space

Warming of surface:
- solar heating of ground
- warm air advection
- fire

79
Q

What is subsidence inversion

A

Environmental temperature warms with height

80
Q

Pre-requisites for clouds

A

Need rising air which:
- rising air adiabatically cools to reach dew point temp
- rising air supports droplets falling at terminal velocity

81
Q

Convective clouds

A

Flat bottom b/c that is where the air begins condensing
- Convection means air is moving vertically

82
Q

Pyrocumulus

A

Cloud formation because of lots of heating close to the surface causing unstable conditions

83
Q

orographic lifting

A

Lifting air over a mountains

84
Q

Chinook Wind

A
  • Warm dry winds
  • b/c air had a certain amount of thermal energy and moisture as it went ip formed cloud and rained out
  • heat stays moisture leaves
    heat came from energy added hoing to lower state
85
Q

Lenticular Clouds

A

formed on the downwind side of the mountain
- only formed in a stable atmosphere
- very close to saturation air as it follows wavey pattern every time it rises it will form a cloud at saturation
- cloud droplets formed then evaporated over and over

86
Q

Contrail Clouds

A
  • Burning fossil fuel forms particles that act as a nucleus for clouds
87
Q

What temps are best for forming precipitating clouds

A

-10 to -20

88
Q

In cloud temperatures below freezing

A
  • In a cloud at around -10, there are lots of supercooled droplets only a few ice crystals
    higher vapour pressure required over droplets for equilibrium, so driving gradient pushes vapour towards ice (deposition)
  • Reduced vapour over water droplets means more evaporation
  • this provides more vapour for the ice crystal, and the crystal grows at the droplets expense
89
Q

Collision Coalescence

A
  • 10 micro m droplet terminal velocity and easily float in updrafts
  • Larger droplets sweep up smaller ones by colison coalescence process, after B-F process gets things started
  • C-C alone can maka raindrops in very turbulent clouds but often insufficient to make rain in most clouds
90
Q

Rain drop diameter

A

greater than or equal to 0.5mm

91
Q

Drizzle Drop diameter

A

smaller than 0.5mm

92
Q

Virga

A

Rain that evaporates before hitting the ground

93
Q

Flurries

A

Light intermittent snowfall with light accumulations

94
Q

Snow Squall

A

Similar to rain shower, more intense, produces snow accumulations

95
Q

Blizzard

A
  • Combination of drifting and blowing snow lasting 4+ hours, winds >40km/h
96
Q

Freezing Rain

A
  • Layer is thicker and warmer
  • Drops don’t have time to freeze again till it comes into contact at the surface
97
Q

Rime

A
  • Where the bushes and trees have thin coating of ice
  • comes from fod in subzero conditions
  • supercooled cloud drops/ liquid droplets
  • Supercooled droplets float around and freeze upon contact
98
Q

Hail

A
  • cumulonimbus clouds
  • hail is layers of ice with creation at the middle when it moves about the clouds other drops come in contact and stick to it cause hail
  • Needs updrafts to keep the hail up long enough to grow
    A lot of supercooled ice droplets
99
Q

Simple Rain Gauge

A

Has a funnel that leads to a measuring tube able to see preciselyy how much rain fell by funneling into a thinner tube

100
Q

Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge

A

Everytime it tips it sends a signal that it tips and everytime it tips we know how much rain fell

101
Q

Weighing Gauge

A

Collection area on a scale as more rainfall scale measures the weight
- instrument distorts wind flow and changes precipitiation reading things on outside of gauge stops this distortion

102
Q

Sonic Snow Depth Sensor

A

Emits sound waves and how long it takes for a soundwave to hit the snow and come back

103
Q

Radar

A
  • Radio detection and ranging
  • Reflects of microwave radiation form cloud droplets and precipritation
104
Q

Ordinary Thunderstorm 3 Stages

A

Stage 1: Cumulus Stage
Cumulus stage rising thermals generate cumulus clouds
- cloud growing upwards, but not yet producing precipitation

Stage 2: Mature
- marked by downdraft of cold air
- entrainment draws in drier air, cloud drops evaoporate cooling the air
- precipitation also pulls air down
- rapidly sinking air creates gust fronts

3 stage: Dissipating
- Cold gust fronts cut off supply of warm air
- only downdraft remains, no new supply of energy and moisture
- storm dissipates

105
Q

Outflow boundary

A

Merged gust fronts arising from downbursts from a multicell complex can produce an outflow boundary which can generate new storms

106
Q

Squall Line

A

Series of multicell storms along a cold front

107
Q

Air pressure ___ with height

A

Decreases

108
Q

Isobars

A

Contours showing equal pressure

109
Q

Low pressure = ___ weather
High pressure = ___ weather

A

bad
better

110
Q

Hydrostatic Balance

A

Any mass of air is a balance between gravity and pressure gradient force

111
Q

Cyclones

A

Winds moving into low center (counter clockwise)

112
Q

Anti-Cyclones

A

Winds move out from high center (clockwise)

113
Q

Geostrophic Winds are __ to isobars

A

Parallel

114
Q

What makes wind blow?

