Midterm Flashcards by Isabel staats

The four spheres of the earth:

Lithosphere

Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere

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Air is __.

The density of air and air pressure decrease at a __ rate with increasing altitude.

Compressible

Decreasing

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The weather occurs in the __.

Troposphere

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The mixture of gases, droplets, and particles surrounding the Earth’s surface.

The atmosphere

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The science that studies the atmosphere and the processes that cause weather.

Meteorology

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4 scales of motion

Global

Synoptic

Mesoscale

Microscale

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Which area of the United States is most prone to weather disasters/extreme weather events?

Why?

Southeast

Warmth, energy, moisture

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___ scale of motion: covering a large portion of the globe, lasting several weeks or seasons, several thousand miles.

Global

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___ scale of motion: covering a few hundred to a few thousand miles, lasting a few days to a week.

Synoptic

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___ scale of motion: covering ten to hundreds of miles, lasting a few hours to a few days.

Ex: sea breeze

Mesoscale

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_____ scale of motion: covering very small areas (up to several meters or blocks), lasting a few seconds to several minutes.

Ex: leaves falling

Microscale

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600 B.C to 1600 A.D was the period of __.

There was no instruments, only theory based on observations.

Ancient __ were the first meteorologists.

Speculation

Greeks

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Empedocles (492-430 B.C) is associated with the __ basic elements.

Four (fire, air, water, earth)

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Aristotle (384-322B.C) is associated with __.

Meteorologica

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Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is associated with __ method.

Scientific

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The year 1600 to the present is called the period of __.

Here is when __ were developed.

Thermometer, barometer, hygrometer, rain gauge, anemometer

Observation

Instruments

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Observations increased dramatically in the __’s.

Isaac Newton was associated with the 3 laws of __ (1687).

1700

Motion

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3 main permanent gases

Nitrogen (78%)

Oxygen (20%)

Argon (0.98%)

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The variable gases (greenhouse gases)

Water vapor

Carbon dioxide

Methane

Nitrous oxide

Ozone

Particles (dust, soot)

Chlorofluorocarbons

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Temperature __: when temperature increases with height (promotes sinking air:subsidence)

Inversion

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Stratosphere and thermosphere have temperature __.

Inversion

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___ is where the weather occurs.

Troposphere

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The ozone layer is in the __.

Stratosphere

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The 3 temperature scales

Fahrenheit

Celsius

Kelvin

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Freezing and boiling points of each temperature scale: Fahrenheit Celsius Kelvin

32F freezing 212F boiling 0C freezing, 100C boiling 273K freezing, 373K boiling

Types of energy:

Kinetic: energy of motion Potential: stored energy

Types of heat:

Sensible Latent

__ heat, can be felt, is based on objects mass and specific heat.

Sensible

___ heat, is transferred during a change of state, no temperature change, 3 states of matter.

Latent

Objects with __ specific heats are more resistant to temperature change.

Larger

3 methods of energy transfer:

Conduction Convection Radiation

___ is the entire process of going from ice to liquid to vapor. Heat Energy taken from environment

Sublimation

___ is the entire process going from vapor to liquid to ice. Heat energy released to environment

Deposition

Sublimation happens slower because you have to add __at each stage.

Energy

___ is an energy transfer where heat is transferred by molecule to molecule contact. It is not very effective in the __. More __ works better because of more molecule to molecule contact.

Conduction Atmosphere Density

Convention energy transfer has 2 kinds: __ convection: fluid will rise or sink based on its density relative to that of its surroundings (air counts), refers to rising air. __ convection: also known as mechanical turbulence. Fluid is forced over or around a physical barrier.

Free convection Forced convection

Convection is __ air. Subsidence is __ air. Advection is __ moving air. (Wind)

Rising (warm and less dense) Sinking (cooler) Horizontally

Radiation: refers to both __ and its method of __. Every object above __ zero emits radiation. May travel in a __ (no mass needed). Travels at the speed of __. May be treated as waves of __.

Energy, transfer Absolute Vacuum Light Photons

Wavelength and amplitude determine type of radiation. Wavelength: the distance between identical points in 2 __ waves. Ultraviolet: short Visible: longer Infrared: longer

Consecutive

Shortwave radiation is emitted by the sun, called solar __ (aka solar __). It is __ than 4 micrometers.