A

Changes in pressure/ change in distance

115
Q

Coriolis Force

A
  • Apparent force because we are on a rotating planet
  • workd opposite to pressure gradient frce
  • never speeds up or slows doen wind only deviates it
116
Q

Air Masses

A

An air mass is an extremly large body of air whose propertieds of temp and humidity are fairly similar in any horizontal direction at any given altitude

117
Q

Front

A

A transition zone between two air masses of different densities

118
Q

Cold Front

A
  • Sharp change in temp and humidity
  • Sharp change in wind direction and speed
  • pressure falling then rising
119
Q

Warm Fronts

A
  • More gradual change in temp and humidity
  • Change in wind direction and speed
  • pressure falling then rising
120
Q

Occluded Fronts

A

The cold front has caught up with the warm front and started pushing the warmer air up

121
Q

TROWAL

A

pushes a trough of warm air up.

TR - trough
O - of
W - warm air
AL - aloft

122
Q

Cold Type Occlusion

A
  • Both fronts moving left to right but cold front is moving faster
  • lots of precipitation combined warm front and cold front typ e precipitation
  • Occlusion is frontal boundary on the ground once cold front has met with warm front
123
Q

Polar Front Theory

A
  • A model that tells us how mid-lat. cyclones develop
  • Polar front = front that goes all the way around the northern hemisphere that seperates cool northern air from warm southern air
  • When a low pressure center develops along the frontal boundary, the air moving into the low spins the fronts
  • When the occlusion pushes the low away from the strong frontal zone, the storm begins to die
  • The stages of the cyclone. Movement of cold/warm air indicated by blue/red arrows precipiation indicated by green shading. Isobars shown by black solid line.
124
Q

Warmer air mass = ___ pressure/heights
Colder air mass = ___ pressure/height

A

Higher
Lower

125
Q

Define Jet stream

A

band of faster winds

126
Q

Anticyclone = ___ pressure region
Cyclone = ___ pressure region

A

High
Low

127
Q

What places have a higher chance of creating cyclone

A
  • temperature contrast
  • East of big mountain ranges - air flow over mountain ranges creates spin + LP center
128
Q

Convergence - wind ___
Divergence - Wind___

A

Slows
Speeds up

129
Q

Rossby Redux

A
  • Long waves moving slowly
  • Path of long waves is slowly changing overtime
  • short waves move fast
  • embedded in the background of long waves are shortwaves that are more active.
130
Q

Short Waves

A
  • Smaller troughs through the long waves that move much faster
131
Q

Upper air shortwave and the polar front

A
  • Cyclone begins with a stationary polar front and steady flow
  • Isotherms are parallel to isoheights, not moving warm or cold air in
  • if a shortwave moves in it deepens the trough, convergence and divergence generates surface H and L centers
  • This starts the polar front moving generating warm and cold fronts
  • Warm and cold fronts
  • warm and cold advection by moving cold air south and warm air north
132
Q

Barotrophic

A

Parallel isoheights and temperature contours therefore no advection. Transport of heat horizontally by wind

133
Q

Baroclinic Instability = Baroclinic Atmosphere

A
  • Winds and isoheights not parallel to temp curvature
  • Shortwave push south and crosses temp contours
  • Cold air is transported into the region of convergence deepening the trough when isoheights drop
  • bigger waves = more divergence and convergence
  • warmer air is brought into the region of divergence, strengthening the ridge
134
Q

Advection

A

Transport of heat horizontally by the wind

135
Q

Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)

A

Considers: Domain size, resolution, initial conditions, model assumptions
- Atmospere is divided as fallen cubes
- Using physics they step atmospheric conditions by a minute
- Small differences in our intial state makes us very wrong in our predictions in a few days

136
Q

Persistence Forecast

A

its sunny today so it will be sunny tomorrow

137
Q

Climatological Forecast

A

It usually rains 6 days a month in november so there is a 20% chance of rain.

138
Q

Watch

A

Atmospheric conditions are favorable for hazardous weather at a particular location and time period but actual location and timing are uncertain

139
Q

Warning

A

Hazardous weather is actually occurring or imminent within the forecast area

140
Q

A (watch or warning) is often issued well in advance of the event

A

watch

140
Q

a (watch or warning) is actually occurring or imminent within the forecast area

A

warning

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