Insolation, Radiation Less

Long wave radiation is emitted by cooler objects (like the earth). It is also called __ radiation. Includes: infrared, radio Is is __ than 4 micrometers.

Terrestrial Greater

Identify the law: 1. The energy emitted by an object is proportional to the 4th power of its absolute temperature. - warmer things emit more energy than cooler things. 2. The wavelength of maximum emission is inversely proportional to an objects absolute temp. - Warmer objects emit at shorter wavelengths than cooler objects.

Stefan Boltzmann Wien’s law

__ objects emit more energy at shorter wavelengths. __ objects emit less energy at longer wavelengths.

Warmer Cooler

__ curve shows the distribution of wavelengths that a black body emits. The earth and sun are __. The atmosphere is a __ absorber. -it absorbs and emits radiation

Planck’s Black bodies Selective

Atmospheric greenhouse effects: especially refers to water __, carbon __, and m__. Partially explains why cloudy night are warmer than clear ones. (Atmospheric window)

Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane.

Greenhouse gases absorb outgoing __ wave radiation. (Not solar). The atmosphere absorbs some outgoing __ wave radiation and then emits its own energy. (Keeps energy in system). The addition of more greenhouse gases enhances the greenhouse effect and __ the earth’s average temperature.

Long Long Raises

Solar radiation entering the earth’s atmosphere may be: - - -

Absorbed Reflected Scattered

Absorption: Solar radiation may be __ by gases, clouds, the ground, or other things. Ozone absorbs _ _ radiation. (Shortwave)

Absorbed UV

Rayleigh scattering: occurs off of very small things, like gas __. -Affects __ wavelengths (like blue), more than __ wavelengths. (Like red), thus making the sky blue. Mie Scattering: radiation is scattered off of __ objects, like suspended aerosols(pollution) -affects all wavelengths, making the sky __.

Molecules Shorter Longer Larger Darker

Reflection: surfaces may reflect solar radiation __ away from the ground. __ is the percentage of solar radiation reflected off of a surface. (K⬆️/K⬇️)✖️100 Lighter surfaces reflect __ than darker surfaces.

Upward Albedo More

The energy budget: 30% __ 55% __ 19% __ by atmosphere. The equation is Q=(K⬇️-K⬆️) +(L⬇️-L⬆️) (Q is the.net radiation on a surface)

Albedo Absorbed Absorbed

Fresh snow has a __ albedo Asphalt has a __ albedo. Entire planetary albedo is __%.

High Low 30%

Places will have the same __ if they’re east or west of one another. Places will have the same __ if they’re south or north of one another.

Latitude Longitude

Latitude: Runs __ to __. Measures __ to __. Ranges from 0 to __ degrees.

East to west North to south 90

Longitude: Runs __ to __. Measures __ to __. Ranges from 0 to __ degrees.

North to south East to west 180

Potential controls on the amount of energy reaching the earth’s surface: Solar __, earth-sun __, __ of receiving surface.

Constant Distance Angle

Solar __ is 1367 W/m squared

Constant

The earth __ around the sun. -one __ takes 365.25 days -one __ takes 23 hours and 56 minutes

Revolves Revolution Rotation

Since the sun is not the center of an elliptical orbit, the planet moves closer towards and further away from the sun as it orbits. The place where the planet is closest to the sun is called __,(147,098,074 km), this occurs in __. when the planet is furthest away from the sun, it is at __.(152,097,701 km) this occurs in __.

Perihelion, January Aphelion, July

The earth has an __ orbit and an __ plane.

Elliptical orbit Ecliptic plane

To receive the maximum amount of energy, the receiving surface must be __ to the source. - covers less area on ground - travels through less atmosphere Factors: time of day, latitude, season

Perpendicular

Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle just under __._ degrees. - this affects the latitude at which the most direct radiation is received - direct radiation not just at equator Solar __: the latitude receiving the sun’s direct radiation. (The sun appears directly overhead) also sub-solar point

23.5 Declination

The circle of illumination is the division between __ and __ over the earth.

Day, night

Isotherms are lines of __ temperature

Equal

Climate is based on __ year increments. Weather is __ event.

30 One

A thermometer too low to the ground will pick up excess __ from the ground. Surface temp is __ than recorded temp above ground.

Heat Lower

4 main influences on temp:

Latitude Altitude Land vs water Ocean currents